The science seems very exciting and has been recommended by a wide variety of people. Much of the advice in Dr. Lawrence Wilson's book seems to go well with other natural health advice and understanding of conditions. On the other hand, it seems very much a 'fringe' science, embraced by proponents of 'extreme' health practices.
If the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) as done by ARL Labs in the USA and interpreted by Dr. Lawrence Wilson is indeed an accurate science, it is an amazing tool to understand one's health at the cellular level - oxidation rate, the health of the endocrine system (especially the adrenal glands and the thyroid), heavy metal toxicity and detoxification, cell membrane permeability, mineral excesses and deficiencies, etc. However, as I grow day by day to increasingly respect and understand the immense complexity of human biology and nature itself, I seem to always return to the question: is it possible to accurately understand the body's complex mechanisms from a small hair sample to a degree that hair tissue mineral analysis claims to do?
My latest hair sample was sent off to the lab on the 18th April 2015 and this time I received the report back quite quickly afterwards. I have recently started to feel better healthwise, however, the hair mineral analysis report looks worse than before. This happens often with hair tissue mineral analysis, the report explains, for the following reason:
"...imbalances in the body chemistry are unwound or uncovered layer by layer. Often, a superficial layer does not appear that abnormal. However, a deeper layer reveals hidden toxic metals and other imbalances that are more aberrant. This is not a cause for alarm during the process of uncovering and correcting deeper imbalances. Usually one feels better as these are uncovered as it means one must no longer spend energy compensating and adapting to underlying imbalances. Adaptive energy that was tied up in this way is now freed and one feels better."
I like this explanation as it reassures me that I am making progress, but on the other hand, I haven't followed most of the hair mineral analysis recommendations for quite a while. So the explanation above could be true, but it is also entirely possible that the recent acupuncture visits and herbs from the Chinese doctor have made me stronger, as well as blood electrification and ozonated water, which seem to have made a huge difference. I have recently also uncovered new food intolerances with the pulse test and started eating warm foods to treat Yin Deficiency, both of which seem to help to feel better. So even though the above quote sounds good, I don't actually know whether my health is improving or worsening in ways that the hair mineral analysis measures.
Key report findings:
As you can see the interpretation of body's processes based on minerals and toxic metals present in hair is complex. I fear that much of it may be open to interpretation, even though I recognise that there are experienced doctors and a lot of science behind it. I worry that there may be misinterpretations, I worry that my other natural healing treatments and efforts may be conflicting or confusing these results, and I especially worry about the supplements, because they are extracted from much more complex natural substances (foods) and so important balances between nutrients may be lost.
Regardless of my worries, I feel like the hair mineral analysis deserves my respect and I am sufficiently curious to keep going with the programme. Perhaps I will return to taking the full supplements. I will definitely continue with the low carbohydrate and sugar-free diet, trying to include protein on every meal, and eating cooked foods as the report suggests. I am not sure that I will have much time for the coffee enemas, however, even though I know from experience that they are good for me.
In conclusion, the hair mineral analysis seems not to be a quick-fix for health problems. If it is as good as it claims to be, it is designed to correct deep imbalances in the body, and the road to health may be rocky while sudden changes are experienced and supplementation needs adjusting accordingly or when toxic metals are eliminated. Some of the supplements are powerful and may start deep healing processes which may not be as easy to stop, as was my experience with the adrenal glandulars (Endo-Dren). The complicated science of the hair mineral analysis may be often difficult to understand and continue believing in. There are no proofs that the method works and the symptoms experienced by the patient are sent to the lab before the lab test is done, which could skew the interpretation or leave room for fraud.
However, I do personally believe in the hair mineral analysis, although I cannot prove that it works. I feel that it provides important information and I like learning about the thorough explanations. The more I learn about nutrition, extreme health and the human body, the more connections I find between Dr. Lawrence Wilson's book 'Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis' and other theories. I must admit as well that my experience does not put the test into the best possible light because I test less frequently than suggested and only follow the instructions periodically. In fact the more I follow the instructions the faster and bigger changes seem to happen in my lab analysis reports. I will keep going with the hair mineral analysis and related nutritional balancing, even though I am at the same time quite worried about any other new layers of imbalances might be uncovered.
Below are some clarifications to my above questions kindly provided by Christine Meehan.
"A low na/k ratio is extremely common and it does change depending on what is going on, you may be fighting an infection at the moment, viral or bacterial or fungal, this will bring the ratio down, toxic metal can keep it raised falsely and as they are released the ratio comes down to what it really is. It is nothing to worry about. The emotional side will also affect it, anger making it higher."
"On your previous test you where a mixed oxidizer shifting from fast to slow oxidation, your rate has now settled at slow this is an improvement on mixed and now the objective would be for the oxidation rate to be a little faster but not too fast either."
"I think the calcium is high in part to do with the release of metastatic calcium but the fact that the ratio between calcium/magnesium is still high and quite higher than the last test, it is more to do with a lifestyle/stress issue. I don't know if you have read about the Spiritual Defensive Pattern. I think this is the problem here."
"Stress can be very subtle, you may not feel as stressed, toxic metals, diet, attitudes, etc. can put stress on the body. A high calcium/magnesium ratio is a lifestyle stress problem."
"You are showing more symptoms of under-active thyroid [than overactive]: lump in throat, fatigue, not able to tolerate the cold, sugar imbalance, possibly the food intolerance is linked [as well]. These symptoms along with the ratios on the chart lead me to believe you are showing an under-active thyroid at present. You may at some point have had an over-active thyroid. I know it is frustrating but I can not diagnose it one way or the other, all I can do is give you my opinion on what the hair analysis is pointing to at this present time. All the supplements that are recommended are based on the hair chart as a whole, and designed to bring the chart back to balance."
"You have eliminated some copper but I would think there is still more to come. It can take years to get rid of toxic metals. Toxic metals especially toxic copper can cause anxiety and palpitations."
"You are showing signs of copper toxicity, i.e. low na/k high cal/mag , but the copper is also deficient. Your copper is bio-unavailable and when the na/k ratio is low we always give some copper [in supplement form]."
"Again I can't diagnose if you have high oestrogen only that if you are copper toxic you most likely are high oestrogen."
"The lab generates the supplements [automatically?] and it doesn't take into account other patterns that show on the chart."
I think the zinc supplementation as adviced by the hair mineral analysis nutritionist may have caused my whole problem of hyperthyrodism. Hair analysis evidenced that my body started to push out copper - but was the copper appearing in my hair sample good or bad quality copper? How would we know? Was I copper toxic after all? Is anyone ever copper toxic? The nutritionists I consulted with regarding the hair mineral analysis seemed to make a big deal about trying to get the body to begin to detoxify copper, even when it didn't show in the original test. When it showed in the hair that copper was coming out of my body, they saw that as a good sign of progress. But then I ended up with copper deficiency, it seems, so are they actually making people a lot worse by causing their bodies to push out copper, by using zinc supplementation?
To read more in-depth reports on the main issues I have been battling (based on past hair mineral analysis reports) see the articles below. Refer also to 'my health journey', which also has links to diet diaries and other nutritionist reports.
Hair Mineral Testing: First Test and Introduction
Hair Mineral Analysis: The Third Test
Copper Toxicity
Cell-Membrane Permeability
Calcium Toxicity
Phosphorus Deficiency
Sugar Intolerance
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Ulla is the Editor of Cheap Health Revolution, covering natural remedies and health solutions. Read more about Ulla and this website here: "About CHR"