It is becoming a well-known fact that environmental exposure to toxic metals and chemicals can damage your immune system and other cells in your body, leading to dozens of different disorders and symptoms, including autoimmunity. According to Dr. Stephen Edelson, an estimated 25% of Americans have some form of heavy metal poisoning, including mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, aluminum and nickel. These metal toxins change the chemical structure of our DNA and RNA.

This changes our tissue structure, leading our bodies to see the damaged tissues as a foreign substance. The body then attacks the new (foreign) tissue, resulting in an autoimmune attack. For example, when toxins settle in the thyroid (a favorite settling place for mercury), the body attacks the new foreign tissue, and the autoimmune thyroid disease Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Graves disease is the result. Due to the ever-increasing number of toxins in our environment, we are experiencing the symptoms of heavy metal toxicity and the resulting autoimmune diseases at unprecedented levels.

Studies have shown that metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead have been associated with the development of the autoimmune diseases scleroderma, lupus, autoimmune hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, pernicious anemia, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and type 1 diabetes. And this may well be the tip of the iceberg.

Mercury, in particular, directly damages our tissues, making them look foreign to the immune system. This is why it is crucial to assess your potential toxin exposure and take as many steps as possible to remove the toxins from your body and your environment.

The reason we don’t have more hard-core evidence on the direct effects of toxin exposure on the body is that it is unethical to conduct controlled scientific experiments in which we inject mercury and other toxins into human subjects and then observe them for a period of time to see how their immune system reacts. This is why the vast majority of research has been done using animal models and cell cultures, though plenty of anecdotal evidence exists that proves a cause-and-effect relationship of heavy metal toxicity and disease symptoms.

Most importantly, environmental physicians and other forward-thinking medical professionals are proving that removing toxins from people’s bodies and their environment results in a relief and sometimes complete remission of symptoms.

A hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) is a simple, non-invasive screening test that can be used to find out if you have a heavy metal problem. This is especially useful if your program of supplements and lifestyle changes is not showing consistent positive results or is working a little more slowly than you would like. An HTMA test will help you find hidden toxicities, help you identify the source of exposure to heavy metals, and will suggest ways to balance the essential minerals and eliminate the toxic metals.

It is important to note that may people get better through detoxification, even when diagnosed with a serious illness such as an autoimmune disease. Removing toxic metals can relieve some of the symptoms of the disease, and sometimes even slow down the progression of the disease entirely.

An HTMA can give you the extra information needed to take additional control of your health. I recommend a hair tissue mineral analysis test once or twice a year as a way to receive information that you can use to fine-tune your program and either hasten your return to health, or lessen your symptoms.

A hair analysis usually needs to be obtained through a health care professional (which can be expensive - $200 and up). However, we offer a service that allows you to get a comprehensive hair tissue mineral analysis from a federally licensed laboratory called Trace Elements, Inc. The cost is only $125.

Each hair analysis contains a detailed 10-15 page report from the laboratory itself, which shows bar graph readings indicating high, low and reference range levels for toxic metals, essential minerals and significant mineral ratios.

Unlike some labs that test hair tissue analysis, Trace Elements, Inc. does not wash the hair at the lab. Washing the hair removes some of the loosely bound minerals and can reduce some mineral readings by 50 percent or more. The hair sample is prepared in their licensed clinical laboratory by using 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.

The Comprehensive Hair Tissue Analysis report details graph results for 8 toxic heavy metals/elements, 15 nutritional minerals/elements, 15 additional elements, 7 significant mineral ratios, and 9 toxic metal ratios. Once you purchase the hair analysis from us, we send you a hair sample kit with instructions on how to take the hair sample.

To view a sample of the bar graph measurements for each mineral element and significant ratios, click here or the bar graph images above.

Nutritional Elements: Extensively studied, the nutrient elements have been well defined and are considered essential for many biological functions in the human body. They play key roles in such metabolic processes such as muscular activity, endocrine function, reproduction, skeletal integrity, and overall development.

Toxic Elements: The toxic elements or "heavy metals" are well-known for their interference upon normal biochemical function. They are commonly found in the environment and therefore are present to some degree, in all biological systems. However, these metals clearly pose a concern for toxicity when accumulation occurs to excess.

Additional Elements: These elements are considered as possibly essential by the human body. Additional studies are being conducted to better define their requirements.

Significant Ratios: If the synergistic relationship (or ratio) between certain minerals in the body is disturbed, studies show that normal biological functions and metabolic activity can be adversely affected. Even at extremely low concentrations, the synergistic and/or antagonistic relationships between minerals still exist, which can indirectly affect metabolism.

Toxic Ratios: It is important to note that individuals with elevated toxic levels may not always exhibit clinical symptoms associated with those particular toxic minerals. However, research has shown that toxic minerals/metals can also produce an antagonistic effeect on various essential minerals, eventually leading to distrubances in their metabolic utilization.

To view a sample of the detailed explanation of results patient report, please click here. For a complete overview of the various sections covered in the Comprehensive Hair Analysis Report, please click here.

To view complete details of the elements measured and to order the Comprehensive Hair Mineral Analysis, please click here.

For a list of FAQ’s about hair analysis, please click here.

Once you purchase the hair analysis from us, we send you a hair sample kit with instructions on how to take the hair sample. You then send the hair sample to the Trace Elements lab, and the lab sends us the detailed report/results, which we then mail to you (there is an option for emailing the results as well to save time).