Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

[Guest guest]

thank you. I do both clinical work as a Np and I do research, so I see both

sides of the coin....

Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

<Do you really believe that just because something is illegal that

no one will do it>

I never said that. what I said was that they have to legally report any

symptom that a study subject reports during the trial as a side effect whether

it is truly related to the drug or not.

obliviously, some researchers have done that, but you can't say that all of

them do it. I have done research and I know that we did not alter any results or

facts in our research and I know of 100's of other researchers that are honest

and moral and would Never alter their outcome data for anything or anyone.

<Fast tracking has nothing to do with lying and

altering test results, or leaving negative ones out altogether.>

fast tracking can make it easier to manipulate the facts- because NOT all the

data is there because it hasn't been studied long enough.

<Lying is lying whether one of us does it or a doctor does it. The

title doesn't bequeathed acceptance.>

I never said that it does.

[Guest guest]

I started this message before but either sent it before I got all I

intended to say or lost it. I don't think I'll ever really get to love

this laptop keyboard and pointer device. I keep hitting the wrong thing...

I think one major difference I have is in the probable percentage of

researchers that you seem to be dishonest crooks. I'm sure some are

there; but I believe it's a very small percentage. There are simply too

many ways for someone to be tripped up for most people to be attracted

to this type of work if they're a crook. Besides, it's just plain hard

work; which avoiding seems to be the path taken by those too lazy to

honestly earn a living.

Nancie, what percentage of researchers that you know do you feel are

less than honest?

> Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

>

<hypothyroidism/message/32385;_ylc=X3oDMTJxYTE3czR\

lBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzE0NTY2NARncnBzcElkAzE3MDkyNTEwODIEbXNnSWQDMzIzODUEc2V\

jA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTE5NDc3Njk5Mw-->

>

>

>

> Posted by: " Roni Molin " matchermaam@...

>

<mailto:matchermaam@...?Subject=%20Re%3A%20Possible%20Cause%20for%20Hashim\

oto%27s%20Hypothyroid>

> matchermaam <matchermaam>

>

>

> Sat Nov 10, 2007 12:14 pm (PST)

>

> I'm glad you have been part of this discussion. While

> I am convinced of your veracity, I would hope that,

> in your unique position, you would report on anything

> that is not honest and true to whomever is appropriate.

> Thank you for all the good work that I'm sure you are

> doing. I feel that it is so unfair to the consumers and to

> other researchers such as yourself, when dishonest

> people in this field (or any other) do dishonest things.

>

> Roni

>

> Re: [hypothyroidism

[Guest guest]

Chuck-

Thanks for sharing about your son.? Noonans syndrome? How is his heart doing? I

hope everything is going well with him. Tell him I say " Hi! " if he wouldn't mind

:-)

Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

,

You flatter me. You wrote:

> Wow, you're oldest son has Aspergers? My Mom works with pre-preschool

> age kids who have things like aspergers. Is he super smart, like you? :-)

>

His three main interests are weather, sports, and video games. My wife

and I each get several emails each day and a couple of phone calls per

hour. I get all the weather and maybe one football report each day. My

wife gets most of the sports and the video games, which also mostly

involve sports. He can tell you what the weather will be a week from

now, all about what El Nino is doing, and how stable the air is, but if

you send him on an errand, he will forget what he is going for and end

up crying in frustration. That is at age 30.

He seems to have all the characteristics of something called Noonan's

syndrome. I have his thyroid checked regularly.

Chuck

________________________________________________________________________

Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! -

http://mail.aol.com

[Guest guest]

,

You wrote:

> Noonans syndrome? How is his heart doing?

He has had several procedures, starting with a pulmonary valvular

stenosis surgery at 10 days old. When he was about five, they closed an

AV shunt and repaired a defect (hole). He still has mitral prolapse.

When he was about 14, they fused most of his spine to correct scoliosis,

which brought on PVCs. Since then, his heart has done very well,

although he is overweight and runs out of oxygen easily. That is one

reason why we keep checking his TSH.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

Nancie Barnett <deifspirit@...> wrote: ahhh ok my mistake

Re: Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

Nancie,

You wrote:

>

> that ratio refers to all females; not just moms....

I believe was referring to my speculation that pregnancy was

largely responsible for the ratio.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

Sorry I sent a blank post. Just made a mistake. Dauphine999

Nancie Barnett <deifspirit@...> wrote: ahhh ok my mistake

Re: Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

Nancie,

You wrote:

>

> that ratio refers to all females; not just moms....

I believe was referring to my speculation that pregnancy was

largely responsible for the ratio.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

is really screwed up- this post is several weeks old, lol

Re: Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

Nancie,

You wrote:

>

> that ratio refers to all females; not just moms....

I believe was referring to my speculation that pregnancy was

largely responsible for the ratio.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

Chuck-

I am very glad to hear that  he is doing better.  My prayers will be with him

:-)

Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

,

You wrote:

> Noonans syndrome? How is his heart doing?

He has had several procedures, starting with a pulmonary valvular

stenosis surgery at 10 days old. When he was about five, they closed an

AV shunt and repaired a defect (hole). He still has mitral prolapse.

When he was about 14, they fused most of his spine to correct scoliosis,

which brought on PVCs. Since then, his heart has done very well,

although he is overweight and runs out of oxygen easily. That is one

reason why we keep checking his TSH.

Chuck

________________________________________________________________________

Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! -

http://mail.aol.com

[Guest guest]

Roni,

Thanks for sending this. I just found my hair analysis results from

last year, and sure enough...I have a high sodium/potassium ratio. I

am looking more into this, on how to correct.

Thank you again,

>

> HIGH SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

>

>

> A normal hair sodium/potassium ratio is between 2.5:1 and about

4:1. Commonly, the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated on a hair

analysis. A high ratio is associated with acute stress,

inflammation, pain, anger, a sympathetic-dominant or aggressive

personality, moving forward in life, metal toxicity or zinc and/or

magnesium deficiency. NOTE: Hair must not be washed at the

laboratory to obtain accurate sodium and potassium readings.

Readings are inaccurate if the hair is washed.

>

>

> ACUTE STRESS

>

> A high sodium/potassium ratio on a hair analysis is an indicator of

acute stress. The reason is as follows:

> 1) Acute stress causes increased adrenal gland activity.

> 2) This results in a rise in the secretion of the hormone

aldosterone.

> 3) Aldosterone secretion causes sodium to be retained in the body

by the kidneys. Thus the sodium level in the body tissues rises.

> Sodium retention by aldosterone is part of the alarm reaction or

fight-flight reaction to stress. Early in the alarm reaction, the

potassium level remains low. Thus, on a tissue mineral test, the

ratio of sodium to potassium is elevated. In contrast, a low

sodium/potassium ratio indicates chronic stress and an exhaustion

stage of stress.

> Some people ask how it is possible to have an alarm reaction is one

is a slow oxidizer or in an exhaustion stage of stress. Slow

oxidation indicates an exhaustion stage of stress. However, within

the exhaustion stage one can have an acute stress response indicated

by a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is a common occurrence. A

slow oxidizer with a low sodium/potassium ratio means a double

exhaustion stage pattern, which is definitely less desirable.

>

>

> INFLAMMATION

>

> Aldosterone is a pro-inflammatory hormone. It tends to increase

inflammation in the body. Cortisol and cortisone, associated more

with potassium levels, are anti-inflammatory hormones because they

diminish inflammation. The pro and anti-inflammatory hormones must

be in a good balance with each other for optimum health.

> A person with a high sodium/potassium ratio is secreting more

aldosterone, in relation to cortisol. Because there is more pro-

inflammatory hormone, a tendency for inflammation exists in the

body. This is particularly true when the sodium/potassium ratio is

greater than 10:1.

> Inflammation can take the form of any 'itis', such as arthritis,

bursitis, colitis, or tendonitis. It is a tendency for aches and

pains. A high sodium/potassium ratio is also a tendency for mental

excitation. A ratio that persists between 3 and 6 suggests a forward-

looking person. A ratio greater than 6:1 suggests aggressiveness and

anger.

>

>

> ANGER

>

> Most often, those with an elevated sodium/potassium ratio have

excessive anger. Anger is an acute emotion, the projection of fear

onto others to avoid feeling fear. One does not diagnose anger from

a hair mineral analysis. However, the presence of anger as a factor

in health and disease can often be discerned and is helpful for the

practitioner and the patient to knowabout. Elevated or hidden iron

or copper toxicity are other indicators for anger on a hair mineral

analysis.

>

>

> SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE

>

> A hair sodium/potassium ratio above about 6 or 7 is also an

indicator of a sympathetic dominant personality type. These are

individuals who overuse the sympathetic or fight-or-flight nervous

system. They are usually very active, either mentally, physically or

both. The tendency is extreme when the ratio is above about 12. One

may overexercise, worry a lot or in some other way keep oneself in a

fight-or-flight mode. Note that the body is often exhausted from

this tendency, and may go into a parasympathetic state of slow

oxidation. However, the mind often remains in a sympathetic dominant

mode, which impairs recovery of health.

>

> HIDDEN COPPER, MERCURY AND CADMIUM TOXICITY

>

> A high sodium/potassium ratio may reflect hidden copper toxicity,

especially in the slow oxidizer. This is because copper elevates

sodium and depresses potassium readings. The copper may be present

even if the hair copper level is low or normal. Hidden copper

toxicity is certain if the potassium level is less than 4 mg%, or if

the calcium level is over about 80 mg%.

> Cadmium and mercury toxicity can also elevate sodium levels and can

cause a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is true even if the

cadmium or mercury are hidden within body tissues and not revealed on

the hair test. As cadmium, copper or mercury are eliminated, a

retest mineral analysis will reveal an improved sodium/potassium

ratio.

> An exception is if a retest is performed during a toxic metal

elimination. The sodium/potassium ratio may temporarily rise as

cadmium, for example, is being eliminated. This occurs because

cadmium passes out of the body through the kidneys. As it is

eliminated, cadmium irritates the kidneys. This may cause the

sodium/potassium ratio to rise further. The ratio will normalize

when the metal elimination is complete.

>

>

> ZINC AND MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY

>

> A high sodium/potassium ratio often indicates a zinc and/or

magnesium deficiency. Zinc lowers sodium and raises the potassium

level. Zinc deficiency is very common today. Magnesium also has a

lowering effect upon sodium, and is deficient in many diets today.

> We recommend supplementing with zinc, or a product containing zinc,

when the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated. Magnesium or Paramin

may also be very helpful to correct the ratio.

>

>

> THE HILL PATTERN

>

> A sodium/potassium ratio greater than 4, in combination with a

calcium/magnesium ratio less than 6, is called a hill pattern. The

calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium levels on a graph appear in

the shape of a hill. In our experience, this is an indicator that

one is moving ahead or changing for the better. The low

calcium/magnesium ratio indicates a lack of defensiveness. The high

sodium/potassium ratio indicates moving forward. Hair must not be

washed at the laboratory for accurate sodium and potassium readings.

>

>

> SALT-EATING AND THE SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

>

> Many people assume that a high sodium/potassium ratio indicates an

excessive salt intake. While possibly true, in many instances salt

eating has little impact upon the sodium/potassium ratio. A high

ratio frequently occurs in people who consume no salt whatsoever!

The main causes of a high sodium/potassium ratio are excessive

aldosterone secretion due to stress or anger, toxic metals or a zinc

and magnesium deficiency. Salt-eating plays a secondary role.

> We recommend everyone avoid table salt, which is a very poor

quality food. One may have sea salt or unrefined salt, which

contains more magnesium and trace elements. We recommend limiting

salt slightly when the sodium/potassium ratio is above 12, especially

if blood pressure is elevated. However, it is not usually necessary

to eliminate all salt from the diet. Also, sea salt is often

tolerated much better than table salt.

>

>

> KIDNEY STRESS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

>

> A very high sodium/potassium ratio may indicate kidney stress, and

an imbalanced immune system. While a low sodium/potassium ratio is

associated with a weak immune system, a high ratio may indicate

autoimmune problems, or an overactive immune system. Rheumatoid

arthritis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis are examples of autoimmune

diseases.

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

If this helped you, I'm so glad. You are welcome.

Roni

fritzalseth <familyirwin@...> wrote:

Roni,

Thanks for sending this. I just found my hair analysis results from

last year, and sure enough...I have a high sodium/potassium ratio. I

am looking more into this, on how to correct.

Thank you again,

>

> HIGH SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

>

>

> A normal hair sodium/potassium ratio is between 2.5:1 and about

4:1. Commonly, the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated on a hair

analysis. A high ratio is associated with acute stress,

inflammation, pain, anger, a sympathetic-dominant or aggressive

personality, moving forward in life, metal toxicity or zinc and/or

magnesium deficiency. NOTE: Hair must not be washed at the

laboratory to obtain accurate sodium and potassium readings.

Readings are inaccurate if the hair is washed.

>

>

> ACUTE STRESS

>

> A high sodium/potassium ratio on a hair analysis is an indicator of

acute stress. The reason is as follows:

> 1) Acute stress causes increased adrenal gland activity.

> 2) This results in a rise in the secretion of the hormone

aldosterone.

> 3) Aldosterone secretion causes sodium to be retained in the body

by the kidneys. Thus the sodium level in the body tissues rises.

> Sodium retention by aldosterone is part of the alarm reaction or

fight-flight reaction to stress. Early in the alarm reaction, the

potassium level remains low. Thus, on a tissue mineral test, the

ratio of sodium to potassium is elevated. In contrast, a low

sodium/potassium ratio indicates chronic stress and an exhaustion

stage of stress.

> Some people ask how it is possible to have an alarm reaction is one

is a slow oxidizer or in an exhaustion stage of stress. Slow

oxidation indicates an exhaustion stage of stress. However, within

the exhaustion stage one can have an acute stress response indicated

by a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is a common occurrence. A

slow oxidizer with a low sodium/potassium ratio means a double

exhaustion stage pattern, which is definitely less desirable.

>

>

> INFLAMMATION

>

> Aldosterone is a pro-inflammatory hormone. It tends to increase

inflammation in the body. Cortisol and cortisone, associated more

with potassium levels, are anti-inflammatory hormones because they

diminish inflammation. The pro and anti-inflammatory hormones must

be in a good balance with each other for optimum health.

> A person with a high sodium/potassium ratio is secreting more

aldosterone, in relation to cortisol. Because there is more pro-

inflammatory hormone, a tendency for inflammation exists in the

body. This is particularly true when the sodium/potassium ratio is

greater than 10:1.

> Inflammation can take the form of any 'itis', such as arthritis,

bursitis, colitis, or tendonitis. It is a tendency for aches and

pains. A high sodium/potassium ratio is also a tendency for mental

excitation. A ratio that persists between 3 and 6 suggests a forward-

looking person. A ratio greater than 6:1 suggests aggressiveness and

anger.

>

>

> ANGER

>

> Most often, those with an elevated sodium/potassium ratio have

excessive anger. Anger is an acute emotion, the projection of fear

onto others to avoid feeling fear. One does not diagnose anger from

a hair mineral analysis. However, the presence of anger as a factor

in health and disease can often be discerned and is helpful for the

practitioner and the patient to knowabout. Elevated or hidden iron

or copper toxicity are other indicators for anger on a hair mineral

analysis.

>

>

> SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE

>

> A hair sodium/potassium ratio above about 6 or 7 is also an

indicator of a sympathetic dominant personality type. These are

individuals who overuse the sympathetic or fight-or-flight nervous

system. They are usually very active, either mentally, physically or

both. The tendency is extreme when the ratio is above about 12. One

may overexercise, worry a lot or in some other way keep oneself in a

fight-or-flight mode. Note that the body is often exhausted from

this tendency, and may go into a parasympathetic state of slow

oxidation. However, the mind often remains in a sympathetic dominant

mode, which impairs recovery of health.

>

> HIDDEN COPPER, MERCURY AND CADMIUM TOXICITY

>

> A high sodium/potassium ratio may reflect hidden copper toxicity,

especially in the slow oxidizer. This is because copper elevates

sodium and depresses potassium readings. The copper may be present

even if the hair copper level is low or normal. Hidden copper

toxicity is certain if the potassium level is less than 4 mg%, or if

the calcium level is over about 80 mg%.

> Cadmium and mercury toxicity can also elevate sodium levels and can

cause a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is true even if the

cadmium or mercury are hidden within body tissues and not revealed on

the hair test. As cadmium, copper or mercury are eliminated, a

retest mineral analysis will reveal an improved sodium/potassium

ratio.

> An exception is if a retest is performed during a toxic metal

elimination. The sodium/potassium ratio may temporarily rise as

cadmium, for example, is being eliminated. This occurs because

cadmium passes out of the body through the kidneys. As it is

eliminated, cadmium irritates the kidneys. This may cause the

sodium/potassium ratio to rise further. The ratio will normalize

when the metal elimination is complete.

>

>

> ZINC AND MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY

>

> A high sodium/potassium ratio often indicates a zinc and/or

magnesium deficiency. Zinc lowers sodium and raises the potassium

level. Zinc deficiency is very common today. Magnesium also has a

lowering effect upon sodium, and is deficient in many diets today.

> We recommend supplementing with zinc, or a product containing zinc,

when the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated. Magnesium or Paramin

may also be very helpful to correct the ratio.

>

>

> THE HILL PATTERN

>

> A sodium/potassium ratio greater than 4, in combination with a

calcium/magnesium ratio less than 6, is called a hill pattern. The

calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium levels on a graph appear in

the shape of a hill. In our experience, this is an indicator that

one is moving ahead or changing for the better. The low

calcium/magnesium ratio indicates a lack of defensiveness. The high

sodium/potassium ratio indicates moving forward. Hair must not be

washed at the laboratory for accurate sodium and potassium readings.

>

>

> SALT-EATING AND THE SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

>

> Many people assume that a high sodium/potassium ratio indicates an

excessive salt intake. While possibly true, in many instances salt

eating has little impact upon the sodium/potassium ratio. A high

ratio frequently occurs in people who consume no salt whatsoever!

The main causes of a high sodium/potassium ratio are excessive

aldosterone secretion due to stress or anger, toxic metals or a zinc

and magnesium deficiency. Salt-eating plays a secondary role.

> We recommend everyone avoid table salt, which is a very poor

quality food. One may have sea salt or unrefined salt, which

contains more magnesium and trace elements. We recommend limiting

salt slightly when the sodium/potassium ratio is above 12, especially

if blood pressure is elevated. However, it is not usually necessary

to eliminate all salt from the diet. Also, sea salt is often

tolerated much better than table salt.

>

>

> KIDNEY STRESS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

>

> A very high sodium/potassium ratio may indicate kidney stress, and

an imbalanced immune system. While a low sodium/potassium ratio is

associated with a weak immune system, a high ratio may indicate

autoimmune problems, or an overactive immune system. Rheumatoid

arthritis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis are examples of autoimmune

diseases.

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

I have a high potassium ratio. I ate a banana 30 years ago and the blood stopped

flowing in my body. I have never eaten a banana in 30 years. I know that banana

has lots of potassium in it. I crave salt and drink very little water. Do these

symptoms come from being Hypothyroid or does that seem like symptoms of

's Disease??? Dauphine999

Roni Molin <matchermaam@...> wrote: If this helped you, I'm so

glad. You are welcome.

Roni

fritzalseth <familyirwin@...> wrote:

Roni,

Thanks for sending this. I just found my hair analysis results from

last year, and sure enough...I have a high sodium/potassium ratio. I

am looking more into this, on how to correct.

Thank you again,

>

> HIGH SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

>

>

> A normal hair sodium/potassium ratio is between 2.5:1 and about

4:1. Commonly, the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated on a hair

analysis. A high ratio is associated with acute stress,

inflammation, pain, anger, a sympathetic-dominant or aggressive

personality, moving forward in life, metal toxicity or zinc and/or

magnesium deficiency. NOTE: Hair must not be washed at the

laboratory to obtain accurate sodium and potassium readings.

Readings are inaccurate if the hair is washed.

>

>

> ACUTE STRESS

>

> A high sodium/potassium ratio on a hair analysis is an indicator of

acute stress. The reason is as follows:

> 1) Acute stress causes increased adrenal gland activity.

> 2) This results in a rise in the secretion of the hormone

aldosterone.

> 3) Aldosterone secretion causes sodium to be retained in the body

by the kidneys. Thus the sodium level in the body tissues rises.

> Sodium retention by aldosterone is part of the alarm reaction or

fight-flight reaction to stress. Early in the alarm reaction, the

potassium level remains low. Thus, on a tissue mineral test, the

ratio of sodium to potassium is elevated. In contrast, a low

sodium/potassium ratio indicates chronic stress and an exhaustion

stage of stress.

> Some people ask how it is possible to have an alarm reaction is one

is a slow oxidizer or in an exhaustion stage of stress. Slow

oxidation indicates an exhaustion stage of stress. However, within

the exhaustion stage one can have an acute stress response indicated

by a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is a common occurrence. A

slow oxidizer with a low sodium/potassium ratio means a double

exhaustion stage pattern, which is definitely less desirable.

>

>

> INFLAMMATION

>

> Aldosterone is a pro-inflammatory hormone. It tends to increase

inflammation in the body. Cortisol and cortisone, associated more

with potassium levels, are anti-inflammatory hormones because they

diminish inflammation. The pro and anti-inflammatory hormones must

be in a good balance with each other for optimum health.

> A person with a high sodium/potassium ratio is secreting more

aldosterone, in relation to cortisol. Because there is more pro-

inflammatory hormone, a tendency for inflammation exists in the

body. This is particularly true when the sodium/potassium ratio is

greater than 10:1.

> Inflammation can take the form of any 'itis', such as arthritis,

bursitis, colitis, or tendonitis. It is a tendency for aches and

pains. A high sodium/potassium ratio is also a tendency for mental

excitation. A ratio that persists between 3 and 6 suggests a forward-

looking person. A ratio greater than 6:1 suggests aggressiveness and

anger.

>

>

> ANGER

>

> Most often, those with an elevated sodium/potassium ratio have

excessive anger. Anger is an acute emotion, the projection of fear

onto others to avoid feeling fear. One does not diagnose anger from

a hair mineral analysis. However, the presence of anger as a factor

in health and disease can often be discerned and is helpful for the

practitioner and the patient to knowabout. Elevated or hidden iron

or copper toxicity are other indicators for anger on a hair mineral

analysis.

>

>

> SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE

>

> A hair sodium/potassium ratio above about 6 or 7 is also an

indicator of a sympathetic dominant personality type. These are

individuals who overuse the sympathetic or fight-or-flight nervous

system. They are usually very active, either mentally, physically or

both. The tendency is extreme when the ratio is above about 12. One

may overexercise, worry a lot or in some other way keep oneself in a

fight-or-flight mode. Note that the body is often exhausted from

this tendency, and may go into a parasympathetic state of slow

oxidation. However, the mind often remains in a sympathetic dominant

mode, which impairs recovery of health.

>

> HIDDEN COPPER, MERCURY AND CADMIUM TOXICITY

>

> A high sodium/potassium ratio may reflect hidden copper toxicity,

especially in the slow oxidizer. This is because copper elevates

sodium and depresses potassium readings. The copper may be present

even if the hair copper level is low or normal. Hidden copper

toxicity is certain if the potassium level is less than 4 mg%, or if

the calcium level is over about 80 mg%.

> Cadmium and mercury toxicity can also elevate sodium levels and can

cause a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is true even if the

cadmium or mercury are hidden within body tissues and not revealed on

the hair test. As cadmium, copper or mercury are eliminated, a

retest mineral analysis will reveal an improved sodium/potassium

ratio.

> An exception is if a retest is performed during a toxic metal

elimination. The sodium/potassium ratio may temporarily rise as

cadmium, for example, is being eliminated. This occurs because

cadmium passes out of the body through the kidneys. As it is

eliminated, cadmium irritates the kidneys. This may cause the

sodium/potassium ratio to rise further. The ratio will normalize

when the metal elimination is complete.

>

>

> ZINC AND MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY

>

> A high sodium/potassium ratio often indicates a zinc and/or

magnesium deficiency. Zinc lowers sodium and raises the potassium

level. Zinc deficiency is very common today. Magnesium also has a

lowering effect upon sodium, and is deficient in many diets today.

> We recommend supplementing with zinc, or a product containing zinc,

when the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated. Magnesium or Paramin

may also be very helpful to correct the ratio.

>

>

> THE HILL PATTERN

>

> A sodium/potassium ratio greater than 4, in combination with a

calcium/magnesium ratio less than 6, is called a hill pattern. The

calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium levels on a graph appear in

the shape of a hill. In our experience, this is an indicator that

one is moving ahead or changing for the better. The low

calcium/magnesium ratio indicates a lack of defensiveness. The high

sodium/potassium ratio indicates moving forward. Hair must not be

washed at the laboratory for accurate sodium and potassium readings.

>

>

> SALT-EATING AND THE SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

>

> Many people assume that a high sodium/potassium ratio indicates an

excessive salt intake. While possibly true, in many instances salt

eating has little impact upon the sodium/potassium ratio. A high

ratio frequently occurs in people who consume no salt whatsoever!

The main causes of a high sodium/potassium ratio are excessive

aldosterone secretion due to stress or anger, toxic metals or a zinc

and magnesium deficiency. Salt-eating plays a secondary role.

> We recommend everyone avoid table salt, which is a very poor

quality food. One may have sea salt or unrefined salt, which

contains more magnesium and trace elements. We recommend limiting

salt slightly when the sodium/potassium ratio is above 12, especially

if blood pressure is elevated. However, it is not usually necessary

to eliminate all salt from the diet. Also, sea salt is often

tolerated much better than table salt.

>

>

> KIDNEY STRESS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

>

> A very high sodium/potassium ratio may indicate kidney stress, and

an imbalanced immune system. While a low sodium/potassium ratio is

associated with a weak immune system, a high ratio may indicate

autoimmune problems, or an overactive immune system. Rheumatoid

arthritis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis are examples of autoimmune

diseases.

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

these are symptoms of low thyroid/low adrenal. craving salt is just fine

IMO---real salt like celtic sea salt is a powerful detoxifier.

Gracia

I have a high potassium ratio. I ate a banana 30 years ago and the blood

stopped flowing in my body. I have never eaten a banana in 30 years. I know that

banana has lots of potassium in it. I crave salt and drink very little water. Do

these symptoms come from being Hypothyroid or does that seem like symptoms of

's Disease??? Dauphine999

Roni Molin <matchermaam@...> wrote: If this helped you, I'm so glad. You

are welcome.

Roni

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[Guest guest]

I have a tendency to drink too little water if I'm not vigilant. I can't,

however get down

eight glasses in a day, more like four to five is my limit. As for the sodium

postassium,

when I feel that I want someting salty I listen to my body and give it

something salty,

the same goes for a banana, or any other thing I might think I really want,

like walnuts and

raisins, which I find to be a great snack. I also take lasix and a potassium

most every

day in the morning on my doctor's orders, to help control high blood pressure.

I have

an appointment end of this month, and I do think I need some more help in this

area.

Roni

PATRICK REYNAUD <dauphine999@...> wrote:

I have a high potassium ratio. I ate a banana 30 years ago and the

blood stopped flowing in my body. I have never eaten a banana in 30 years. I

know that banana has lots of potassium in it. I crave salt and drink very little

water. Do these symptoms come from being Hypothyroid or does that seem like

symptoms of 's Disease??? Dauphine999

Roni Molin <matchermaam@...> wrote: If this helped you, I'm so glad. You

are welcome.

Roni

fritzalseth <familyirwin@...> wrote:

Roni,

Thanks for sending this. I just found my hair analysis results from

last year, and sure enough...I have a high sodium/potassium ratio. I

am looking more into this, on how to correct.

Thank you again,

>

> HIGH SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

>

>

> A normal hair sodium/potassium ratio is between 2.5:1 and about

4:1. Commonly, the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated on a hair

analysis. A high ratio is associated with acute stress,

inflammation, pain, anger, a sympathetic-dominant or aggressive

personality, moving forward in life, metal toxicity or zinc and/or

magnesium deficiency. NOTE: Hair must not be washed at the

laboratory to obtain accurate sodium and potassium readings.

Readings are inaccurate if the hair is washed.

>

>

> ACUTE STRESS

>

> A high sodium/potassium ratio on a hair analysis is an indicator of

acute stress. The reason is as follows:

> 1) Acute stress causes increased adrenal gland activity.

> 2) This results in a rise in the secretion of the hormone

aldosterone.

> 3) Aldosterone secretion causes sodium to be retained in the body

by the kidneys. Thus the sodium level in the body tissues rises.

> Sodium retention by aldosterone is part of the alarm reaction or

fight-flight reaction to stress. Early in the alarm reaction, the

potassium level remains low. Thus, on a tissue mineral test, the

ratio of sodium to potassium is elevated. In contrast, a low

sodium/potassium ratio indicates chronic stress and an exhaustion

stage of stress.

> Some people ask how it is possible to have an alarm reaction is one

is a slow oxidizer or in an exhaustion stage of stress. Slow

oxidation indicates an exhaustion stage of stress. However, within

the exhaustion stage one can have an acute stress response indicated

by a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is a common occurrence. A

slow oxidizer with a low sodium/potassium ratio means a double

exhaustion stage pattern, which is definitely less desirable.

>

>

> INFLAMMATION

>

> Aldosterone is a pro-inflammatory hormone. It tends to increase

inflammation in the body. Cortisol and cortisone, associated more

with potassium levels, are anti-inflammatory hormones because they

diminish inflammation. The pro and anti-inflammatory hormones must

be in a good balance with each other for optimum health.

> A person with a high sodium/potassium ratio is secreting more

aldosterone, in relation to cortisol. Because there is more pro-

inflammatory hormone, a tendency for inflammation exists in the

body. This is particularly true when the sodium/potassium ratio is

greater than 10:1.

> Inflammation can take the form of any 'itis', such as arthritis,

bursitis, colitis, or tendonitis. It is a tendency for aches and

pains. A high sodium/potassium ratio is also a tendency for mental

excitation. A ratio that persists between 3 and 6 suggests a forward-

looking person. A ratio greater than 6:1 suggests aggressiveness and

anger.

>

>

> ANGER

>

> Most often, those with an elevated sodium/potassium ratio have

excessive anger. Anger is an acute emotion, the projection of fear

onto others to avoid feeling fear. One does not diagnose anger from

a hair mineral analysis. However, the presence of anger as a factor

in health and disease can often be discerned and is helpful for the

practitioner and the patient to knowabout. Elevated or hidden iron

or copper toxicity are other indicators for anger on a hair mineral

analysis.

>

>

> SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE

>

> A hair sodium/potassium ratio above about 6 or 7 is also an

indicator of a sympathetic dominant personality type. These are

individuals who overuse the sympathetic or fight-or-flight nervous

system. They are usually very active, either mentally, physically or

both. The tendency is extreme when the ratio is above about 12. One

may overexercise, worry a lot or in some other way keep oneself in a

fight-or-flight mode. Note that the body is often exhausted from

this tendency, and may go into a parasympathetic state of slow

oxidation. However, the mind often remains in a sympathetic dominant

mode, which impairs recovery of health.

>

> HIDDEN COPPER, MERCURY AND CADMIUM TOXICITY

>

> A high sodium/potassium ratio may reflect hidden copper toxicity,

especially in the slow oxidizer. This is because copper elevates

sodium and depresses potassium readings. The copper may be present

even if the hair copper level is low or normal. Hidden copper

toxicity is certain if the potassium level is less than 4 mg%, or if

the calcium level is over about 80 mg%.

> Cadmium and mercury toxicity can also elevate sodium levels and can

cause a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is true even if the

cadmium or mercury are hidden within body tissues and not revealed on

the hair test. As cadmium, copper or mercury are eliminated, a

retest mineral analysis will reveal an improved sodium/potassium

ratio.

> An exception is if a retest is performed during a toxic metal

elimination. The sodium/potassium ratio may temporarily rise as

cadmium, for example, is being eliminated. This occurs because

cadmium passes out of the body through the kidneys. As it is

eliminated, cadmium irritates the kidneys. This may cause the

sodium/potassium ratio to rise further. The ratio will normalize

when the metal elimination is complete.

>

>

> ZINC AND MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY

>

> A high sodium/potassium ratio often indicates a zinc and/or

magnesium deficiency. Zinc lowers sodium and raises the potassium

level. Zinc deficiency is very common today. Magnesium also has a

lowering effect upon sodium, and is deficient in many diets today.

> We recommend supplementing with zinc, or a product containing zinc,

when the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated. Magnesium or Paramin

may also be very helpful to correct the ratio.

>

>

> THE HILL PATTERN

>

> A sodium/potassium ratio greater than 4, in combination with a

calcium/magnesium ratio less than 6, is called a hill pattern. The

calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium levels on a graph appear in

the shape of a hill. In our experience, this is an indicator that

one is moving ahead or changing for the better. The low

calcium/magnesium ratio indicates a lack of defensiveness. The high

sodium/potassium ratio indicates moving forward. Hair must not be

washed at the laboratory for accurate sodium and potassium readings.

>

>

> SALT-EATING AND THE SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

>

> Many people assume that a high sodium/potassium ratio indicates an

excessive salt intake. While possibly true, in many instances salt

eating has little impact upon the sodium/potassium ratio. A high

ratio frequently occurs in people who consume no salt whatsoever!

The main causes of a high sodium/potassium ratio are excessive

aldosterone secretion due to stress or anger, toxic metals or a zinc

and magnesium deficiency. Salt-eating plays a secondary role.

> We recommend everyone avoid table salt, which is a very poor

quality food. One may have sea salt or unrefined salt, which

contains more magnesium and trace elements. We recommend limiting

salt slightly when the sodium/potassium ratio is above 12, especially

if blood pressure is elevated. However, it is not usually necessary

to eliminate all salt from the diet. Also, sea salt is often

tolerated much better than table salt.

>

>

> KIDNEY STRESS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

>

> A very high sodium/potassium ratio may indicate kidney stress, and

an imbalanced immune system. While a low sodium/potassium ratio is

associated with a weak immune system, a high ratio may indicate

autoimmune problems, or an overactive immune system. Rheumatoid

arthritis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis are examples of autoimmune

diseases.

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

Here's a little more info on hair analysis. It is rather telling that

duplicate hair samples sent to the labs who do this type of work, even

when the samples are sent to the same lab, provide totally inconsistent

results. In case that is not clear, the labs report widely varying

levels of the contents of the hair samples, even when the samples were

taken from the same person on the same day.

IOW, it's a great example of utter quackery.

Commercial Hair Analysis:

A Cardinal Sign of Quackery

Barrett, M.D.

Hair analysis is a test in which a sample of a person's hair—typically

from the back of the neck—is sent to a laboratory for measurement of its

mineral content. This discussion concerns multielemental hair analysis

in which a single test is used to determine values for many minerals

simultaneously. This type of analysis used by chiropractors, " nutrition

consultants, " physicians who do chelation therapy, and other dubious

practitioners who claim that hair analyses can help them diagnose a wide

variety of diseases and can be used as the basis for prescribing

supplements.

Analysis of Proponent Claims

Proponents of hair analysis claim that it is useful for evaluating a

person's general state of nutrition and health and is valuable in

detecting predisposition to disease. They also claim that hair analysis

enables a doctor to determine if mineral deficiency, mineral imbalance

or heavy metal pollutants in the body may be the cause of a patient's

symptoms. These claims are false.

* Although hair analysis has limited value as a screening device for

heavy metal exposure, it is not reliable for evaluating the

nutritional status of individuals. In 1974, the AMA Committee on

Cutaneous Health and Cosmetics noted: " The state of health of the

body may be entirely unrelated to the physical and chemical

condition of the hair . . . Although severe deficiency states of

an essential element are often associated with low concentrations

of the element in hair, there are no data that indicate that low

concentrations of an element signify low tissue levels nor that

high concentrations reflect high tissue stores. Therefore . . .

hair metal levels would rarely help a physician select effective

treatment. " [1]

* Most commercial hair analysis laboratories have not validated

their analytical techniques by checking them against standard

reference materials. The techniques typically used to prepare

samples for analysis can introduce errors for many of the elements

being determined.

* Hair mineral content can be affected by exposure to various

substances such as shampoos, bleaches and hair dyes. No analytic

technique enables reliable determination of the source of specific

levels of elements in hair as bodily or environmental.

* The level of certain minerals can be affected by the color,

diameter and rate of growth of an individual's hair, the season of

the year, the geographic location, and the age and gender of the

individual.

* Normal ranges of hair minerals have not been defined.

* For most elements, no correlation has been established between

hair level and other known indicators of nutrition status. It is

possible for hair concentration of an element (zinc, for example)

to be high even though deficiency exists in the body.

* Hair grows slowly (1 cm/month), so even hair closest to the scalp

is several weeks old and thus may not reflect current body

conditions for purposes of health diagnosis.

* The use of a single multielemental hair analysis test as the sole

means of diagnosis violates basic tenets of medical practice that

laboratory findings should be considered together with the

patient's history and physical examination, and that the

practitioner should keep in mind that laboratory errors occur.

For these reasons, multielemental analysis of human hair is not a valid

technique for identifying an individual's current bodily excesses or

deficiencies of essential or nonessential elements. Nor does it provide

a valid basis for recommending vitamins, minerals, or other dietary

supplements [2,3]

In the mid-1980s, about 18 laboratories were doing commercial hair

analysis in the United States. Today there are fewer. Some laboratories

have belonged to the American Society of Elemental Testing Laboratories

(ASETL). In 1982, ASETL began a program in which a well-known

proficiency-testing service received and tabulated the data from

analyses of identical hair samples sent to seven member laboratories.

However, at the end of the year, the testing service refused to continue

because the data were inconsistent and appeared to have no clinical

significance.

In 1983 and 1984, I sent hair samples from two healthy teenagers to 13

of the commercial laboratories [4]. In 1985, I sent paired samples from

one of the girls to five more labs. The reported levels of most minerals

varied considerably between identical samples sent to the same

laboratory, and from laboratory to laboratory. The laboratories also

disagreed about what is " normal " or " usual " for many of the minerals, so

that a given mineral value might be considered low by some laboratories,

normal by others and high by others.

Most of the reports contained computerized interpretations that were

voluminous and potentially frightening to patients. The nine labs that

included supplement advice in their reports suggested them every time,

but the types and amounts varied widely from report to report and from

lab to lab. Many of the items recommended were bizarre mixtures of

vitamins, minerals, nonessential food substances, enzymes, and extracts

of animal organs. One report diagnosed 23 " possible or probable

conditions, " including atherosclerosis and kidney failure, and

recommended 56 supplement doses per day. Literature from most of the

laboratories suggested that their reports were useful in managing a wide

variety of diseases and supposed nutrient imbalances. I concluded that

commercial use of hair analysis in this manner is unscientific,

economically wasteful, and probably illegal, and that even if hair

analysis were a valuable diagnostic tool, it is doubtful whether the

laboratory reports themselves were reliable.

In 1985, the public affairs committee of the American Institute of

Nutrition/American Society for Clinical Nutrition issued a position

paper on hair analysis. The paper concluded that although hair analysis

may have some value for comparing population groups as to status of

various minerals or assessing exposure to heavy metals, assessment of

individual subjects appears to have " almost insurmountable

difficulties. " For this reason, said the paper, hair analysis might best

be reserved for experimental studies designed to evaluate its potential

as an indicator of nutrition status and perhaps for some public health

surveys. Noting that about 100 articles a year were published on hair

analysis, one nutritionist who reviewed the position paper suggested

that the test's inherent limitations made much of the research useless [5].

The AMA's current policy on hair analysis—adopted in 1984 and reaffirmed

in 1994, is:

The AMA opposes chemical analysis of the hair as a determinant of

the need for medical therapy and supports informing the American

public and appropriate governmental agencies of this unproven

practice and its potential for health care fraud [6].

Some hair analysis proponents claim that hair analysis can detect

allergies. The claim is completely senseless. In 1987, the /Lancet/

published a study in which the ability to diagnose allergic disease was

studied in 9 fish-allergic and 9 control subjects, who provided

specimens of blood and hair for testing. All fish-allergic subjects had

previously been shown at Guy's Hospital to have a positive skin prick

test to fish. The specimens were submitted as coded, duplicate samples

to five commercial laboratories that offered to test for allergy. All

five laboratories were not only unable to diagnose fish allergy but also

reported many allergies in apparently non-allergic subjects and provided

inconsistent results on duplicate samples from the same subject [7].

A subsequent 2-year study of students exposed to fumes from metal

welding found that hair analysis did not consistently reflect blood

levels of 11 heavy metals [8].

In 1999, researchers from the California Department of Health located

nine laboratories and sent identical samples to six of them. The

reported mineral levels, the alleged significance of the findings, and

the recommendations made in the reports differed widely from one to

another. The researchers concluded that the procedure is still

unreliable and recommended that government agencies act vigorously to

protect consumers [9].

*Government Actions*

Hair analysis was involved in a case prosecuted in 1980 by the Los

Angeles City Attorney's Office. According to the official press release,

Colimore and his wife, , owners of a health-food store,

would take hair samples from customers in order to diagnose and treat

various conditions. Prosecution was initiated after a customer

complained that the Colimores had said she had a bad heart valve and was

suffering from abscesses of the pancreas, arsenic in her system, and

benign growths of the liver, intestine, and stomach-all based on

analysis of her hair. Two substances were prescribed, an " herbal tea "

which turned out to be only milk sugar, and " Arsenicum, " another

milk-sugar product that contained traces of arsenic. Another sample of

hair was taken when the customer returned to the store five weeks later.

She was told that the earlier conditions were gone, but that she now had

lead in her stomach. A government investigator received similar

diagnosis and treatment. After pleading " no contest " to one count of

practicing medicine without a license, the Colimores were fined $2,000,

given a sixty-day suspended jail sentence, and placed on probation for

two years.

In 1985, in response to a petition by the Federal Trade Commission

(FTC), a federal judge issued a permanent injunction against Arthur,

Ethel and Alan Furman and any business through which they might act. The

order forbids " holding themselves out . . . to persons other than health

professionals, as being able, on the basis of hair analysis, to measure

accurately the elemental content of a person's body or to recommend

vitamin, mineral or other dietary supplements which can correct chemical

excesses and deficiencies in a person's body. " [10] As a result of the

FTC action, the Furmans' laboratory closed and, until the Internet

became popular, direct advertising to the public was rare. However, the

FTC has ignored the laboratories that serve practitioners because it

feels that practitioner misconduct should be regulated by state agencies.

In 1986, Analytical Research Laboratories (ARL) of Phoenix, Arizona

signed a consent agreement with the New York State Attorney General to

stop " soliciting and accepting hair specimens for laboratory examination

where the purpose is to determine possible excesses of deficiencies in

nutrient mineral levels or toxic metal levels in the body. " The Attorney

General acted because a health food store proprietor had been using hair

analysis as the basis for recommending vitamin and mineral supplements.

ARL had not been licensed to operate within New York State, and hair

analysis for the purpose of determining nutrient levels is not legal there.

In 1986, Doctor's Data <http://www.doctorsdata.com/>, a Chicago-based

laboratory agreed to stop accepting human hair specimens from New York

State unless it can obtain a permit from the New York State Department

of Health. The company also agreed to pay $25,000 in costs and

penalties. Action was taken because a bogus " nutrition consultant " had

been using the test as a basis for prescribing vitamins, minerals, and

other supplements.

A Sampling of Internet Claims

Biochemical Laboratories, of Edgewood, New Mexico, claimed that

abdominal pain, hypertension, anemia, hypoglycemia, anxiety, impotence,

depression, infertility, diarrhea, joint pain, learning, disorders,

fatigue, headache, and premenstrual syndrome all result from " chronic

metal imbalances, " which, presumably, can be diagnosed with hair

analysis and treated with dietary supplements.

Trace Elements, Inc <http://www.lements.com/>., of Dallas, Texas,

has promoted " balancing body chemistry through hair tissue mineral

analysis. " The company claims to have developed " a precise nutritional

therapeutic approach based on the recognition of eight individual

biochemical types using elemental analysis of hair. " It has also sold

" metabolic supplements synergistically formulated " for each of these

types. It markets primarily through chiropractors.

Trace Mineral Systems, of andria, Virginia, touted its hair analysis

as " the test that helps body chemistry " and markets it directly to the

public. A recent magazine ad claimed that its test reports would show

" the body's excesses, deficiencies & toxicities and the diseases

associated with them. " [11]

Doctor's Data reports the level of a " toxic mineral " as high when the

amount is near the top of its " reference range. " This merely means that

the specimen contained more than most other specimens handled by the

lab. It does not mean that the level is abnormal or that the level

within the patient's body is dangerous. In a recent paper, the company

acknowledged that " compared to interpretation of commonly measured

analyses in blood or serum, interpretation of elemental analyses from

hair seems primitive. " Despite, this, the authors claimed that it would

be prudent to " adopt a reference range consistent with what is observed

in 95% of a healthy population. " [12]

The Bottom Line

Hair analysis is worthless for assessing the body's nutritional status

or serving as a nasis for dietary or supplement recommendations. Should

you encounter a practitioner who claims otherwise, run for the nearest exit!

For Additional Information

* Aetna Clinical Policy Bulletin on Hair Analysis

<http://www.aetna.com/cpb/data/CPBA0300.html>

* Mercury Testing in Hair

<http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/mercurytests.html#hairm\

ercury>

References

1. Lazar P. Hair analysis: What does it tell us? JAMA 229:1908-1909,

1974.

2. Hambidge KM. Hair analyses: Worthless for vitamins, limited for

minerals

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=\

7137078 & dopt=Abstract>.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 36:943-949, 1983.

3. Klevay LM and others. Hair analysis in clinical and experimental

medicine

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=\

3303896 & dopt=Abstract>.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 46:233-236, 1987.

4. Barrett S. Commercial hair analysis: Science or scam?

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=\

4021042 & dopt=Abstract>

JAMA 254:1041-1045, 1985.

5. Fosmire GJ et al. Hair analysis to assess nutritional status. AIN

Nutrition Notes 21(4):10-11, 1985.

6. Hair analysis: A potential for medical abuse. Policy number

H-175.995,(Sub. Res. 67, I-84; Reaffirmed by CLRPD Rep. 3 - I-94)

7. Sethi TJ and others. How reliable are commercial allergy tests?

Lancet Jan 10;1(8524):92-94, 1987.

8. M and others. Trace-element concentration in blood and hair

of young apprentices of a technical-professional school.

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=\

9372630 & dopt=Abstract>

The Science of the Total Environment 205:189-193, 1997.

9. FTC v Furman, 1985-1 CCH Trade Case (CCH) ¶66486 (ED Va 1985).

10. Trace Mineral Systems. Alternative Medicine Digest, Aug/Sept 1998,

p 99.

11. Druyan ME and others. Determination of reference ranges for

elements in human scalp hair. Biological Trace Element Research

62:183-197, 1998.

12. Seidel S and others. Assessment of commercial laboratories

performing hair mineral analysis

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=\

11150111 & dopt=Abstract>.

JAMA 285:67-72, 2001.

This article was revised on April 20, 2006.

Make a Donat <http://www.quackwatch.org/00AboutQuackwatch/donations.html>

> 3.1.

>

>

> Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

>

<hypothyroidism/message/32701;_ylc=X3oDMTJxcDRqdHE\

0BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzE0NTY2NARncnBzcElkAzE3MDkyNTEwODIEbXNnSWQDMzI3MDEEc2V\

jA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTE5NTM4MDkxMQ-->

>

>

>

> Posted by: " fritzalseth " familyirwin@...

>

<mailto:familyirwin@...?Subject=%20Re%3A%20Possible%20Cause%20for%20Ha\

shimoto%27s%20Hypothyroid>

> fritzalseth <fritzalseth>

>

>

> Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:25 pm (PST)

>

> Roni,

> Thanks for sending this. I just found my hair analysis results from

> last year, and sure enough...I have a high sodium/potassium ratio. I

> am looking more into this, on how to correct.

> Thank you again,

>

>

>

> >

> > HIGH SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

> >

> >

> > A normal hair sodium/potassium ratio is between 2.5:1 and about

> 4:1. Commonly, the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated on a hair

> analysis. A high ratio is associated with acute stress,

> inflammation, pain, anger, a sympathetic-dominant or aggressive

> personality, moving forward in life, metal toxicity or zinc and/or

> magnesium deficiency. NOTE: Hair must not be washed at the

> laboratory to obtain accurate sodium and potassium readings.

> Readings are inaccurate if the hair is washed.

> >

> >

> > ACUTE STRESS

> >

> > A high sodium/potassium ratio on a hair analysis is an indicator of

> acute stress. The reason is as follows:

> > 1) Acute stress causes increased adrenal gland activity.

> > 2) This results in a rise in the secretion of the hormone

> aldosterone.

> > 3) Aldosterone secretion causes sodium to be retained in the body

> by the kidneys. Thus the sodium level in the body tissues rises.

> > Sodium retention by aldosterone is part of the alarm reaction or

> fight-flight reaction to stress. Early in the alarm reaction, the

> potassium level remains low. Thus, on a tissue mineral test, the

> ratio of sodium to potassium is elevated. In contrast, a low

> sodium/potassium ratio indicates chronic stress and an exhaustion

> stage of stress.

> > Some people ask how it is possible to have an alarm reaction is one

> is a slow oxidizer or in an exhaustion stage of stress. Slow

> oxidation indicates an exhaustion stage of stress. However, within

> the exhaustion stage one can have an acute stress response indicated

> by a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is a common occurrence. A

> slow oxidizer with a low sodium/potassium ratio means a double

> exhaustion stage pattern, which is definitely less desirable.

> >

> >

> > INFLAMMATION

> >

> > Aldosterone is a pro-inflammatory hormone. It tends to increase

> inflammation in the body. Cortisol and cortisone, associated more

> with potassium levels, are anti-inflammatory hormones because they

> diminish inflammation. The pro and anti-inflammatory hormones must

> be in a good balance with each other for optimum health.

> > A person with a high sodium/potassium ratio is secreting more

> aldosterone, in relation to cortisol. Because there is more pro-

> inflammatory hormone, a tendency for inflammation exists in the

> body. This is particularly true when the sodium/potassium ratio is

> greater than 10:1.

> > Inflammation can take the form of any 'itis', such as arthritis,

> bursitis, colitis, or tendonitis. It is a tendency for aches and

> pains. A high sodium/potassium ratio is also a tendency for mental

> excitation. A ratio that persists between 3 and 6 suggests a forward-

> looking person. A ratio greater than 6:1 suggests aggressiveness and

> anger.

> >

> >

> > ANGER

> >

> > Most often, those with an elevated sodium/potassium ratio have

> excessive anger. Anger is an acute emotion, the projection of fear

> onto others to avoid feeling fear. One does not diagnose anger from

> a hair mineral analysis. However, the presence of anger as a factor

> in health and disease can often be discerned and is helpful for the

> practitioner and the patient to knowabout. Elevated or hidden iron

> or copper toxicity are other indicators for anger on a hair mineral

> analysis.

> >

> >

> > SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE

> >

> > A hair sodium/potassium ratio above about 6 or 7 is also an

> indicator of a sympathetic dominant personality type. These are

> individuals who overuse the sympathetic or fight-or-flight nervous

> system. They are usually very active, either mentally, physically or

> both. The tendency is extreme when the ratio is above about 12. One

> may overexercise, worry a lot or in some other way keep oneself in a

> fight-or-flight mode. Note that the body is often exhausted from

> this tendency, and may go into a parasympathetic state of slow

> oxidation. However, the mind often remains in a sympathetic dominant

> mode, which impairs recovery of health.

> >

> > HIDDEN COPPER, MERCURY AND CADMIUM TOXICITY

> >

> > A high sodium/potassium ratio may reflect hidden copper toxicity,

> especially in the slow oxidizer. This is because copper elevates

> sodium and depresses potassium readings. The copper may be present

> even if the hair copper level is low or normal. Hidden copper

> toxicity is certain if the potassium level is less than 4 mg%, or if

> the calcium level is over about 80 mg%.

> > Cadmium and mercury toxicity can also elevate sodium levels and can

> cause a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is true even if the

> cadmium or mercury are hidden within body tissues and not revealed on

> the hair test. As cadmium, copper or mercury are eliminated, a

> retest mineral analysis will reveal an improved sodium/potassium

> ratio.

> > An exception is if a retest is performed during a toxic metal

> elimination. The sodium/potassium ratio may temporarily rise as

> cadmium, for example, is being eliminated. This occurs because

> cadmium passes out of the body through the kidneys. As it is

> eliminated, cadmium irritates the kidneys. This may cause the

> sodium/potassium ratio to rise further. The ratio will normalize

> when the metal elimination is complete.

> >

> >

> > ZINC AND MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY

> >

> > A high sodium/potassium ratio often indicates a zinc and/or

> magnesium deficiency. Zinc lowers sodium and raises the potassium

> level. Zinc deficiency is very common today. Magnesium also has a

> lowering effect upon sodium, and is deficient in many diets today.

> > We recommend supplementing with zinc, or a product containing zinc,

> when the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated. Magnesium or Paramin

> may also be very helpful to correct the ratio.

> >

> >

> > THE HILL PATTERN

> >

> > A sodium/potassium ratio greater than 4, in combination with a

> calcium/magnesium ratio less than 6, is called a hill pattern. The

> calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium levels on a graph appear in

> the shape of a hill. In our experience, this is an indicator that

> one is moving ahead or changing for the better. The low

> calcium/magnesium ratio indicates a lack of defensiveness. The high

> sodium/potassium ratio indicates moving forward. Hair must not be

> washed at the laboratory for accurate sodium and potassium readings.

> >

> >

> > SALT-EATING AND THE SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

> >

> > Many people assume that a high sodium/potassium ratio indicates an

> excessive salt intake. While possibly true, in many instances salt

> eating has little impact upon the sodium/potassium ratio. A high

> ratio frequently occurs in people who consume no salt whatsoever!

> The main causes of a high sodium/potassium ratio are excessive

> aldosterone secretion due to stress or anger, toxic metals or a zinc

> and magnesium deficiency. Salt-eating plays a secondary role.

> > We recommend everyone avoid table salt, which is a very poor

> quality food. One may have sea salt or unrefined salt, which

> contains more magnesium and trace elements. We recommend limiting

> salt slightly when the sodium/potassium ratio is above 12, especially

> if blood pressure is elevated. However, it is not usually necessary

> to eliminate all salt from the diet. Also, sea salt is often

> tolerated much better than table salt.

> >

> >

> > KIDNEY STRESS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

> >

> > A very high sodium/potassium ratio may indicate kidney stress, and

> an imbalanced immune system. While a low sodium/potassium ratio is

> associated with a weak immune system, a high ratio may indicate

> autoimmune problems, or an overactive immune system. Rheumatoid

> arthritis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis are examples of autoimmune

> diseases.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Barrett isn't exactly the most reliable source, IMHO.

Blessings,

<res075oh@...> wrote:

Here's a little more info on hair analysis. It is rather telling that

duplicate hair samples sent to the labs who do this type of work, even

when the samples are sent to the same lab, provide totally inconsistent

results. In case that is not clear, the labs report widely varying

levels of the contents of the hair samples, even when the samples were

taken from the same person on the same day.

IOW, it's a great example of utter quackery.

Commercial Hair Analysis:

A Cardinal Sign of Quackery

Barrett, M.D.

Hair analysis is a test in which a sample of a person's hair—typically

from the back of the neck—is sent to a laboratory for measurement of its

mineral content. This discussion concerns multielemental hair analysis

in which a single test is used to determine values for many minerals

simultaneously. This type of analysis used by chiropractors, " nutrition

consultants, " physicians who do chelation therapy, and other dubious

practitioners who claim that hair analyses can help them diagnose a wide

variety of diseases and can be used as the basis for prescribing

supplements.

Analysis of Proponent Claims

Proponents of hair analysis claim that it is useful for evaluating a

person's general state of nutrition and health and is valuable in

detecting predisposition to disease. They also claim that hair analysis

enables a doctor to determine if mineral deficiency, mineral imbalance

or heavy metal pollutants in the body may be the cause of a patient's

symptoms. These claims are false.

* Although hair analysis has limited value as a screening device for

heavy metal exposure, it is not reliable for evaluating the

nutritional status of individuals. In 1974, the AMA Committee on

Cutaneous Health and Cosmetics noted: " The state of health of the

body may be entirely unrelated to the physical and chemical

condition of the hair . . . Although severe deficiency states of

an essential element are often associated with low concentrations

of the element in hair, there are no data that indicate that low

concentrations of an element signify low tissue levels nor that

high concentrations reflect high tissue stores. Therefore . . .

hair metal levels would rarely help a physician select effective

treatment. " [1]

* Most commercial hair analysis laboratories have not validated

their analytical techniques by checking them against standard

reference materials. The techniques typically used to prepare

samples for analysis can introduce errors for many of the elements

being determined.

* Hair mineral content can be affected by exposure to various

substances such as shampoos, bleaches and hair dyes. No analytic

technique enables reliable determination of the source of specific

levels of elements in hair as bodily or environmental.

* The level of certain minerals can be affected by the color,

diameter and rate of growth of an individual's hair, the season of

the year, the geographic location, and the age and gender of the

individual.

* Normal ranges of hair minerals have not been defined.

* For most elements, no correlation has been established between

hair level and other known indicators of nutrition status. It is

possible for hair concentration of an element (zinc, for example)

to be high even though deficiency exists in the body.

* Hair grows slowly (1 cm/month), so even hair closest to the scalp

is several weeks old and thus may not reflect current body

conditions for purposes of health diagnosis.

* The use of a single multielemental hair analysis test as the sole

means of diagnosis violates basic tenets of medical practice that

laboratory findings should be considered together with the

patient's history and physical examination, and that the

practitioner should keep in mind that laboratory errors occur.

For these reasons, multielemental analysis of human hair is not a valid

technique for identifying an individual's current bodily excesses or

deficiencies of essential or nonessential elements. Nor does it provide

a valid basis for recommending vitamins, minerals, or other dietary

supplements [2,3]

In the mid-1980s, about 18 laboratories were doing commercial hair

analysis in the United States. Today there are fewer. Some laboratories

have belonged to the American Society of Elemental Testing Laboratories

(ASETL). In 1982, ASETL began a program in which a well-known

proficiency-testing service received and tabulated the data from

analyses of identical hair samples sent to seven member laboratories.

However, at the end of the year, the testing service refused to continue

because the data were inconsistent and appeared to have no clinical

significance.

In 1983 and 1984, I sent hair samples from two healthy teenagers to 13

of the commercial laboratories [4]. In 1985, I sent paired samples from

one of the girls to five more labs. The reported levels of most minerals

varied considerably between identical samples sent to the same

laboratory, and from laboratory to laboratory. The laboratories also

disagreed about what is " normal " or " usual " for many of the minerals, so

that a given mineral value might be considered low by some laboratories,

normal by others and high by others.

Most of the reports contained computerized interpretations that were

voluminous and potentially frightening to patients. The nine labs that

included supplement advice in their reports suggested them every time,

but the types and amounts varied widely from report to report and from

lab to lab. Many of the items recommended were bizarre mixtures of

vitamins, minerals, nonessential food substances, enzymes, and extracts

of animal organs. One report diagnosed 23 " possible or probable

conditions, " including atherosclerosis and kidney failure, and

recommended 56 supplement doses per day. Literature from most of the

laboratories suggested that their reports were useful in managing a wide

variety of diseases and supposed nutrient imbalances. I concluded that

commercial use of hair analysis in this manner is unscientific,

economically wasteful, and probably illegal, and that even if hair

analysis were a valuable diagnostic tool, it is doubtful whether the

laboratory reports themselves were reliable.

In 1985, the public affairs committee of the American Institute of

Nutrition/American Society for Clinical Nutrition issued a position

paper on hair analysis. The paper concluded that although hair analysis

may have some value for comparing population groups as to status of

various minerals or assessing exposure to heavy metals, assessment of

individual subjects appears to have " almost insurmountable

difficulties. " For this reason, said the paper, hair analysis might best

be reserved for experimental studies designed to evaluate its potential

as an indicator of nutrition status and perhaps for some public health

surveys. Noting that about 100 articles a year were published on hair

analysis, one nutritionist who reviewed the position paper suggested

that the test's inherent limitations made much of the research useless [5].

The AMA's current policy on hair analysis—adopted in 1984 and reaffirmed

in 1994, is:

The AMA opposes chemical analysis of the hair as a determinant of

the need for medical therapy and supports informing the American

public and appropriate governmental agencies of this unproven

practice and its potential for health care fraud [6].

Some hair analysis proponents claim that hair analysis can detect

allergies. The claim is completely senseless. In 1987, the /Lancet/

published a study in which the ability to diagnose allergic disease was

studied in 9 fish-allergic and 9 control subjects, who provided

specimens of blood and hair for testing. All fish-allergic subjects had

previously been shown at Guy's Hospital to have a positive skin prick

test to fish. The specimens were submitted as coded, duplicate samples

to five commercial laboratories that offered to test for allergy. All

five laboratories were not only unable to diagnose fish allergy but also

reported many allergies in apparently non-allergic subjects and provided

inconsistent results on duplicate samples from the same subject [7].

A subsequent 2-year study of students exposed to fumes from metal

welding found that hair analysis did not consistently reflect blood

levels of 11 heavy metals [8].

In 1999, researchers from the California Department of Health located

nine laboratories and sent identical samples to six of them. The

reported mineral levels, the alleged significance of the findings, and

the recommendations made in the reports differed widely from one to

another. The researchers concluded that the procedure is still

unreliable and recommended that government agencies act vigorously to

protect consumers [9].

*Government Actions*

Hair analysis was involved in a case prosecuted in 1980 by the Los

Angeles City Attorney's Office. According to the official press release,

Colimore and his wife, , owners of a health-food store,

would take hair samples from customers in order to diagnose and treat

various conditions. Prosecution was initiated after a customer

complained that the Colimores had said she had a bad heart valve and was

suffering from abscesses of the pancreas, arsenic in her system, and

benign growths of the liver, intestine, and stomach-all based on

analysis of her hair. Two substances were prescribed, an " herbal tea "

which turned out to be only milk sugar, and " Arsenicum, " another

milk-sugar product that contained traces of arsenic. Another sample of

hair was taken when the customer returned to the store five weeks later.

She was told that the earlier conditions were gone, but that she now had

lead in her stomach. A government investigator received similar

diagnosis and treatment. After pleading " no contest " to one count of

practicing medicine without a license, the Colimores were fined $2,000,

given a sixty-day suspended jail sentence, and placed on probation for

two years.

In 1985, in response to a petition by the Federal Trade Commission

(FTC), a federal judge issued a permanent injunction against Arthur,

Ethel and Alan Furman and any business through which they might act. The

order forbids " holding themselves out . . . to persons other than health

professionals, as being able, on the basis of hair analysis, to measure

accurately the elemental content of a person's body or to recommend

vitamin, mineral or other dietary supplements which can correct chemical

excesses and deficiencies in a person's body. " [10] As a result of the

FTC action, the Furmans' laboratory closed and, until the Internet

became popular, direct advertising to the public was rare. However, the

FTC has ignored the laboratories that serve practitioners because it

feels that practitioner misconduct should be regulated by state agencies.

In 1986, Analytical Research Laboratories (ARL) of Phoenix, Arizona

signed a consent agreement with the New York State Attorney General to

stop " soliciting and accepting hair specimens for laboratory examination

where the purpose is to determine possible excesses of deficiencies in

nutrient mineral levels or toxic metal levels in the body. " The Attorney

General acted because a health food store proprietor had been using hair

analysis as the basis for recommending vitamin and mineral supplements.

ARL had not been licensed to operate within New York State, and hair

analysis for the purpose of determining nutrient levels is not legal there.

In 1986, Doctor's Data , a Chicago-based

laboratory agreed to stop accepting human hair specimens from New York

State unless it can obtain a permit from the New York State Department

of Health. The company also agreed to pay $25,000 in costs and

penalties. Action was taken because a bogus " nutrition consultant " had

been using the test as a basis for prescribing vitamins, minerals, and

other supplements.

A Sampling of Internet Claims

Biochemical Laboratories, of Edgewood, New Mexico, claimed that

abdominal pain, hypertension, anemia, hypoglycemia, anxiety, impotence,

depression, infertility, diarrhea, joint pain, learning, disorders,

fatigue, headache, and premenstrual syndrome all result from " chronic

metal imbalances, " which, presumably, can be diagnosed with hair

analysis and treated with dietary supplements.

Trace Elements, Inc ., of Dallas, Texas,

has promoted " balancing body chemistry through hair tissue mineral

analysis. " The company claims to have developed " a precise nutritional

therapeutic approach based on the recognition of eight individual

biochemical types using elemental analysis of hair. " It has also sold

" metabolic supplements synergistically formulated " for each of these

types. It markets primarily through chiropractors.

Trace Mineral Systems, of andria, Virginia, touted its hair analysis

as " the test that helps body chemistry " and markets it directly to the

public. A recent magazine ad claimed that its test reports would show

" the body's excesses, deficiencies & toxicities and the diseases

associated with them. " [11]

Doctor's Data reports the level of a " toxic mineral " as high when the

amount is near the top of its " reference range. " This merely means that

the specimen contained more than most other specimens handled by the

lab. It does not mean that the level is abnormal or that the level

within the patient's body is dangerous. In a recent paper, the company

acknowledged that " compared to interpretation of commonly measured

analyses in blood or serum, interpretation of elemental analyses from

hair seems primitive. " Despite, this, the authors claimed that it would

be prudent to " adopt a reference range consistent with what is observed

in 95% of a healthy population. " [12]

The Bottom Line

Hair analysis is worthless for assessing the body's nutritional status

or serving as a nasis for dietary or supplement recommendations. Should

you encounter a practitioner who claims otherwise, run for the nearest exit!

For Additional Information

* Aetna Clinical Policy Bulletin on Hair Analysis

* Mercury Testing in Hair

References

1. Lazar P. Hair analysis: What does it tell us? JAMA 229:1908-1909,

1974.

2. Hambidge KM. Hair analyses: Worthless for vitamins, limited for

minerals

..

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 36:943-949, 1983.

3. Klevay LM and others. Hair analysis in clinical and experimental

medicine

..

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 46:233-236, 1987.

4. Barrett S. Commercial hair analysis: Science or scam?

JAMA 254:1041-1045, 1985.

5. Fosmire GJ et al. Hair analysis to assess nutritional status. AIN

Nutrition Notes 21(4):10-11, 1985.

6. Hair analysis: A potential for medical abuse. Policy number

H-175.995,(Sub. Res. 67, I-84; Reaffirmed by CLRPD Rep. 3 - I-94)

7. Sethi TJ and others. How reliable are commercial allergy tests?

Lancet Jan 10;1(8524):92-94, 1987.

8. M and others. Trace-element concentration in blood and hair

of young apprentices of a technical-professional school.

The Science of the Total Environment 205:189-193, 1997.

9. FTC v Furman, 1985-1 CCH Trade Case (CCH) ¶66486 (ED Va 1985).

10. Trace Mineral Systems. Alternative Medicine Digest, Aug/Sept 1998,

p 99.

11. Druyan ME and others. Determination of reference ranges for

elements in human scalp hair. Biological Trace Element Research

62:183-197, 1998.

12. Seidel S and others. Assessment of commercial laboratories

performing hair mineral analysis

..

JAMA 285:67-72, 2001.

This article was revised on April 20, 2006.

Make a Donat

> 3.1.

>

>

> Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

>

>

>

>

> Posted by: " fritzalseth " familyirwin@...

>

> fritzalseth

>

>

> Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:25 pm (PST)

>

> Roni,

> Thanks for sending this. I just found my hair analysis results from

> last year, and sure enough...I have a high sodium/potassium ratio. I

> am looking more into this, on how to correct.

> Thank you again,

>

>

>

> >

> > HIGH SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

> >

> >

> > A normal hair sodium/potassium ratio is between 2.5:1 and about

> 4:1. Commonly, the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated on a hair

> analysis. A high ratio is associated with acute stress,

> inflammation, pain, anger, a sympathetic-dominant or aggressive

> personality, moving forward in life, metal toxicity or zinc and/or

> magnesium deficiency. NOTE: Hair must not be washed at the

> laboratory to obtain accurate sodium and potassium readings.

> Readings are inaccurate if the hair is washed.

> >

> >

> > ACUTE STRESS

> >

> > A high sodium/potassium ratio on a hair analysis is an indicator of

> acute stress. The reason is as follows:

> > 1) Acute stress causes increased adrenal gland activity.

> > 2) This results in a rise in the secretion of the hormone

> aldosterone.

> > 3) Aldosterone secretion causes sodium to be retained in the body

> by the kidneys. Thus the sodium level in the body tissues rises.

> > Sodium retention by aldosterone is part of the alarm reaction or

> fight-flight reaction to stress. Early in the alarm reaction, the

> potassium level remains low. Thus, on a tissue mineral test, the

> ratio of sodium to potassium is elevated. In contrast, a low

> sodium/potassium ratio indicates chronic stress and an exhaustion

> stage of stress.

> > Some people ask how it is possible to have an alarm reaction is one

> is a slow oxidizer or in an exhaustion stage of stress. Slow

> oxidation indicates an exhaustion stage of stress. However, within

> the exhaustion stage one can have an acute stress response indicated

> by a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is a common occurrence. A

> slow oxidizer with a low sodium/potassium ratio means a double

> exhaustion stage pattern, which is definitely less desirable.

> >

> >

> > INFLAMMATION

> >

> > Aldosterone is a pro-inflammatory hormone. It tends to increase

> inflammation in the body. Cortisol and cortisone, associated more

> with potassium levels, are anti-inflammatory hormones because they

> diminish inflammation. The pro and anti-inflammatory hormones must

> be in a good balance with each other for optimum health.

> > A person with a high sodium/potassium ratio is secreting more

=== message truncated ===

[Guest guest]

Wow, a quote from an establishment doctor from an establishment enamoured

fan. Who'd a thunk?

Roni

<res075oh@...> wrote:

Here's a little more info on hair analysis. It is rather telling that

duplicate hair samples sent to the labs who do this type of work, even

when the samples are sent to the same lab, provide totally inconsistent

results. In case that is not clear, the labs report widely varying

levels of the contents of the hair samples, even when the samples were

taken from the same person on the same day.

IOW, it's a great example of utter quackery.

Commercial Hair Analysis:

A Cardinal Sign of Quackery

Barrett, M.D.

Hair analysis is a test in which a sample of a person's hair—typically

from the back of the neck—is sent to a laboratory for measurement of its

mineral content. This discussion concerns multielemental hair analysis

in which a single test is used to determine values for many minerals

simultaneously. This type of analysis used by chiropractors, " nutrition

consultants, " physicians who do chelation therapy, and other dubious

practitioners who claim that hair analyses can help them diagnose a wide

variety of diseases and can be used as the basis for prescribing

supplements.

Analysis of Proponent Claims

Proponents of hair analysis claim that it is useful for evaluating a

person's general state of nutrition and health and is valuable in

detecting predisposition to disease. They also claim that hair analysis

enables a doctor to determine if mineral deficiency, mineral imbalance

or heavy metal pollutants in the body may be the cause of a patient's

symptoms. These claims are false.

* Although hair analysis has limited value as a screening device for

heavy metal exposure, it is not reliable for evaluating the

nutritional status of individuals. In 1974, the AMA Committee on

Cutaneous Health and Cosmetics noted: " The state of health of the

body may be entirely unrelated to the physical and chemical

condition of the hair . . . Although severe deficiency states of

an essential element are often associated with low concentrations

of the element in hair, there are no data that indicate that low

concentrations of an element signify low tissue levels nor that

high concentrations reflect high tissue stores. Therefore . . .

hair metal levels would rarely help a physician select effective

treatment. " [1]

* Most commercial hair analysis laboratories have not validated

their analytical techniques by checking them against standard

reference materials. The techniques typically used to prepare

samples for analysis can introduce errors for many of the elements

being determined.

* Hair mineral content can be affected by exposure to various

substances such as shampoos, bleaches and hair dyes. No analytic

technique enables reliable determination of the source of specific

levels of elements in hair as bodily or environmental.

* The level of certain minerals can be affected by the color,

diameter and rate of growth of an individual's hair, the season of

the year, the geographic location, and the age and gender of the

individual.

* Normal ranges of hair minerals have not been defined.

* For most elements, no correlation has been established between

hair level and other known indicators of nutrition status. It is

possible for hair concentration of an element (zinc, for example)

to be high even though deficiency exists in the body.

* Hair grows slowly (1 cm/month), so even hair closest to the scalp

is several weeks old and thus may not reflect current body

conditions for purposes of health diagnosis.

* The use of a single multielemental hair analysis test as the sole

means of diagnosis violates basic tenets of medical practice that

laboratory findings should be considered together with the

patient's history and physical examination, and that the

practitioner should keep in mind that laboratory errors occur.

For these reasons, multielemental analysis of human hair is not a valid

technique for identifying an individual's current bodily excesses or

deficiencies of essential or nonessential elements. Nor does it provide

a valid basis for recommending vitamins, minerals, or other dietary

supplements [2,3]

In the mid-1980s, about 18 laboratories were doing commercial hair

analysis in the United States. Today there are fewer. Some laboratories

have belonged to the American Society of Elemental Testing Laboratories

(ASETL). In 1982, ASETL began a program in which a well-known

proficiency-testing service received and tabulated the data from

analyses of identical hair samples sent to seven member laboratories.

However, at the end of the year, the testing service refused to continue

because the data were inconsistent and appeared to have no clinical

significance.

In 1983 and 1984, I sent hair samples from two healthy teenagers to 13

of the commercial laboratories [4]. In 1985, I sent paired samples from

one of the girls to five more labs. The reported levels of most minerals

varied considerably between identical samples sent to the same

laboratory, and from laboratory to laboratory. The laboratories also

disagreed about what is " normal " or " usual " for many of the minerals, so

that a given mineral value might be considered low by some laboratories,

normal by others and high by others.

Most of the reports contained computerized interpretations that were

voluminous and potentially frightening to patients. The nine labs that

included supplement advice in their reports suggested them every time,

but the types and amounts varied widely from report to report and from

lab to lab. Many of the items recommended were bizarre mixtures of

vitamins, minerals, nonessential food substances, enzymes, and extracts

of animal organs. One report diagnosed 23 " possible or probable

conditions, " including atherosclerosis and kidney failure, and

recommended 56 supplement doses per day. Literature from most of the

laboratories suggested that their reports were useful in managing a wide

variety of diseases and supposed nutrient imbalances. I concluded that

commercial use of hair analysis in this manner is unscientific,

economically wasteful, and probably illegal, and that even if hair

analysis were a valuable diagnostic tool, it is doubtful whether the

laboratory reports themselves were reliable.

In 1985, the public affairs committee of the American Institute of

Nutrition/American Society for Clinical Nutrition issued a position

paper on hair analysis. The paper concluded that although hair analysis

may have some value for comparing population groups as to status of

various minerals or assessing exposure to heavy metals, assessment of

individual subjects appears to have " almost insurmountable

difficulties. " For this reason, said the paper, hair analysis might best

be reserved for experimental studies designed to evaluate its potential

as an indicator of nutrition status and perhaps for some public health

surveys. Noting that about 100 articles a year were published on hair

analysis, one nutritionist who reviewed the position paper suggested

that the test's inherent limitations made much of the research useless [5].

The AMA's current policy on hair analysis—adopted in 1984 and reaffirmed

in 1994, is:

The AMA opposes chemical analysis of the hair as a determinant of

the need for medical therapy and supports informing the American

public and appropriate governmental agencies of this unproven

practice and its potential for health care fraud [6].

Some hair analysis proponents claim that hair analysis can detect

allergies. The claim is completely senseless. In 1987, the /Lancet/

published a study in which the ability to diagnose allergic disease was

studied in 9 fish-allergic and 9 control subjects, who provided

specimens of blood and hair for testing. All fish-allergic subjects had

previously been shown at Guy's Hospital to have a positive skin prick

test to fish. The specimens were submitted as coded, duplicate samples

to five commercial laboratories that offered to test for allergy. All

five laboratories were not only unable to diagnose fish allergy but also

reported many allergies in apparently non-allergic subjects and provided

inconsistent results on duplicate samples from the same subject [7].

A subsequent 2-year study of students exposed to fumes from metal

welding found that hair analysis did not consistently reflect blood

levels of 11 heavy metals [8].

In 1999, researchers from the California Department of Health located

nine laboratories and sent identical samples to six of them. The

reported mineral levels, the alleged significance of the findings, and

the recommendations made in the reports differed widely from one to

another. The researchers concluded that the procedure is still

unreliable and recommended that government agencies act vigorously to

protect consumers [9].

*Government Actions*

Hair analysis was involved in a case prosecuted in 1980 by the Los

Angeles City Attorney's Office. According to the official press release,

Colimore and his wife, , owners of a health-food store,

would take hair samples from customers in order to diagnose and treat

various conditions. Prosecution was initiated after a customer

complained that the Colimores had said she had a bad heart valve and was

suffering from abscesses of the pancreas, arsenic in her system, and

benign growths of the liver, intestine, and stomach-all based on

analysis of her hair. Two substances were prescribed, an " herbal tea "

which turned out to be only milk sugar, and " Arsenicum, " another

milk-sugar product that contained traces of arsenic. Another sample of

hair was taken when the customer returned to the store five weeks later.

She was told that the earlier conditions were gone, but that she now had

lead in her stomach. A government investigator received similar

diagnosis and treatment. After pleading " no contest " to one count of

practicing medicine without a license, the Colimores were fined $2,000,

given a sixty-day suspended jail sentence, and placed on probation for

two years.

In 1985, in response to a petition by the Federal Trade Commission

(FTC), a federal judge issued a permanent injunction against Arthur,

Ethel and Alan Furman and any business through which they might act. The

order forbids " holding themselves out . . . to persons other than health

professionals, as being able, on the basis of hair analysis, to measure

accurately the elemental content of a person's body or to recommend

vitamin, mineral or other dietary supplements which can correct chemical

excesses and deficiencies in a person's body. " [10] As a result of the

FTC action, the Furmans' laboratory closed and, until the Internet

became popular, direct advertising to the public was rare. However, the

FTC has ignored the laboratories that serve practitioners because it

feels that practitioner misconduct should be regulated by state agencies.

In 1986, Analytical Research Laboratories (ARL) of Phoenix, Arizona

signed a consent agreement with the New York State Attorney General to

stop " soliciting and accepting hair specimens for laboratory examination

where the purpose is to determine possible excesses of deficiencies in

nutrient mineral levels or toxic metal levels in the body. " The Attorney

General acted because a health food store proprietor had been using hair

analysis as the basis for recommending vitamin and mineral supplements.

ARL had not been licensed to operate within New York State, and hair

analysis for the purpose of determining nutrient levels is not legal there.

In 1986, Doctor's Data , a Chicago-based

laboratory agreed to stop accepting human hair specimens from New York

State unless it can obtain a permit from the New York State Department

of Health. The company also agreed to pay $25,000 in costs and

penalties. Action was taken because a bogus " nutrition consultant " had

been using the test as a basis for prescribing vitamins, minerals, and

other supplements.

A Sampling of Internet Claims

Biochemical Laboratories, of Edgewood, New Mexico, claimed that

abdominal pain, hypertension, anemia, hypoglycemia, anxiety, impotence,

depression, infertility, diarrhea, joint pain, learning, disorders,

fatigue, headache, and premenstrual syndrome all result from " chronic

metal imbalances, " which, presumably, can be diagnosed with hair

analysis and treated with dietary supplements.

Trace Elements, Inc ., of Dallas, Texas,

has promoted " balancing body chemistry through hair tissue mineral

analysis. " The company claims to have developed " a precise nutritional

therapeutic approach based on the recognition of eight individual

biochemical types using elemental analysis of hair. " It has also sold

" metabolic supplements synergistically formulated " for each of these

types. It markets primarily through chiropractors.

Trace Mineral Systems, of andria, Virginia, touted its hair analysis

as " the test that helps body chemistry " and markets it directly to the

public. A recent magazine ad claimed that its test reports would show

" the body's excesses, deficiencies & toxicities and the diseases

associated with them. " [11]

Doctor's Data reports the level of a " toxic mineral " as high when the

amount is near the top of its " reference range. " This merely means that

the specimen contained more than most other specimens handled by the

lab. It does not mean that the level is abnormal or that the level

within the patient's body is dangerous. In a recent paper, the company

acknowledged that " compared to interpretation of commonly measured

analyses in blood or serum, interpretation of elemental analyses from

hair seems primitive. " Despite, this, the authors claimed that it would

be prudent to " adopt a reference range consistent with what is observed

in 95% of a healthy population. " [12]

The Bottom Line

Hair analysis is worthless for assessing the body's nutritional status

or serving as a nasis for dietary or supplement recommendations. Should

you encounter a practitioner who claims otherwise, run for the nearest exit!

For Additional Information

* Aetna Clinical Policy Bulletin on Hair Analysis

* Mercury Testing in Hair

References

1. Lazar P. Hair analysis: What does it tell us? JAMA 229:1908-1909,

1974.

2. Hambidge KM. Hair analyses: Worthless for vitamins, limited for

minerals

..

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 36:943-949, 1983.

3. Klevay LM and others. Hair analysis in clinical and experimental

medicine

..

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 46:233-236, 1987.

4. Barrett S. Commercial hair analysis: Science or scam?

JAMA 254:1041-1045, 1985.

5. Fosmire GJ et al. Hair analysis to assess nutritional status. AIN

Nutrition Notes 21(4):10-11, 1985.

6. Hair analysis: A potential for medical abuse. Policy number

H-175.995,(Sub. Res. 67, I-84; Reaffirmed by CLRPD Rep. 3 - I-94)

7. Sethi TJ and others. How reliable are commercial allergy tests?

Lancet Jan 10;1(8524):92-94, 1987.

8. M and others. Trace-element concentration in blood and hair

of young apprentices of a technical-professional school.

The Science of the Total Environment 205:189-193, 1997.

9. FTC v Furman, 1985-1 CCH Trade Case (CCH) ¶66486 (ED Va 1985).

10. Trace Mineral Systems. Alternative Medicine Digest, Aug/Sept 1998,

p 99.

11. Druyan ME and others. Determination of reference ranges for

elements in human scalp hair. Biological Trace Element Research

62:183-197, 1998.

12. Seidel S and others. Assessment of commercial laboratories

performing hair mineral analysis

..

JAMA 285:67-72, 2001.

This article was revised on April 20, 2006.

Make a Donat

> 3.1.

>

>

> Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

>

>

>

>

> Posted by: " fritzalseth " familyirwin@...

>

> fritzalseth

>

>

> Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:25 pm (PST)

>

> Roni,

> Thanks for sending this. I just found my hair analysis results from

> last year, and sure enough...I have a high sodium/potassium ratio. I

> am looking more into this, on how to correct.

> Thank you again,

>

>

>

> >

> > HIGH SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

> >

> >

> > A normal hair sodium/potassium ratio is between 2.5:1 and about

> 4:1. Commonly, the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated on a hair

> analysis. A high ratio is associated with acute stress,

> inflammation, pain, anger, a sympathetic-dominant or aggressive

> personality, moving forward in life, metal toxicity or zinc and/or

> magnesium deficiency. NOTE: Hair must not be washed at the

> laboratory to obtain accurate sodium and potassium readings.

> Readings are inaccurate if the hair is washed.

> >

> >

> > ACUTE STRESS

> >

> > A high sodium/potassium ratio on a hair analysis is an indicator of

> acute stress. The reason is as follows:

> > 1) Acute stress causes increased adrenal gland activity.

> > 2) This results in a rise in the secretion of the hormone

> aldosterone.

> > 3) Aldosterone secretion causes sodium to be retained in the body

> by the kidneys. Thus the sodium level in the body tissues rises.

> > Sodium retention by aldosterone is part of the alarm reaction or

> fight-flight reaction to stress. Early in the alarm reaction, the

> potassium level remains low. Thus, on a tissue mineral test, the

> ratio of sodium to potassium is elevated. In contrast, a low

> sodium/potassium ratio indicates chronic stress and an exhaustion

> stage of stress.

> > Some people ask how it is possible to have an alarm reaction is one

> is a slow oxidizer or in an exhaustion stage of stress. Slow

> oxidation indicates an exhaustion stage of stress. However, within

> the exhaustion stage one can have an acute stress response indicated

> by a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is a common occurrence. A

> slow oxidizer with a low sodium/potassium ratio means a double

> exhaustion stage pattern, which is definitely less desirable.

> >

> >

> > INFLAMMATION

> >

> > Aldosterone is a pro-inflammatory hormone. It tends to increase

> inflammation in the body. Cortisol and cortisone, associated more

> with potassium levels, are anti-inflammatory hormones because they

> diminish inflammation. The pro and anti-inflammatory hormones must

> be in a good balance with each other for optimum health.

> > A person with a high sodium/potassium ratio is secreting more

=== message truncated ===

---------------------------------

Be a better pen pal. Text or chat with friends inside . See how.

[Guest guest]

yeah LOL

Barrett as source for info!

HEY

the 25 yr old female MR at he group home where I work has just been put on

Ativan 3X a day!!!! She has congenital hypothyroidism untreated. What would

be the Barrett justification for that I wonder?????????

allopathic medicine is utter quackery.

Gracia

Wow, a quote from an establishment doctor from an establishment enamoured

fan. Who'd a thunk?

Roni

<res075oh@...> wrote:

Here's a little more info on hair analysis. It is rather telling that

duplicate hair samples sent to the labs who do this type of work, even

when the samples are sent to the same lab, provide totally inconsistent

results. In case that is not clear, the labs report widely varying

levels of the contents of the hair samples, even when the samples were

taken from the same person on the same day.

IOW, it's a great example of utter quackery.

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2:55 PM

[Guest guest]

why? because he is a MD?

Re: Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

Barrett isn't exactly the most reliable source, IMHO.

Blessings,

<res075oh@...<mailto:res075oh@...>> wrote:

Here's a little more info on hair analysis. It is rather telling that

duplicate hair samples sent to the labs who do this type of work, even

when the samples are sent to the same lab, provide totally inconsistent

results. In case that is not clear, the labs report widely varying

levels of the contents of the hair samples, even when the samples were

taken from the same person on the same day.

IOW, it's a great example of utter quackery.

Commercial Hair Analysis:

A Cardinal Sign of Quackery

Barrett, M.D.

Hair analysis is a test in which a sample of a person's hair-typically

from the back of the neck-is sent to a laboratory for measurement of its

mineral content. This discussion concerns multielemental hair analysis

in which a single test is used to determine values for many minerals

simultaneously. This type of analysis used by chiropractors, " nutrition

consultants, " physicians who do chelation therapy, and other dubious

practitioners who claim that hair analyses can help them diagnose a wide

variety of diseases and can be used as the basis for prescribing

supplements.

Analysis of Proponent Claims

Proponents of hair analysis claim that it is useful for evaluating a

person's general state of nutrition and health and is valuable in

detecting predisposition to disease. They also claim that hair analysis

enables a doctor to determine if mineral deficiency, mineral imbalance

or heavy metal pollutants in the body may be the cause of a patient's

symptoms. These claims are false.

* Although hair analysis has limited value as a screening device for

heavy metal exposure, it is not reliable for evaluating the

nutritional status of individuals. In 1974, the AMA Committee on

Cutaneous Health and Cosmetics noted: " The state of health of the

body may be entirely unrelated to the physical and chemical

condition of the hair . . . Although severe deficiency states of

an essential element are often associated with low concentrations

of the element in hair, there are no data that indicate that low

concentrations of an element signify low tissue levels nor that

high concentrations reflect high tissue stores. Therefore . . .

hair metal levels would rarely help a physician select effective

treatment. " [1]

* Most commercial hair analysis laboratories have not validated

their analytical techniques by checking them against standard

reference materials. The techniques typically used to prepare

samples for analysis can introduce errors for many of the elements

being determined.

* Hair mineral content can be affected by exposure to various

substances such as shampoos, bleaches and hair dyes. No analytic

technique enables reliable determination of the source of specific

levels of elements in hair as bodily or environmental.

* The level of certain minerals can be affected by the color,

diameter and rate of growth of an individual's hair, the season of

the year, the geographic location, and the age and gender of the

individual.

* Normal ranges of hair minerals have not been defined.

* For most elements, no correlation has been established between

hair level and other known indicators of nutrition status. It is

possible for hair concentration of an element (zinc, for example)

to be high even though deficiency exists in the body.

* Hair grows slowly (1 cm/month), so even hair closest to the scalp

is several weeks old and thus may not reflect current body

conditions for purposes of health diagnosis.

* The use of a single multielemental hair analysis test as the sole

means of diagnosis violates basic tenets of medical practice that

laboratory findings should be considered together with the

patient's history and physical examination, and that the

practitioner should keep in mind that laboratory errors occur.

For these reasons, multielemental analysis of human hair is not a valid

technique for identifying an individual's current bodily excesses or

deficiencies of essential or nonessential elements. Nor does it provide

a valid basis for recommending vitamins, minerals, or other dietary

supplements [2,3]

In the mid-1980s, about 18 laboratories were doing commercial hair

analysis in the United States. Today there are fewer. Some laboratories

have belonged to the American Society of Elemental Testing Laboratories

(ASETL). In 1982, ASETL began a program in which a well-known

proficiency-testing service received and tabulated the data from

analyses of identical hair samples sent to seven member laboratories.

However, at the end of the year, the testing service refused to continue

because the data were inconsistent and appeared to have no clinical

significance.

In 1983 and 1984, I sent hair samples from two healthy teenagers to 13

of the commercial laboratories [4]. In 1985, I sent paired samples from

one of the girls to five more labs. The reported levels of most minerals

varied considerably between identical samples sent to the same

laboratory, and from laboratory to laboratory. The laboratories also

disagreed about what is " normal " or " usual " for many of the minerals, so

that a given mineral value might be considered low by some laboratories,

normal by others and high by others.

Most of the reports contained computerized interpretations that were

voluminous and potentially frightening to patients. The nine labs that

included supplement advice in their reports suggested them every time,

but the types and amounts varied widely from report to report and from

lab to lab. Many of the items recommended were bizarre mixtures of

vitamins, minerals, nonessential food substances, enzymes, and extracts

of animal organs. One report diagnosed 23 " possible or probable

conditions, " including atherosclerosis and kidney failure, and

recommended 56 supplement doses per day. Literature from most of the

laboratories suggested that their reports were useful in managing a wide

variety of diseases and supposed nutrient imbalances. I concluded that

commercial use of hair analysis in this manner is unscientific,

economically wasteful, and probably illegal, and that even if hair

analysis were a valuable diagnostic tool, it is doubtful whether the

laboratory reports themselves were reliable.

In 1985, the public affairs committee of the American Institute of

Nutrition/American Society for Clinical Nutrition issued a position

paper on hair analysis. The paper concluded that although hair analysis

may have some value for comparing population groups as to status of

various minerals or assessing exposure to heavy metals, assessment of

individual subjects appears to have " almost insurmountable

difficulties. " For this reason, said the paper, hair analysis might best

be reserved for experimental studies designed to evaluate its potential

as an indicator of nutrition status and perhaps for some public health

surveys. Noting that about 100 articles a year were published on hair

analysis, one nutritionist who reviewed the position paper suggested

that the test's inherent limitations made much of the research useless [5].

The AMA's current policy on hair analysis-adopted in 1984 and reaffirmed

in 1994, is:

The AMA opposes chemical analysis of the hair as a determinant of

the need for medical therapy and supports informing the American

public and appropriate governmental agencies of this unproven

practice and its potential for health care fraud [6].

Some hair analysis proponents claim that hair analysis can detect

allergies. The claim is completely senseless. In 1987, the /Lancet/

published a study in which the ability to diagnose allergic disease was

studied in 9 fish-allergic and 9 control subjects, who provided

specimens of blood and hair for testing. All fish-allergic subjects had

previously been shown at Guy's Hospital to have a positive skin prick

test to fish. The specimens were submitted as coded, duplicate samples

to five commercial laboratories that offered to test for allergy. All

five laboratories were not only unable to diagnose fish allergy but also

reported many allergies in apparently non-allergic subjects and provided

inconsistent results on duplicate samples from the same subject [7].

A subsequent 2-year study of students exposed to fumes from metal

welding found that hair analysis did not consistently reflect blood

levels of 11 heavy metals [8].

In 1999, researchers from the California Department of Health located

nine laboratories and sent identical samples to six of them. The

reported mineral levels, the alleged significance of the findings, and

the recommendations made in the reports differed widely from one to

another. The researchers concluded that the procedure is still

unreliable and recommended that government agencies act vigorously to

protect consumers [9].

*Government Actions*

Hair analysis was involved in a case prosecuted in 1980 by the Los

Angeles City Attorney's Office. According to the official press release,

Colimore and his wife, , owners of a health-food store,

would take hair samples from customers in order to diagnose and treat

various conditions. Prosecution was initiated after a customer

complained that the Colimores had said she had a bad heart valve and was

suffering from abscesses of the pancreas, arsenic in her system, and

benign growths of the liver, intestine, and stomach-all based on

analysis of her hair. Two substances were prescribed, an " herbal tea "

which turned out to be only milk sugar, and " Arsenicum, " another

milk-sugar product that contained traces of arsenic. Another sample of

hair was taken when the customer returned to the store five weeks later.

She was told that the earlier conditions were gone, but that she now had

lead in her stomach. A government investigator received similar

diagnosis and treatment. After pleading " no contest " to one count of

practicing medicine without a license, the Colimores were fined $2,000,

given a sixty-day suspended jail sentence, and placed on probation for

two years.

In 1985, in response to a petition by the Federal Trade Commission

(FTC), a federal judge issued a permanent injunction against Arthur,

Ethel and Alan Furman and any business through which they might act. The

order forbids " holding themselves out . . . to persons other than health

professionals, as being able, on the basis of hair analysis, to measure

accurately the elemental content of a person's body or to recommend

vitamin, mineral or other dietary supplements which can correct chemical

excesses and deficiencies in a person's body. " [10] As a result of the

FTC action, the Furmans' laboratory closed and, until the Internet

became popular, direct advertising to the public was rare. However, the

FTC has ignored the laboratories that serve practitioners because it

feels that practitioner misconduct should be regulated by state agencies.

In 1986, Analytical Research Laboratories (ARL) of Phoenix, Arizona

signed a consent agreement with the New York State Attorney General to

stop " soliciting and accepting hair specimens for laboratory examination

where the purpose is to determine possible excesses of deficiencies in

nutrient mineral levels or toxic metal levels in the body. " The Attorney

General acted because a health food store proprietor had been using hair

analysis as the basis for recommending vitamin and mineral supplements.

ARL had not been licensed to operate within New York State, and hair

analysis for the purpose of determining nutrient levels is not legal there.

In 1986, Doctor's Data , a Chicago-based

laboratory agreed to stop accepting human hair specimens from New York

State unless it can obtain a permit from the New York State Department

of Health. The company also agreed to pay $25,000 in costs and

penalties. Action was taken because a bogus " nutrition consultant " had

been using the test as a basis for prescribing vitamins, minerals, and

other supplements.

A Sampling of Internet Claims

Biochemical Laboratories, of Edgewood, New Mexico, claimed that

abdominal pain, hypertension, anemia, hypoglycemia, anxiety, impotence,

depression, infertility, diarrhea, joint pain, learning, disorders,

fatigue, headache, and premenstrual syndrome all result from " chronic

metal imbalances, " which, presumably, can be diagnosed with hair

analysis and treated with dietary supplements.

Trace Elements, Inc ., of Dallas, Texas,

has promoted " balancing body chemistry through hair tissue mineral

analysis. " The company claims to have developed " a precise nutritional

therapeutic approach based on the recognition of eight individual

biochemical types using elemental analysis of hair. " It has also sold

" metabolic supplements synergistically formulated " for each of these

types. It markets primarily through chiropractors.

Trace Mineral Systems, of andria, Virginia, touted its hair analysis

as " the test that helps body chemistry " and markets it directly to the

public. A recent magazine ad claimed that its test reports would show

" the body's excesses, deficiencies & toxicities and the diseases

associated with them. " [11]

Doctor's Data reports the level of a " toxic mineral " as high when the

amount is near the top of its " reference range. " This merely means that

the specimen contained more than most other specimens handled by the

lab. It does not mean that the level is abnormal or that the level

within the patient's body is dangerous. In a recent paper, the company

acknowledged that " compared to interpretation of commonly measured

analyses in blood or serum, interpretation of elemental analyses from

hair seems primitive. " Despite, this, the authors claimed that it would

be prudent to " adopt a reference range consistent with what is observed

in 95% of a healthy population. " [12]

The Bottom Line

Hair analysis is worthless for assessing the body's nutritional status

or serving as a nasis for dietary or supplement recommendations. Should

you encounter a practitioner who claims otherwise, run for the nearest exit!

For Additional Information

* Aetna Clinical Policy Bulletin on Hair Analysis

* Mercury Testing in Hair

References

1. Lazar P. Hair analysis: What does it tell us? JAMA 229:1908-1909,

1974.

2. Hambidge KM. Hair analyses: Worthless for vitamins, limited for

minerals

.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 36:943-949, 1983.

3. Klevay LM and others. Hair analysis in clinical and experimental

medicine

.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 46:233-236, 1987.

4. Barrett S. Commercial hair analysis: Science or scam?

JAMA 254:1041-1045, 1985.

5. Fosmire GJ et al. Hair analysis to assess nutritional status. AIN

Nutrition Notes 21(4):10-11, 1985.

6. Hair analysis: A potential for medical abuse. Policy number

H-175.995,(Sub. Res. 67, I-84; Reaffirmed by CLRPD Rep. 3 - I-94)

7. Sethi TJ and others. How reliable are commercial allergy tests?

Lancet Jan 10;1(8524):92-94, 1987.

8. M and others. Trace-element concentration in blood and hair

of young apprentices of a technical-professional school.

The Science of the Total Environment 205:189-193, 1997.

9. FTC v Furman, 1985-1 CCH Trade Case (CCH) ¶66486 (ED Va 1985).

10. Trace Mineral Systems. Alternative Medicine Digest, Aug/Sept 1998,

p 99.

11. Druyan ME and others. Determination of reference ranges for

elements in human scalp hair. Biological Trace Element Research

62:183-197, 1998.

12. Seidel S and others. Assessment of commercial laboratories

performing hair mineral analysis

.

JAMA 285:67-72, 2001.

This article was revised on April 20, 2006.

Make a Donat

> 3.1.

>

>

> Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

>

>

>

>

> Posted by: " fritzalseth "

familyirwin@...<mailto:familyirwin@...>

>

> fritzalseth

>

>

> Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:25 pm (PST)

>

> Roni,

> Thanks for sending this. I just found my hair analysis results from

> last year, and sure enough...I have a high sodium/potassium ratio. I

> am looking more into this, on how to correct.

> Thank you again,

>

>

>

> >

> > HIGH SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

> >

> >

> > A normal hair sodium/potassium ratio is between 2.5:1 and about

> 4:1. Commonly, the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated on a hair

> analysis. A high ratio is associated with acute stress,

> inflammation, pain, anger, a sympathetic-dominant or aggressive

> personality, moving forward in life, metal toxicity or zinc and/or

> magnesium deficiency. NOTE: Hair must not be washed at the

> laboratory to obtain accurate sodium and potassium readings.

> Readings are inaccurate if the hair is washed.

> >

> >

> > ACUTE STRESS

> >

> > A high sodium/potassium ratio on a hair analysis is an indicator of

> acute stress. The reason is as follows:

> > 1) Acute stress causes increased adrenal gland activity.

> > 2) This results in a rise in the secretion of the hormone

> aldosterone.

> > 3) Aldosterone secretion causes sodium to be retained in the body

> by the kidneys. Thus the sodium level in the body tissues rises.

> > Sodium retention by aldosterone is part of the alarm reaction or

> fight-flight reaction to stress. Early in the alarm reaction, the

> potassium level remains low. Thus, on a tissue mineral test, the

> ratio of sodium to potassium is elevated. In contrast, a low

> sodium/potassium ratio indicates chronic stress and an exhaustion

> stage of stress.

> > Some people ask how it is possible to have an alarm reaction is one

> is a slow oxidizer or in an exhaustion stage of stress. Slow

> oxidation indicates an exhaustion stage of stress. However, within

> the exhaustion stage one can have an acute stress response indicated

> by a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is a common occurrence. A

> slow oxidizer with a low sodium/potassium ratio means a double

> exhaustion stage pattern, which is definitely less desirable.

> >

> >

> > INFLAMMATION

> >

> > Aldosterone is a pro-inflammatory hormone. It tends to increase

> inflammation in the body. Cortisol and cortisone, associated more

> with potassium levels, are anti-inflammatory hormones because they

> diminish inflammation. The pro and anti-inflammatory hormones must

> be in a good balance with each other for optimum health.

> > A person with a high sodium/potassium ratio is secreting more

=== message truncated ===

[Guest guest]

Well, he certainly has few fans among the quacks he exposes and the

dupes who follow said quacks. Other than that I believe his credibility

is just fine. In any event, I provided his references so anyone

honestly interested can check it out for themselves.

If you don't happen to like him but are truly interested a bit of

research will show you that there are utterly too many similar published

articles to mention that mirror his opinions. And I defy you to refute

a single claim he made from a reputable source. Sorry, " Quacks R Us "

doesn't qualify.

Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

<hypothyroidism/message/32715;_ylc=X3oDMTJxMXRpcWJ\

kBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzE0NTY2NARncnBzcElkAzE3MDkyNTEwODIEbXNnSWQDMzI3MTUEc2V\

jA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTE5NTQyODA4Ng-->

Posted by: " and Irwin " familyirwin@...

<mailto:familyirwin@...?Subject=%20Re%3A%20Possible%20Cause%20for%20Ha\

shimoto%27s%20Hypothyroid>

fritzalseth <fritzalseth>

Sun Nov 18, 2007 11:58 am (PST)

Barrett isn't exactly the most reliable source, IMHO.

Blessings,

<res075oh@... <mailto:res075oh%40verizon.net>> wrote:

Here's a little more info on hair analysis. It is rather telling that

duplicate hair samples sent to the labs who do this type of work, even

when the samples are sent to the same lab, provide totally inconsistent

results. In case that is not clear, the labs report widely varying

levels of the contents of the hair samples, even when the samples were

taken from the same person on the same day.

IOW, it's a great example of utter quackery.

[Guest guest]

If quack crap like hair analysis can be quoted here then it seems

reasonable for absolute proof that it is in fact quackery to also be

posted here. Not that it's going to convince anyone who has fallen for

that $%^ & .

In any event, I probably have more problems with a lot of the

establishment medication than some here. I believe over 90,000 people

are killed every year by mistakes of doctors and others in hospitals. I

personally have received two widely differing diagnoses from two

different doctors for the same condition less than two weeks apart. Yet

I have a little understanding and acceptance of the limits and variables

in modern medical practice so I would not say either is a bad doctor.

I hardly consider myself a fan; but considering the difference in my

respect for modern medical practice and such gutter practices as hair

analysis perhaps the title isn't too wrong.

>

> Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

>

<hypothyroidism/message/32717;_ylc=X3oDMTJxM243NjM\

wBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzE0NTY2NARncnBzcElkAzE3MDkyNTEwODIEbXNnSWQDMzI3MTcEc2V\

jA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTE5NTQyODA4Ng-->

>

>

>

> Posted by: " Roni Molin " matchermaam@...

>

<mailto:matchermaam@...?Subject=%20Re%3A%20Possible%20Cause%20for%20Hashim\

oto%27s%20Hypothyroid>

> matchermaam <matchermaam>

>

>

> Sun Nov 18, 2007 12:21 pm (PST)

>

> Wow, a quote from an establishment doctor from an establishment enamoured

> fan. Who'd a thunk?

>

> Roni

>

> <res075oh@... <mailto:res075oh%40verizon.net>> wrote:

> Here's a little more info on hair analysis. It is rather telling that

> duplicate hair samples sent to the labs who do this type of work, even

> when the samples are sent to the same lab, provide totally inconsistent

> results. In case that is not clear, the labs report widely varying

> levels of the contents of the hair samples, even when the samples were

> taken from the same person on the same day.

>

> IOW, it's a great example of utter quackery.

>

>

>

> Commercial Hair Analysis:

> A Cardinal Sign of Quackery

>

> Barrett, M.D.

>

> Hair analysis is a test in which a sample of a person's hair—typically

> from the back of the neck—is sent to a laboratory for measurement of its

> mineral content. This discussion concerns multielemental hair analysis

> in which a single test is used to determine values for many minerals

> simultaneously. This type of analysis used by chiropractors, " nutrition

> consultants,

> " physicians who do chelation therapy, and other dubious

> practitioners who claim that hair analyses can help them diagnose a wide

> variety of diseases and can be used as the basis for prescribing

> supplements.

>

> Analysis of Proponent Claims

>

> Proponents of hair analysis claim that it is useful for evaluating a

> person's general state of nutrition and health and is valuable in

> detecting predisposition to disease. They also claim that hair analysis

> enables a doctor to determine if mineral deficiency, mineral imbalance

> or heavy metal pollutants in the body may be the cause of a patient's

> symptoms. These claims are false.

>

> * Although hair analysis has limited value as a screening device for

> heavy metal exposure, it is not reliable for evaluating the

> nutritional status of individuals. In 1974, the AMA Committee on

> Cutaneous Health and Cosmetics noted: " The state of health of the

> body may be entirely unrelated to the physical and chemical

> condition of the hair . . . Although severe deficiency states of

> an essential element are often associated with low concentrations

> of the element in hair, there are no data that indicate that low

> concentrations of an element signify low tissue levels nor that

> high concentrations reflect high tissue stores. Therefore . . .

> hair metal levels would rarely help a physician select effective

> treatment. " [1]

> * Most commercial hair analysis laboratories have not validated

> their analytical techniques by checking them against standard

> reference materials. The techniques typically used to prepare

> samples for analysis can introduce errors for many of the elements

> being determined.

> * Hair mineral content can be affected by exposure to various

> substances such as shampoos, bleaches and hair dyes. No analytic

> technique enables reliable determination of the source of specific

> levels of elements in hair as bodily or environmental.

> * The level of certain minerals can be affected by the color,

> diameter and rate of growth of an individual's hair, the season of

> the year, the geographic location, and the age and gender of the

> individual.

> * Normal ranges of hair minerals have not been defined.

> * For most elements, no correlation has been established between

> hair level and other known indicators of nutrition status. It is

> possible for hair concentration of an element (zinc, for example)

> to be high even though deficiency exists in the body.

> * Hair grows slowly (1 cm/month), so even hair closest to the scalp

> is several weeks old and thus may not reflect current body

> conditions for purposes of health diagnosis.

> * The use of a single multielemental hair analysis test as the sole

> means of diagnosis violates basic tenets of medical practice that

> laboratory findings should be considered together with the

> patient's history and physical examination, and that the

> practitioner should keep in mind that laboratory errors occur.

>

> For these reasons, multielemental analysis of human hair is not a valid

> technique for identifying an individual's current bodily excesses or

> deficiencies of essential or nonessential elements. Nor does it provide

> a valid basis for recommending vitamins, minerals, or other dietary

> supplements [2,3]

[Guest guest]

It doesn't seem to me that hair analysis is crap. It makes perfect sense. Of

course, a

reputable lab with highly experienced technicians is a must.

Roni

The Validity of Hair Mineral Analysis (HMA) Hair mineral analysis has been

used in forensic medicine for decades. It is best While hair analysis has gained

worldwide recognition as an analytical tool for receiving information about

mineral patterns, drug abuse, and longterm toxic metal exposure, this analytical

procedure has not been accepted by conventional medicine. In fact, this simple

nonevasive and inexpensive test seems to be a thorn in the eye of traditional

medical researchers. Go to your general practitioner and ask about hair mineral

analysis. His or her answers will provide an interesting insight. It will tell

you how well-informed he/she is regarding international reference material, how

open-minded he/she is, and most of all how logical information is processed.

Every so often articles appear in scientific journals that attempt to prove that

hair mineral analysis is unreliable. In their obviously biased writings, these

" researchers " base statistical

assessment on misinformation and questionable sample taking. No favorable

research appears in their list of references, even though plenty would be

available. That is a shame, and clearly unfair for the following reason:

we use the same sophisticated instrumentation and method development to

analyse hair, blood, urine or water.

we use referenced standard materials for testing hair to calibrate

instruments, just like we do for testing blood, urine or water.

like any other laboratory, we are inspeced by the state to receive our

license. The inspectors check blood, urine or hair laboratory results. They are

certainly not ignoring the procedures or analytical process we use for hair

analysis. Hair analysis data is inspected as critically as blood or urine data

is.

Our quality control is equal to that of any other quality control used in the

laboratory setting.

Laboratory personnel has to meet the same qualification as that of any

traditional laboratory.

Hair analysis is a valid analytical technique that has provided important

answers to puzzling historical questions, including Beethoven’s habits. Nearly

170 years ago, an admirer grieving the death of Ludwig van Beethoven snipped a

lock of the great composer’s hair for keepsake and kept it in a locket. It is

this strand of hair that is expected to provide key answers. Did the deaf

composer use drugs? Was he suffering from syphilis? Did he die of arsenic

poisoning or was his health affected by mineral deficiencies? Today’s

sophisticated analytical methods can provide these and other answers, and

explanations are often unexpectedly simple. For instance, during Beethoven’s

time, mercurial drugs were used to treat syphilis and arsenic was used to kill

rodents. In minute doses, arsenic was deliberately taken to increase virility

and physical strength. Other toxins such as lead were ingested by drinking

lead-containing water, causing a host of neurological and behavioral

problems such as Beethoven’s feared moodiness and ill-tempered conduct.

The 582 strands of hair recently auctioned off at Sotheby’s are expected to

provide important information regarding Beethoven’s biochemical makeup and its

link to behavior. Researchers Walsh and Isaacson have been

studying the relationship between body chemistry and behavior for decades. They

have published an impressive amount of data, including the relationship between

toxic elements and hyperactivity. They recognized that heavy metal exposure is

higher in people prone to violent behavior and that a specific pattern of toxic

exposure and mineral deficiencies is seen among death-row inmates. The

researchers also noticed what they consider a " genius pattern, " characterized by

extraordinarily high levels of copper and sodium but low zinc levels in hair.

Individuals with this type of hair mineral pattern are often highly intelligent

and a bit eccentric, Walsh said. The scientists documented that hair mineral

analysis is a valid test of body mineral

concentration when used appropriately. " Hair is a diary of what is going on in

your body, " Isaacson said. After decades of studying chemicals in hair and

associating mineral patterns with behavior, the researchers opened the HRI

Pfeiffer Treatment Center seven years ago. It aims at treating biochemical

problems, and a strand of hair often reveals the cause of psychiatric ailments

that did not respond to other, more conventional treatment.

One of the principal factors in hair analysis is the accessibility of hair to

the external environment. Contamination can occur from air, water, perspiration,

shampoos, dyes and other hair preparations; however, washing techniques utilized

by laboratories alleviate these problems. Hair analysis is an ideal complement

to serum and urine as a diagnostic tool when the hair sample preparation

eliminates environmental contamination.

If the laboratory of your choice does not use a procedure that properly

cleanses hair samples prior testing, the analytical data can be falsely elevated

due because the environmental contamination has not been properly removed.

Because not all laboratories take the time to properly clean and prepare

samples, a comparison of laboratory results will reveal differences.

INVESTIGATE LABORATORIES

ASK FOR SAMPLE PREPARATION PROCEDURES

ASK FOR QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES

ASK WHAT QUALITY CONTROLS ARE USED THAT DIRECLY CORRELATE WITH HAIR SAMPLES

<res075oh@...> wrote:

If quack crap like hair analysis can be quoted here then it seems

reasonable for absolute proof that it is in fact quackery to also be

posted here. Not that it's going to convince anyone who has fallen for

that $%^ & .

In any event, I probably have more problems with a lot of the

establishment medication than some here. I believe over 90,000 people

are killed every year by mistakes of doctors and others in hospitals. I

personally have received two widely differing diagnoses from two

different doctors for the same condition less than two weeks apart. Yet

I have a little understanding and acceptance of the limits and variables

in modern medical practice so I would not say either is a bad doctor.

I hardly consider myself a fan; but considering the difference in my

respect for modern medical practice and such gutter practices as hair

analysis perhaps the title isn't too wrong.

>

> Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

>

>

>

>

> Posted by: " Roni Molin " matchermaam@...

>

> matchermaam

>

>

> Sun Nov 18, 2007 12:21 pm (PST)

>

> Wow, a quote from an establishment doctor from an establishment enamoured

> fan. Who'd a thunk?

>

> Roni

>

>

---------------------------------

Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.

[Guest guest]

No, because he's just plain wrong on a lot of his " conclusions "

Blessings,

Nancie Barnett <deifspirit@...> wrote:

why? because he is a MD?

Re: Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

Barrett isn't exactly the most reliable source, IMHO.

Blessings,

<res075oh@...<mailto:res075oh@...>> wrote:

Here's a little more info on hair analysis. It is rather telling that

duplicate hair samples sent to the labs who do this type of work, even

when the samples are sent to the same lab, provide totally inconsistent

results. In case that is not clear, the labs report widely varying

levels of the contents of the hair samples, even when the samples were

taken from the same person on the same day.

IOW, it's a great example of utter quackery.

Commercial Hair Analysis:

A Cardinal Sign of Quackery

Barrett, M.D.

Hair analysis is a test in which a sample of a person's hair-typically

from the back of the neck-is sent to a laboratory for measurement of its

mineral content. This discussion concerns multielemental hair analysis

in which a single test is used to determine values for many minerals

simultaneously. This type of analysis used by chiropractors, " nutrition

consultants, " physicians who do chelation therapy, and other dubious

practitioners who claim that hair analyses can help them diagnose a wide

variety of diseases and can be used as the basis for prescribing

supplements.

Analysis of Proponent Claims

Proponents of hair analysis claim that it is useful for evaluating a

person's general state of nutrition and health and is valuable in

detecting predisposition to disease. They also claim that hair analysis

enables a doctor to determine if mineral deficiency, mineral imbalance

or heavy metal pollutants in the body may be the cause of a patient's

symptoms. These claims are false.

* Although hair analysis has limited value as a screening device for

heavy metal exposure, it is not reliable for evaluating the

nutritional status of individuals. In 1974, the AMA Committee on

Cutaneous Health and Cosmetics noted: " The state of health of the

body may be entirely unrelated to the physical and chemical

condition of the hair . . . Although severe deficiency states of

an essential element are often associated with low concentrations

of the element in hair, there are no data that indicate that low

concentrations of an element signify low tissue levels nor that

high concentrations reflect high tissue stores. Therefore . . .

hair metal levels would rarely help a physician select effective

treatment. " [1]

* Most commercial hair analysis laboratories have not validated

their analytical techniques by checking them against standard

reference materials. The techniques typically used to prepare

samples for analysis can introduce errors for many of the elements

being determined.

* Hair mineral content can be affected by exposure to various

substances such as shampoos, bleaches and hair dyes. No analytic

technique enables reliable determination of the source of specific

levels of elements in hair as bodily or environmental.

* The level of certain minerals can be affected by the color,

diameter and rate of growth of an individual's hair, the season of

the year, the geographic location, and the age and gender of the

individual.

* Normal ranges of hair minerals have not been defined.

* For most elements, no correlation has been established between

hair level and other known indicators of nutrition status. It is

possible for hair concentration of an element (zinc, for example)

to be high even though deficiency exists in the body.

* Hair grows slowly (1 cm/month), so even hair closest to the scalp

is several weeks old and thus may not reflect current body

conditions for purposes of health diagnosis.

* The use of a single multielemental hair analysis test as the sole

means of diagnosis violates basic tenets of medical practice that

laboratory findings should be considered together with the

patient's history and physical examination, and that the

practitioner should keep in mind that laboratory errors occur.

For these reasons, multielemental analysis of human hair is not a valid

technique for identifying an individual's current bodily excesses or

deficiencies of essential or nonessential elements. Nor does it provide

a valid basis for recommending vitamins, minerals, or other dietary

supplements [2,3]

In the mid-1980s, about 18 laboratories were doing commercial hair

analysis in the United States. Today there are fewer. Some laboratories

have belonged to the American Society of Elemental Testing Laboratories

(ASETL). In 1982, ASETL began a program in which a well-known

proficiency-testing service received and tabulated the data from

analyses of identical hair samples sent to seven member laboratories.

However, at the end of the year, the testing service refused to continue

because the data were inconsistent and appeared to have no clinical

significance.

In 1983 and 1984, I sent hair samples from two healthy teenagers to 13

of the commercial laboratories [4]. In 1985, I sent paired samples from

one of the girls to five more labs. The reported levels of most minerals

varied considerably between identical samples sent to the same

laboratory, and from laboratory to laboratory. The laboratories also

disagreed about what is " normal " or " usual " for many of the minerals, so

that a given mineral value might be considered low by some laboratories,

normal by others and high by others.

Most of the reports contained computerized interpretations that were

voluminous and potentially frightening to patients. The nine labs that

included supplement advice in their reports suggested them every time,

but the types and amounts varied widely from report to report and from

lab to lab. Many of the items recommended were bizarre mixtures of

vitamins, minerals, nonessential food substances, enzymes, and extracts

of animal organs. One report diagnosed 23 " possible or probable

conditions, " including atherosclerosis and kidney failure, and

recommended 56 supplement doses per day. Literature from most of the

laboratories suggested that their reports were useful in managing a wide

variety of diseases and supposed nutrient imbalances. I concluded that

commercial use of hair analysis in this manner is unscientific,

economically wasteful, and probably illegal, and that even if hair

analysis were a valuable diagnostic tool, it is doubtful whether the

laboratory reports themselves were reliable.

In 1985, the public affairs committee of the American Institute of

Nutrition/American Society for Clinical Nutrition issued a position

paper on hair analysis. The paper concluded that although hair analysis

may have some value for comparing population groups as to status of

various minerals or assessing exposure to heavy metals, assessment of

individual subjects appears to have " almost insurmountable

difficulties. " For this reason, said the paper, hair analysis might best

be reserved for experimental studies designed to evaluate its potential

as an indicator of nutrition status and perhaps for some public health

surveys. Noting that about 100 articles a year were published on hair

analysis, one nutritionist who reviewed the position paper suggested

that the test's inherent limitations made much of the research useless [5].

The AMA's current policy on hair analysis-adopted in 1984 and reaffirmed

in 1994, is:

The AMA opposes chemical analysis of the hair as a determinant of

the need for medical therapy and supports informing the American

public and appropriate governmental agencies of this unproven

practice and its potential for health care fraud [6].

Some hair analysis proponents claim that hair analysis can detect

allergies. The claim is completely senseless. In 1987, the /Lancet/

published a study in which the ability to diagnose allergic disease was

studied in 9 fish-allergic and 9 control subjects, who provided

specimens of blood and hair for testing. All fish-allergic subjects had

previously been shown at Guy's Hospital to have a positive skin prick

test to fish. The specimens were submitted as coded, duplicate samples

to five commercial laboratories that offered to test for allergy. All

five laboratories were not only unable to diagnose fish allergy but also

reported many allergies in apparently non-allergic subjects and provided

inconsistent results on duplicate samples from the same subject [7].

A subsequent 2-year study of students exposed to fumes from metal

welding found that hair analysis did not consistently reflect blood

levels of 11 heavy metals [8].

In 1999, researchers from the California Department of Health located

nine laboratories and sent identical samples to six of them. The

reported mineral levels, the alleged significance of the findings, and

the recommendations made in the reports differed widely from one to

another. The researchers concluded that the procedure is still

unreliable and recommended that government agencies act vigorously to

protect consumers [9].

*Government Actions*

Hair analysis was involved in a case prosecuted in 1980 by the Los

Angeles City Attorney's Office. According to the official press release,

Colimore and his wife, , owners of a health-food store,

would take hair samples from customers in order to diagnose and treat

various conditions. Prosecution was initiated after a customer

complained that the Colimores had said she had a bad heart valve and was

suffering from abscesses of the pancreas, arsenic in her system, and

benign growths of the liver, intestine, and stomach-all based on

analysis of her hair. Two substances were prescribed, an " herbal tea "

which turned out to be only milk sugar, and " Arsenicum, " another

milk-sugar product that contained traces of arsenic. Another sample of

hair was taken when the customer returned to the store five weeks later.

She was told that the earlier conditions were gone, but that she now had

lead in her stomach. A government investigator received similar

diagnosis and treatment. After pleading " no contest " to one count of

practicing medicine without a license, the Colimores were fined $2,000,

given a sixty-day suspended jail sentence, and placed on probation for

two years.

In 1985, in response to a petition by the Federal Trade Commission

(FTC), a federal judge issued a permanent injunction against Arthur,

Ethel and Alan Furman and any business through which they might act. The

order forbids " holding themselves out . . . to persons other than health

professionals, as being able, on the basis of hair analysis, to measure

accurately the elemental content of a person's body or to recommend

vitamin, mineral or other dietary supplements which can correct chemical

excesses and deficiencies in a person's body. " [10] As a result of the

FTC action, the Furmans' laboratory closed and, until the Internet

became popular, direct advertising to the public was rare. However, the

FTC has ignored the laboratories that serve practitioners because it

feels that practitioner misconduct should be regulated by state agencies.

In 1986, Analytical Research Laboratories (ARL) of Phoenix, Arizona

signed a consent agreement with the New York State Attorney General to

stop " soliciting and accepting hair specimens for laboratory examination

where the purpose is to determine possible excesses of deficiencies in

nutrient mineral levels or toxic metal levels in the body. " The Attorney

General acted because a health food store proprietor had been using hair

analysis as the basis for recommending vitamin and mineral supplements.

ARL had not been licensed to operate within New York State, and hair

analysis for the purpose of determining nutrient levels is not legal there.

In 1986, Doctor's Data , a Chicago-based

laboratory agreed to stop accepting human hair specimens from New York

State unless it can obtain a permit from the New York State Department

of Health. The company also agreed to pay $25,000 in costs and

penalties. Action was taken because a bogus " nutrition consultant " had

been using the test as a basis for prescribing vitamins, minerals, and

other supplements.

A Sampling of Internet Claims

Biochemical Laboratories, of Edgewood, New Mexico, claimed that

abdominal pain, hypertension, anemia, hypoglycemia, anxiety, impotence,

depression, infertility, diarrhea, joint pain, learning, disorders,

fatigue, headache, and premenstrual syndrome all result from " chronic

metal imbalances, " which, presumably, can be diagnosed with hair

analysis and treated with dietary supplements.

Trace Elements, Inc ., of Dallas, Texas,

has promoted " balancing body chemistry through hair tissue mineral

analysis. " The company claims to have developed " a precise nutritional

therapeutic approach based on the recognition of eight individual

biochemical types using elemental analysis of hair. " It has also sold

" metabolic supplements synergistically formulated " for each of these

types. It markets primarily through chiropractors.

Trace Mineral Systems, of andria, Virginia, touted its hair analysis

as " the test that helps body chemistry " and markets it directly to the

public. A recent magazine ad claimed that its test reports would show

" the body's excesses, deficiencies & toxicities and the diseases

associated with them. " [11]

Doctor's Data reports the level of a " toxic mineral " as high when the

amount is near the top of its " reference range. " This merely means that

the specimen contained more than most other specimens handled by the

lab. It does not mean that the level is abnormal or that the level

within the patient's body is dangerous. In a recent paper, the company

acknowledged that " compared to interpretation of commonly measured

analyses in blood or serum, interpretation of elemental analyses from

hair seems primitive. " Despite, this, the authors claimed that it would

be prudent to " adopt a reference range consistent with what is observed

in 95% of a healthy population. " [12]

The Bottom Line

Hair analysis is worthless for assessing the body's nutritional status

or serving as a nasis for dietary or supplement recommendations. Should

you encounter a practitioner who claims otherwise, run for the nearest exit!

For Additional Information

* Aetna Clinical Policy Bulletin on Hair Analysis

* Mercury Testing in Hair

References

1. Lazar P. Hair analysis: What does it tell us? JAMA 229:1908-1909,

1974.

2. Hambidge KM. Hair analyses: Worthless for vitamins, limited for

minerals

..

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 36:943-949, 1983.

3. Klevay LM and others. Hair analysis in clinical and experimental

medicine

..

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 46:233-236, 1987.

4. Barrett S. Commercial hair analysis: Science or scam?

JAMA 254:1041-1045, 1985.

5. Fosmire GJ et al. Hair analysis to assess nutritional status. AIN

Nutrition Notes 21(4):10-11, 1985.

6. Hair analysis: A potential for medical abuse. Policy number

H-175.995,(Sub. Res. 67, I-84; Reaffirmed by CLRPD Rep. 3 - I-94)

7. Sethi TJ and others. How reliable are commercial allergy tests?

Lancet Jan 10;1(8524):92-94, 1987.

8. M and others. Trace-element concentration in blood and hair

of young apprentices of a technical-professional school.

The Science of the Total Environment 205:189-193, 1997.

9. FTC v Furman, 1985-1 CCH Trade Case (CCH) ¶66486 (ED Va 1985).

10. Trace Mineral Systems. Alternative Medicine Digest, Aug/Sept 1998,

p 99.

11. Druyan ME and others. Determination of reference ranges for

elements in human scalp hair. Biological Trace Element Research

62:183-197, 1998.

12. Seidel S and others. Assessment of commercial laboratories

performing hair mineral analysis

..

JAMA 285:67-72, 2001.

This article was revised on April 20, 2006.

Make a Donat

> 3.1.

>

>

> Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

>

>

>

>

> Posted by: " fritzalseth "

familyirwin@...<mailto:familyirwin@...>

>

> fritzalseth

>

>

> Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:25 pm (PST)

>

> Roni,

> Thanks for sending this. I just found my hair analysis results from

> last year, and sure enough...I have a high sodium/potassium ratio. I

> am looking more into this, on how to correct.

> Thank you again,

>

>

>

> >

> > HIGH SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

> >

> >

> > A normal hair sodium/potassium ratio is between 2.5:1 and about

> 4:1. Commonly, the sodium/potassium ratio is elevated on a hair

> analysis. A high ratio is associated with acute stress,

> inflammation, pain, anger, a sympathetic-dominant or aggressive

> personality, moving forward in life, metal toxicity or zinc and/or

> magnesium deficiency. NOTE: Hair must not be washed at the

> laboratory to obtain accurate sodium and potassium readings.

> Readings are inaccurate if the hair is washed.

> >

> >

> > ACUTE STRESS

> >

> > A high sodium/potassium ratio on a hair analysis is an indicator of

> acute stress. The reason is as follows:

> > 1) Acute stress causes increased adrenal gland activity.

> > 2) This results in a rise in the secretion of the hormone

> aldosterone.

> > 3) Aldosterone secretion causes sodium to be retained in the body

> by the kidneys. Thus the sodium level in the body tissues rises.

> > Sodium retention by aldosterone is part of the alarm reaction or

> fight-flight reaction to stress. Early in the alarm reaction, the

> potassium level remains low. Thus, on a tissue mineral test, the

> ratio of sodium to potassium is elevated. In contrast, a low

> sodium/potassium ratio indicates chronic stress and an exhaustion

> stage of stress.

> > Some people ask how it is possible to have an alarm reaction is one

> is a slow oxidizer or in an exhaustion stage of stress. Slow

> oxidation indicates an exhaustion stage of stress. However, within

> the exhaustion stage one can have an acute stress response indicated

> by a high sodium/potassium ratio. This is a common occurrence. A

> slow oxidizer with a low sodium/potassium ratio means a double

> exhaustion stage pattern, which is definitely less desirable.

> >

> >

> > INFLAMMATION

> >

> > Aldosterone is a pro-inflammatory hormone. It tends to increase

> inflammation in the body. Cortisol and cortisone, associated more

> with potassium levels, are anti-inflammatory hormones because they

> diminish inflammation. The pro and anti-inflammatory hormones must

> be in a good balance with each other for optimum health.

> > A person with a high sodium/potassium ratio is secreting more

=== message truncated ===

[Guest guest]

he is not an MD

he might be a PhD

Gracia

No, because he's just plain wrong on a lot of his " conclusions "

Blessings,

Nancie Barnett <deifspirit@...> wrote:

why? because he is a MD?

Re: Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

Barrett isn't exactly the most reliable source, IMHO.

Blessings,

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[Guest guest]

he is a MD- a psychiatrist is a medical physician. a psychologist is a PhD

Re: Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

Barrett isn't exactly the most reliable source, IMHO.

Blessings,

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[Guest guest]

Gracia, you should report this to the facilities owners/operators or the

state. I wouldn't knowingly allow a doc not to treat a diagnosed disease

such as hypothyroidism. Once its diagnosed - they have to treat it = right?

Dusty

Re: Re: Possible Cause for Hashimoto's Hypothyroid

yeah LOL

Barrett as source for info!

HEY

the 25 yr old female MR at he group home where I work has just been put on

Ativan 3X a day!!!! She has congenital hypothyroidism untreated. What would

be the Barrett justification for that I wonder?????????

allopathic medicine is utter quackery.

Gracia

Wow, a quote from an establishment doctor from an establishment enamoured

fan. Who'd a thunk?

Roni

<res075ohverizon (DOT) <mailto:res075oh%40verizon.net> net> wrote:

Here's a little more info on hair analysis. It is rather telling that

duplicate hair samples sent to the labs who do this type of work, even

when the samples are sent to the same lab, provide totally inconsistent

results. In case that is not clear, the labs report widely varying

levels of the contents of the hair samples, even when the samples were

taken from the same person on the same day.

IOW, it's a great example of utter quackery.

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