Hair provides a unique cellular reading of the mineral levels. Cells are the major site of metabolic activity. Typical tests such as blood and urine (while often testing for the presence or absence of cells) rarely analyze the cells themselves. Blood tests are excellent but do not provide the same information given by hair analysis for the following reasons:
- Mineral levels in the hair are about ten times that of blood, making them easy to detect and measure accurately, thus providing a tremendous amount of knowledge about the cells and the soft tissues of our bodies.
- Mineral levels are kept relatively constant in the blood even when pathology is present and therefore do not always accurately reflect existing mineral deficiencies and excesses.
- Toxic metals are also much easier to detect in the hair. They are not found in high concentrations in the blood except right after an acute exposure. However, some of them tend to accumulate in the soft tissues (such as hair), where they are far easier to detect and measure accurately.
- Blood tests can vary significantly from hour to hour depending on one’s diet, activity level, the time of day and many other factors.
Additionally, hair makes an excellent biopsy material because sampling is simple and non-invasive. Hair is a stable biopsy material. It requires no special handling and will remain viable for years. Advancements in computer-controlled mass spectroscopy and other sciences have rendered the hair mineral biopsy an extremely cost-effective, accurate and reliable test if and when it is done correctly.
In my opinion, the most appealing advantage is that hair analysis can be performed entirely from the comfort of one’s own home, as samples may be sent via standard mail!
