What is a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA)?

HTMA: A PERSONALIZED APPROACH TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS

HTMA is a powerful tool in understanding your body's mineral and metabolic health. By examining the levels and ratios of key minerals, it provides valuable insights into your body's energy production and the functioning of crucial glands like the thyroid and adrenals. Whether you are a fast or slow oxidizer, understanding your oxidation rate allows for the individualization when it comes to nutrition and supplementation that can improve energy, enhance detoxification, and optimize overall well-being.

WHY TEST FOR MINERALS?

Minerals are crucial for almost every metabolic process in the body. The World Health Organization emphasizes the importance of minerals for growth and development. Minerals cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained through nutrition, playing an essential role in vitamin and enzyme utilization. Imbalances in minerals can lead to health issues, toxic element accumulation, and disease. HTMA helps identify and correct these imbalances.

WHAT IS OXIDATION?

Oxidation is the process of combining minerals with oxygen to release energy, similar to how an avocado browns or a nail rusts. In the human body, this process—called metabolism—occurs at different rates depending on a person's metabolic type. Fast oxidizers burn fuel quickly, while slow oxidizers burn it more gradually. Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) helps identify these types by analyzing how the thyroid, adrenal glands, and nervous system respond to factors like diet, stress, and medications.

THE ROLE OF THE THYROID AND ADRENAL GLANDS IN OXIDATION

The thyroid and adrenal glands are key to energy production. The adrenal glands have two parts: the cortex, which provides steady energy by converting glycogen into glucose, and the medulla, which releases adrenaline in emergencies. Together with the thyroid, they regulate the body's metabolic rate. When healthy, these glands help produce and use energy efficiently, but when weakened, energy levels and metabolism can decline.

MACRO-MINERALS AND THEIR IMPACT ON OXIDATION

Four key minerals—calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium—regulate thyroid and adrenal function. These macro-minerals are essential for energy production, and any imbalance can impair it. Fast oxidation occurs when the body metabolizes minerals too quickly, while slow oxidation happens when minerals aren't properly utilized, causing buildup in tissues. Both disrupt energy production, but for different reasons. Maintaining balance is crucial for optimal energy at the cellular level.

COPPER TOXICITY AND SLOW OXIDATION

Slow oxidizers metabolize food more slowly, often experiencing low blood sugar and fatigue. They may have copper toxicity, with excess free copper but a deficiency of bound copper in their cells. This imbalance is linked to adrenal exhaustion, affecting copper transport and causing poor elimination of excess copper due to slow gut motility and bile production. About 75-80% of Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) results show a slow oxidation pattern, indicating the body is in a defensive state against stress, conserving minerals by slowing metabolism.

CALCIUM AND ITS EFFECT ON SLOW OXIDIZERS

Slow oxidizers often have elevated tissue calcium levels, which can disrupt adrenal and thyroid function. Calcium plays vital roles in the body, but excess accumulation can impair these glands. This leads to hormonal imbalances, energy issues, and metabolic slowdown. Copper toxicity can exacerbate these problems by further raising calcium levels and depleting potassium. Maintaining balanced calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium levels is crucial for optimal adrenal and thyroid function.

WHY IS THE OXIDATION RATE SO IMPORTANT?

HTMA provides valuable insights into an individual's health by determining their cellular oxidation rate. This information is crucial for understanding the function of the thyroid and adrenal glands. By tailoring nutrition and supplementation based on these findings, HTMA can effectively support these glands, enhance energy production, and facilitate the removal of stored heavy metals from the body's tissues.

Slow Oxidation:

• Fatigue
• Cold hands and feet
• Easy weight gain
• Chronic low blood sugar
• Poor digestion
• Copper toxicity
• Thyroid/adrenal insufficiency
• Viral infections
• Osteoporosis
• Hormonal imbalances (hypothyroidism, insulin resistance)

Fast Oxidation:

• Anxiety
• High blood pressure
• Frequent infections
• Cravings for fats and red meat
• Overactive thyroid or adrenal function
• Rapid energy depletion
• Imbalanced food metabolism

UNDERSTANDING YOUR METABOLIC TYPE

This breakdown provides the different metabolic types and their associated characteristics, helping you identify your unique metabolic profile and make informed lifestyle choices.

Type 1 :

• Parasympathetic Dominance
• Decreased Thyroid Function
• Increased Adrenal Activity
• Adult Onset Diabetes
• Bradycardia
• Blood Pressure May Rise
• Calcium Deposits in Soft Tissues
• Cold Sensitivity
• Constipation
• Copper in Excess
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Hypotension
• Insomnia
• Hypoglycemia
• Hyporeflexia

Type 2 :

• Parasympathetic Dominance
• Elevated Sodium/Magnesium Ratio
• Acute Stress Reaction
• Possible Renal Involvement
• Inflammation
• IBS
• Gastritis
• Anxiety

Type 3 :

• Parasympathetic Dominance
• Elevated Sodium/Magnesium Ratio
• Acute Stress Reaction
• Possible Renal Involvement
• Inflammation
• IBS
• Gastritis
• Anxiety

Type 4 :

• Parasympathetic Dominance
• Increased Thyroid Function
• Increased Adrenal Activity
• Acute Stress Reaction