Mineral Mysteries
Many times in my practice I have broached the subject of nutrition with my patients. Many people are familiar with the concepts like calories, fats and vitamins, but most other information is a mystery to them.
When I tell them that sufficient minerals are needed for good muscle function and to reduce painful muscle spasms, the most common reaction is, “I take a multivitamin, is that the same?”
I then have to explain that, minerals are not usually found in a multi-vitamin.
Did you know that minerals are present in all body functions? They help run chemical reactions and act as co-factors in the synthesis of steroid hormones. Without proper mineral levels your muscles fail to contract. A severe lack of potassium can cause such muscle weakness that your heart will not be strong enough to pump.
Dr. Lawrence Wilson, the author of Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis, calls minerals “The Stepchildren of Nutrition”. He writes:
The chemical elements are the basic building blocks of our bodies. For years. interest focused on proteins, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins. Minerals are only beginning to receive the attention they deserve.
Even more telling are the ratios between minerals. Ratios represent relationships and balances in the body. Even in our bodies, the quality of relationships determines our health.¹
Why Hair Mineral Analysis
Hair mineral analysis, unlike blood testing, looks into the cells of the body. Blood tests, which are the gold standard in many ways, do not offer the same information as that which is available in the hair. Since hair is classified as a soft tissue of the body, a hair analysis can be considered a “soft tissue biopsy”² Hair analysis is a reading of the average mineral levels over 2-3 months.
There are several reasons why sampling the hair makes sense. It is easy and non-invasive to get a sample, which is stable and will not degenerate or require special handling. Mineral levels are higher in the hair which makes them easy to detect in the sample. It is also accurate and inexpensive.
Because the body keeps the mineral levels in the blood very stable (for reasons of homeostasis) there is usually not a great variation unless a disease state is present. For this reason hair mineral analysis is very useful for those who do not feel well, but don’t have a diagnosed disease. Mineral levels and patterns can vary a great deal in the hair and a provider who is educated in how to interpret this can recommend nutritional programs designed to support the individual based on the the hair mineral analysis findings.
Classification of Minerals
Minerals are classified as Macro-minerals, trace minerals, ultra trace minerals and toxic minerals.
Macro minerals are also known as electrolytes. They are calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus. They are the most abundant minerals in the body and regulate fluid balance among many other functions.
The trace minerals are iron, manganese, copper, zinc, nickel, lithium, silicon, chromium, iodine, strontium, selenium, boron, chlorine and sulfur.
Ultra trace minerals include molybdenum, cobalt, vanadium, barium, germanium, titanium, zirconium, tin and others.
Toxic metals include lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, beryllium, bismuth, thallium thorium uranium and aluminum. These minerals have no known function in the body.
The Mineral System
You might ask, “Why get my hair checked when I can just take some calcium?”
Mineral deficiencies are common today due to the low mineral content in soil, but also due to the abundance of processed foods in our modern diet. Many people think that they can drink an electrolyte replacement drink or take some coral calcium and that will be enough to balance their body. We all need calcium, right?
Not really.
Let’s look at just one trace mineral. Zinc.
Eating processes foods can cause you to be deficient in zinc. Zinc is needed for insulin production and is required by the male reproductive system and keeps copper in balance. Zinc is also required for the synthesis of pancreatic enzymes. Connective tissue formation and tissue repair requires zinc.
Do you know anybody that has low insulin production or blood sugar problems? Men who don’t have enough testosterone? Older people who have chronic injuries that are slow to heal? Have these individuals ever had their zinc levels tested?
Most likely they have been given a prescription to support symptoms of diabetes. And we all know the drugs that support male dysfunction. Is there anyone living who doesn’t know what Viagra is? How about advil or ibuprofen.
What if it all could be helped by taking zinc?
But how would you know you were low if you were never tested?
Click here for a chart of food sources of minerals.
1. Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis by Dr. Lawrence Wilson, MD 3rd Edition p.3
2. Ibid. p.4