This simple test is done in the office, by a finger stick. It consists of a very small set of blood spots you will see the results of 96 different foods..

We get a biochemical reaction as a result of how each food reacts in your body on a scale of 1-6.

I advise anything above a 1 to be avoided so you can lower the overall amount of inflammation in the body.

I have found this test to be extremely beneficial for pediatrics as young as 6 months to geriatrics and everyone in between. 

There are two immunological reaction that happen when we eat food. One is governed by the immunoglobulin E (IgE) and one is governed by the immunoglobulin G (IgG).

The first reaction (IgE) happens between 0 and 12 hours after eating a food. It is called the immediate allergy and the symptoms are obvious and often need medical intervention to stop the reaction as it can be life threatening.

The second reaction (IgG) happens between 12 and 72 hours after eating and the symptoms are NOT obvious and can be extremely difficult to pin point foods.

So what happens in the IgG reaction is called low grade chronic inflammation. This will affect different people differently. I have seen so many different things once people identify what they’re sensitivities are. Ranging from asthma to allergies, eczema, mood, energy, quality of sleep, to organ function etc.… When tested, nine out of tem of my patients have made a discovery of something that they did not know about how food had them feeling.

WHAT IS HAIR MINERAL ANALYSIS?
Hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA), is an analytical test which measures the mineral content of the hair. The sampled hair, obtained by cutting the first inch and one-half of growth closest to the scalp at the nape of the neck, is prepared in a licensed clinical laboratory through a series of chemical and high temperature digestive procedures. Testing is then performed using highly sophisticated detection equipment and methods to achieve the most accurate and precise results.

WHY USE THE HAIR? WHY NOT USE THE BLOOD?
 Hair is ideal tissue for sampling and testing. First, it can be cut easily and painlessly and can be sent to the lab without special handling requirements. Second, clinical results have shown that a properly obtained sample can give an indication of mineral status and toxic metal accumulation following long term or even acute exposure.

A HTMA reveals a unique metabolic world: intracellular activity, which cannot be seen through most other tests. This provides a blueprint of the biochemistry occurring during the period of hair growth and development. 

Examples:

• Thirty to 40 days following an acute exposure, elevated serum levels of lead may be undetectable. This is due to the body removing the lead from the serum as a protective measure and depositing the metal into such tissues as the liver, bones, teeth and hair.Nutrient loss from the body can become so advanced that severe health conditions can develop without any appreciable changes noted in those same nutrient levels in a blood test.
• Symptoms of elemental deficiency can be present long before low levels can be detected in the serum.
• Excess sodium is associated with hypertension, but adequate amounts are required for normal health.

Hair is used as one of the tissues of choice by the Environmental Protection Agency in determining toxic metal exposure. A 1980 report from the E.P.A. stated that human hair can be effectively used for biological monitoring of the highest priority toxic metals. This report confirmed the findings of other studies in the U.S. and abroad, which concluded that human hair may be a more appropriate tissue than blood or urine for studying community exposure to some trace elements

WHY TEST FOR MINERALS?

 Trace minerals are essential in countless metabolic functions in all phases of the life process.

• Zinc is involved in the production, storage and secretion of insulin and is necessary for growth hormones.
• Magnesium is required for normal muscular function, especially the heart. A deficiency has been associated with an increased incidence of abnormal heart conditions, anxiety and nervousness.
• Potassium is critical for normal nutrient transport into the cell. A deficiency can result in muscular weakness, mild depression and lethargy.
• Excess sodium is associated with hypertension, but adequate amounts are required for normal health.

In the words of the late author and noted researcher, Dr. Henry Schroeder, trace elements (minerals) are “…more important factors in human nutrition than vitamins. The body can manufacture many vitamins, but it cannot produce necessary trace minerals or get rid of many possible excesses.”

WHAT CAN CAUSE A MINERAL IMBALANCE?
 There are many factors to take into consideration, such as:

DIET – Improper diet through high intake of refined and processed foods, alcohol and fad diets can all lead to a chemical imbalance. Even the nutrient content of a “healthy” diet can be inadequate, depending upon the soil in which the food was grown or the method in which it was prepared.
STRESS – Physical or emotional stress can deplete the body of many nutrients while also reducing the capability to absorb and utilize many nutrients.
MEDICATIONS – Both prescription and over-the-counter medications can deplete the body stores of nutrient minerals and/or increase the levels of toxic metals. These medications include diuretics, antacids, aspirin and oral contraceptives.
POLLUTION – From adolescence through adulthood the average person is continually exposed to a variety of toxic metal sources such as cigarette smoke (cadmium), hair dyes (lead), hydrogenated oils (nickel), anti-perspirants (aluminum), dental amalgams (mercury and cadmium), copper and aluminum cookware and lead-based cosmetics. These are just a few of the hundreds of sources which can contribute to nutrient imbalances and adverse metabolic effects.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS – Taking incorrect supplements or improper amounts of supplements can produce many vitamin and mineral excesses and/or deficiencies, contributing to an overall biochemical imbalance.
INHERITED PATTERNS – A predisposition toward certain mineral imbalances, deficiencies and excesses can be inherited from parents.

 CAN VITAMIN REQUIREMENTS BE DETERMINED FROM A MINERAL TEST?
 Minerals interact not only with each other but also with vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Minerals influence each of these factors, and they, in turn, influence mineral status. Minerals act as enzyme activators, and vitamins are synergistic to minerals as coenzymes. It is extremely rare that a mineral disturbance develops without a corresponding disturbance in the synergistic vitamin(s). It is also rare for a disturbance in the utilization or activity of a vitamin to occur without affecting a synergistic mineral(s). For example, vitamin C affects iron absorption and reduces copper retention. Boron and iron influence the status of vitamin B2. Vitamin B2 affects the relationship between calcium and magnesium. Vitamin B1 enhances sodium retention, B12 enhances iron and cobalt absorption, and vitamin A enhances the utilization of zinc, while antagonizing vitamins D and E. Protein intake will affect zinc status, etc. Therefore, evaluating mineral status provides good clues of vitamin status and requirements. Continuing research at Trace Elements involves the recognition of many synergistic and antagonistic interrelationships between minerals and vitamins.

WHAT DOES MY OFFICE RECEIVE WHEN I ORDER A COMPLETE HAIR ANALYSIS PROFILE?
 After hundreds of thousands of hair analysis, Trace Elements has created a unique system of interpreting hair mineral analysis results. Each test report will provide the clinician with the most complete and comprehensive evaluation and discussion of significant mineral levels, ratios and toxic metals as tested in the hair. Included is a listing of individual foods and food groups that the doctor can recommend to eat or avoid in accordance with food allergy indicators and individualized metabolic requirements. (Please refer to the Laboratory Services section for details on the Profile #2 test)

 IS HAIR TISSUE MINERAL ANALYSIS SUPPORTED BY RESEARCH?
  Hair tissue mineral analysis is supported by an impressive body of literature in a variety of respected national and international scientific publications. Over the past twenty-five years hair mineral testing has been extensive. Each year in the United States alone, federally licensed clinical laboratories perform over 150,000 hair mineral assays for health care professionals interested in an additional screening aid for a comprehensive patient evaluation. This does not take into consideration the thousands of subjects used in numerous continuing research studies conducted by private and government research agencies.

More than 50% of people are affected by genetic mutations in the methylation pathway.

Methylation can play an important role in many chronic diseases. By understanding your genetics you can prevent and address these conditions with the right nutrition.

The MethylDetox Profile tests critical genes in the methylation pathway. The methylation pathway is the major part of detoxification and the metabolic cycle. Based on your genetics, this profile enables you to address many important chronic medical conditions by using nutrition and nutrient supplementation.

More about The Methyl Detox Profile

MTHFR stands for methyl-tetrahydrofolate reductase, an enzyme that is responsible for the process of methylation in every cell in your body. MTHFR is a common genetic variant that causes this key enzyme in the body to function at lower than normal rate. This can lead to a variety of medical problems.

Methylation is a core process that occurs in all cells to help your body make biochemical conversions. When people with genetic mutations of MTHFR are exposed to toxins, they have a harder time getting rid of them which can cause some very serious illnesses. The methylation process is responsible for:

• Cellular Repair: synthesis of nucleic acids, production and repair of DNA and mRNA
• Detoxification and Neurotransmitter Production: Interconversion of amino acids
• Healthy Immune System Function: formation and Maturation of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelet production

Most People have heart of MTHFR but there are 6 components that are tested in our Methyl Detox Profile

There are really simple nutrient support supplements that we can add in if we identify missing links in the chin that will upregulate your ability to detox.

Who may benefit from this test?

Individuals with any of the following diagnoses of symptoms, lab data indicating the tendency toward:

• Cardiovascular Diseasesg. hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke
• Neurological Disordersg. depression, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, ADD/ADHD, ASD, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine, insomnia
• Metabolic Conditionsg. metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, kidney diseases, reduced ability to metabolize medications, multiple chemical sensitivity
• Musculoskeletal Disordersg. osteoporosis
• Eye Diseasesg. macular degeneration
• Cancerg. colorectal, breast, and others