HTMA provides valuable information on existing health conditions. Further, it helps with early detection and prevention of conditions, as mineral imbalances are often seen before symptoms occur.
Please reach us at thenutritionisttsv@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is a quantitative test that measures the mineral composition of hair, (precise to parts per million). It is a safe and non-invasive test that reflects the level of nutrients and toxic elements in body tissue. It is regarded by many integrative doctors, naturopaths, nutritional therapists and vets as one of the most valuable screening tools available in everyday and preventative health care.
Research has shown that hair tissue is useful in indicating nutrient imbalances and exposure to toxic elements. If your health, diet or environment has created a mineral imbalance or toxic mineral excess, it will be recorded in the hair shaft.
MINERAL DEFICIENCIES AND EXCESSES
HEAVY METAL TOXICITY
METABOLIC RATE (FAST OR SLOW)
IMMUNE MENTAL HEALTH
NERVOUS SYSTEM IMBALANCE
LIVER & KIDNEY STRESS
DIABETES AND INSULIN RESISTANCE
ENERGY LEVELS & FATIGUE
CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
ADRENAL & THYROID FUNCTION
SPORTS ENDURANCE & RECOVERY
Minerals are essential for growth, healing, vitality and wellbeing. They provide structural support in bones and teeth, and maintain the body’s pH, water balance, nerve activity, muscle contractions, energy production and enzyme reactions. They are the basic ‘spark plugs’ of life. Ideally we should get all the minerals we need from a balanced diet. Unfortunately today this is rarely possible. Modern farming techniques, fertilisers and depleted soils reduce the mineral content of foods. Environmental pollutants, chemical food additives, pharmaceutical medicines and stressful lifestyles also have a detrimental effect on our nutritional status.
Many health conditions are aggravated by mineral imbalances and toxic metal excesses, including cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines, learning difficulties and hyperactivity in children, to name just a few. Consequently, we need to test and monitor our nutritional status more than ever.
Hair Tissue mineral analysis provides another avenue for the exploration of your health status. Hair samples will pick up imbalances that a routine blood test can miss. HTMA is a great way to prevent the onset of health conditions as mineral imbalances are seen in the body long before these conditions become chronic. Minerals provide structure for the bones and teeth, they maintain the body’s pH and water balance, nerve activity, muscle contraction, energy production, enzyme reaction and hormonal function. Therefore monitoring our nutritional status is important for our health.
Children
Minerals are essential for growth and development. In many cases early HTMA testing is advisable for children. It is especially advisable for behavioural issues, learning difficulties, hyperactivity and reoccurring illnesses.
Sportspersons and Athletes
Maintaining balanced levels of essential nutrients is essential for endurance, improving performance and recovery from injury.
Fertility and Pre-Pregnancy
When nutritional elements are out of balance it can lead to health consequences. Many minerals have a direct impact on our hormone levels and can cause issues with fertility. And when toxic elements are present they can have an effect on the health of a baby.
Menopause
Minerals have a direct impact on our hormones. Hormonal imbalance can result in hot flushes and night sweats, problems with sleep, mood changes and other symptoms.
Elderly
A hair tissue mineral analysis can reveal some of the reasons behind conditions suffered by the elderly. Addressing mineral imbalances and detoxifying heavy metals can considerably improve mood and quality of life.
Health conditions
Mineral imbalances and toxic elements can aggravate many health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, thyroid imbalances, high blood pressure, blood sugar imbalances, osteoporosis and migraines to name a few.
Personalised interpretive test reports that assess your current mineral status, highlight areas of concern and recommend dietary changes and supplements for improved health and wellbeing.
The hair should be clean, well rinsed, untreated and uncoloured. Using clean, stainless steel scissors, cut small amounts of hair from the back of the head. Cut the hair as close to the scalp as possible. If the hair is less than 4cm in length, keep all of it for testing. If hair is longer, cut off and keep the 4cm that was closest to the scalp. Place hair in the hair sample envelope provided.
The laboratory requires approximately one loose tablespoon of hair for testing (0.25 gm)
Our reference ranges are based on scalp hair. A scalp sample is preferable. However, we can accept pubic hair, beard hair or axillary hair. These samples can provide reliable data for toxic minerals, but results for the nutritional minerals may be misrepresented e.g. potassium and sodium, due to contamination by soap and cosmetic residue. Please ensure the hair is thoroughly rinsed with clean water and dried before taking the sample to avoid the presence of soap, deodorants and cosmetic products.
It is essential that you do not mix different types of hair e.g. do not mix head hair with pubic hair. If there is no body hair available, finger nail clippings may be sent. The same amount of sample is required, approximately 0.5gm. Please ensure nails are scrubbed and cleaned before submitting the sample to the laboratory for analysis.
As long as the hair is stored in a paper envelope and in a clean dry area, the hair sample will maintain its integrity indefinitely. Please do not store the hair sample in plastic or foil as these are potential contaminants. The longer it is between cutting the sample and the sample being processed by our laboratory, the less relevant the results become to your current nutritional and toxic element status.
It will take approximately 10-15 working days to receive your results. The results will be sent directly to the practitioner.
The lab tests the hair for over 35 different minerals (i.e. nutritional and toxic minerals), but we do not test the hair for chemicals or drugs.
We test the hair to show the internal storage of nutritional and toxic minerals; we do not test the hair for allergies. However, due to our understanding of mineral balances, out report may indicate certain mineral patterns that are known to influence particular allergy types.
We can order testing specific for Allergy.
It may be possible to claim from private health funds, please check with your fund for information. Some health funds offer rebates on non-specific health care items when recommended by a health care professional.
The reports contain a wealth of clinical data which, when interpreted correctly, can provide an indication of nutrient imbalances and mineral toxicity. Our advanced reports are designed to shed light on your current health status, identify potential areas of concern and direct dietary and supplemental measures to improve your health.
Copyright © 2018 The Naturopath and The Nutritionist Townsville - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy Website Builder