Nutrient & Heavy Metals Testing
HTMA
Hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) measures the mineral content of the hair, providing a blueprint of a person’s biochemistry during the period of hair growth and development. A hair sample is collected by cutting the first inch-and-a-half of growth closest to the scalp so we get a current picture of your health.
Human hair has been shown to be highly effective in monitoring toxic metal exposure, in fact, studies have concluded it may be a more appropriate tissue than blood or urine for studying exposure to some trace elements. In addition, it can be cut easily and painlessly, and does not require special handling, making it an idea sample tissue.
Why Test for Mineral Accumulation?
Trace minerals are essential in countless metabolic functions in all phases of life. However, unlike many vitamins, the human body cannot produce many of the trace minerals it needs, and it cannot get rid of those it has in excess amounts.
Trace minerals like:
- Zinc – involved in the production, storage and secretion of insulin; also necessary for growth hormones.
- Magnesium – required for normal muscular function, especially the heart; deficiency has been link to an increased incidence of abnormal heart conditions, anxiety, and nervousness.
- Potassium – critical for normal nutrient transport into the cell; deficiency can result in muscular weakness, mild depression, and lethargy.
- Sodium – adequate amounts are required for good health, but excessive amounts have been associated with hypertension.
What Can Mineral Levels Tell Me?
Minerals interact not only with each other but also with vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. So, evaluating mineral status provides good clues of vitamin status and requirements as well.
Contact Ann Arbor Holistic Health today to learn more about the HTMA testing process to ensure your body is getting optimal levels of the minerals it needs to function properly.
Mineral imbalances can be affected by:
- Diet – a high intake of refined and processed foods, alcohol and fad diets can all lead to an imbalance. Even a “healthy” diet can have inadequate nutrient content depending on 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 and also reduce its ability to absorb and utilize the ones it gets.
- Medications – many prescription and over-the-counter medications, such as diuretics, antacids, aspirin and oral contraceptives, can deplete the body of nutrients and/or increase its levels of toxic metals.
- 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… and those are just a few of the ones we run into on a daily basis.
- Nutritional Supplements – taking the wrong supplements, or an improper amount of the right ones, can produce many vitamin and mineral excesses and/or deficiencies; that’s why we don’t guess, we test.
- Inherited Patterns – A predisposition toward certain mineral imbalances, deficiencies and excesses can be passed down from parents.
