5 Reasons You Should Get a Hair Test Today
Minerals are the “spark plugs” of life.
They are involved in nearly all enzyme reactions in the body. Without enzyme activity, life does not exist. The foundation of health lies in adequate mineral intake and balanced mineral ratios.
Let’s take a look at 5 specific reasons why you need to get a hair test:
1. Blood tests are not good indicators of health. Why? Because the blood is always changing to maintain homeostasis. Remember that the biochemistry happens in the cells, not the blood. In other words, to quote Rick Malter, “the minerals do not deposit randomly in the hair.” For example, when you get your blood test results back, your magnesium levels may show up as normal. But there are 700 molecules of magnesium in the cells to 1 molecule in the blood. The blood tests also provide a very large range, whereas the HTMA provides a narrower, more precise range of your macro and micro mineral levels. Also, blood tests are a snap shot in time, whereas an HTMA provides about three months’ worth of information which is much better for looking at mineral trends in the body.
2. Depleted soils. Thanks to modern agricultural giants like Monsanto and co., glyphosate (link to glyphosate article) sprays are killing micronutrients in the soil. Additionally, toxic Roundup is a chelating agent that binds to “valuable molecules for the plants like iron, calcium, manganese, and zinc” (http://www.motherjones.com/food/2011/08/monsantos-roundup-herbicide-soil-damage/). As for another way we know soils are depleted? You guessed it: through HTMA! In fact, HTMA actually originated in agricultural science because farmers tested livestock hair to measure the mineral levels of their soil. We’re seeing so many of our patients with very low levels of minerals, even as young as 2 years old!
3. To improve the results of natural healing modalities. Bodywork, chiropractic adjustments, and homeopathic remedies all work better when the body is mineralized. Remember that the bones (and teeth) are mineral reservoirs. When the body is not getting enough minerals from food and supplementation, it will start pulling minerals from the bones. Thus, causing early degeneration as we see in younger generations with poor posture, scoliosis, smaller jaws, and tooth decay. This is why we look at an HTMA to assess the proper mineral supplementation along with homeopathic cell salts. These mineral cell salts are at a low potency to be readily assimilated for those with deficiencies, children, and the elderly.
4. Heavy Metal Toxicities. The domino effect of mineral deficiency is that once a mineral level decreases, the body will start to accumulate heavy metals to pinch hit. A good example of this is that when zinc is low, cadmium comes in to take its place. While cadmium is serving as a temporary replacement, it cannot do nearly the same job as zinc. And as cadmium builds up, it can lead to an assortment of degenerative diseases and mental illnesses. Other common toxicities include copper (link to copper toxicity article), mercury, aluminum, and lead.
5. The hair tissue ratios allow us to see very important trends in the body. The Calcium/Magnesium ratio (ideal of 6.67) is the blood sugar ratio. A high Ca/Mg ratio can indicate high blood sugar, diabetes, and glucose intolerance. The Calcium/ Potassium ratio (ideal of 4) is the thyroid ratio. A high Ca/K indicates hypothyroid while a low Ca/K indicates hyperthyroid. The Sodium/Magnesium ratio (ideal of 4.17) is the adrenal ratio. Too low of a Na/Mg indicates underactive adrenals while too high of a Na/Mg indicates overactive adrenals. The Sodium/Potassium ratio (ideal of 2.5) is a stress ratio. Too high of an Na/K ratio can indicate that this person is experiencing a tremendous amount of stress and is likely in a fight or flight, sympathetic dominant mode. In contrast, a low Na/K ratio indicates adrenal exhaustion.
These are the four most common ratios we use to determine an overall picture of your health as it gives a great summary of your energy and stress levels.
Once minerals are replenished and ratios are balanced, chronic disease and illness begins to vanish. Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is the only reliable way to identify mineral imbalances, deficiency, and heavy metal toxicity. For these reasons, HTMA should truly be the foundation of any good healing protocol.