One test I recommend as a general health screening test and absolutely insist on with my preconception couples, is a hair mineral analysis. Did you realise that your hair can reveal essential clues about your mineral balance, heavy metal exposure and overall health? Hair stores various minerals and  heavy metals, making it a valuable tool for assessing nutrient levels (like iron, magnesium, and calcium) and potential toxins (like lead and mercury).

Minerals and metals can accumulate in the hair over time from food, water, cookware, hygiene products, chemicals, pollution, and more. By analysing a small hair sample, we can get a picture of what has built up in your body over the past three months.

Beyond detecting heavy metals, hair mineral analysis offers insights into your mineral balance, which is crucial for supporting heart health, immune function, hormones, fertility, skin health, muscle strength, and more.

Common symptoms and conditions that may benefit from this analysis include:

  • Fertility concerns and pregnancy issues including miscarriages
  • Fatigue including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and post-COVID/viral infection fatigue
  • Immune dysfunction including autoimmune conditions and allergies
  • Brain fog and memory issues
  • Skin conditions
  • Metabolic imbalances including weight gain
  • Mental health concerns
  • Chronic diseases and inflammation

“Test, don’t guess” is an excellent mantra in natural health. By uncovering mineral imbalances, we can target root causes of symptoms, optimise nutrient levels, and support your health more effectively.

Heavy metals are often toxic and come from insidious sources in our food, water, workplaces, personal care products and our environment. Their health effects are widespread and can impact fertility, brain and liver health and longevity.

But what are heavy metals and which ones should we be concerned about?

Heavy metals (HMs) includes nutritionally essential heavy metals such as iron, cobalt, zinc, copper, chromium, molybdenum, selenium and manganese, which are needed at low concentrations for metabolic activities. However, some HMs are classed as non-essential, non-threshold, toxic metals with no established biological functions in the body, and potentially serious health effects at very low concentrations. Toxic, non-essential heavy metals include: Aluminium, Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead and Mercury.

Pregnant women and their growing babies  are more vulnerable to adverse effects from the exposure of environmental toxic substances. Environmental contaminants during pregnancy may have negative impacts in early childhood and in later life.  Particularly, arsenic, cadmium and lead are well-known environmental heavy metals that could negatively impact the health risk to the foetus even at a low levels.

How do I do a Hair Mineral Analysis and test for Heavy Metals

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is a safe and non-invasive test that measures the precise mineral composition of hair. It reflects the level of nutrients and toxic elements in body tissue. A sample of hair (preferably from the scalp) is sent to the laboratory and a report comes back with both beneficial and toxic levels in your hair. A sample report is the featured image

See: https://interclinical.com.au/what-can-i-test-for/

What are the effects of heavy metals?

Toxic HMs have acute and chronic health effects on most organ systems, and potentially impact the brain, kidneys, liver and gut microbiome and can increase cancer risk. They can also interact and impair the function of essential nutrients, such as iron, calcium, zinc and selenium.

Several nutrients and plant extracts have been identified that may support the body’s antioxidant status, chelate heavy metals (bind and eliminate the HMs through the bile and urine) and protect against HM toxicity and nutrient depletion.

What if I have heavy metal toxicity?

Nutrients and herbs that may help with the detoxification of these heavy metals include:

Garlic:

Garlic has been shown in clinical studies to reduce toxicity, accumulation and oxidative effects, and impact uptake and elimination of HMs, including cadmium, lead, mercury, aluminium and arsenic. As well as clearing heavy metals, supporting immune function and cardiovascular health it has potent antioxidant effects.

Zinc:

Multiple human clinical trials show the benefits of zinc supplementation in heavy metal toxicity, reducing cadmium, lead and aluminium levels, improving antioxidant capacity and selenium status, and significantly increasing a compound called metallothioneine (a naturally produced potent heavy metal chelator)

Glutathione (GT)

GT is the master antioxidant in the body, and protects against heavy metal-induced free radical damage.

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA)

ALA is an important cellular antioxidant for heavy metal clearance. This fat- and water-soluble nutrient is readily absorbed and utilised by the body and helps to regenerate other antioxidants and increase the body’s natural antioxidant capacity. Preclinical trials show ALA not only protects against heavy metal free radical-induced damage but also chelates and removes heavy metals and protects mitochondrial function (the organelles in our cells that make energy)

Vitamin C

Vitamin C protects against mercury, arsenic and lead toxicity through its antioxidant effects and reduces lead levels. In a randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial, blood lead levels were reduced by 81% in cigarette smoking males aged 20 to 30 years, when given 1000 mg of vitamin C daily for one week. The authors stated this could be due to a reduction in lead intestinal absorption.

Selenium:

Mercury causes selenium deficiency due to its high affinity to binds to selenium, permanently affecting its ability to function as an antioxidant.

Clinoptilolite:

Clinoptilolite is a porous zeolite mineral of volcanic origin. It can bind positively charged elements including heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic; environmental toxins; and endogenous toxins such as ammonia, histamine and nitrates, excreting them safely out of the body

Like to test yourself then have professional guidance as what to do?

I offer testing and targeted support  to clear toxic heavy metals and balance beneficial minerals. This is particularly important if you are contemplating getting pregnant – for both partners. I also offer specific Detox programs that supports the liver, kidney and gut in clearing accumulated toxins. So, consider a one on one consult to discuss your treatment & test options.

If you’d like a complimentary 15 minute chat about how I could help your health goals, email me at doreen@holistichealth.com.au or Book online: https://holistic-health-pty-ltd.cliniko.com/bookings

Doreen Schwegler is a Medical Scientist and Naturopath with over 32 years of experience helping people live healthier, happier and hopefully longer lives.

Thanks to Bioclinic Naturals (references available upon request) and Melissa Petersen (AdvDipHSc,GradCertEvBdPrac) for the tables and information.