Nutrition analysis for hair involves testing a sample of your hair to measure its mineral content and judge your overall health. This type of test is often used by practitioners of chelation therapy, chiropractors or nutrition therapists. It is a controversial practice, and many medical professionals believe such analysis has no medical value.
Functions of Hair Analysis
Proponents of nutritional hair analysis often claim that it is a useful in determining a patient's general state of health and nutrition. They also say that it can be used to detect the risk level of certain diseases. In addition, practitioners use hair analysis to assess whether you are suffering from a mineral imbalance or heavy metal poisoning, which could be the cause of your symptoms.
Testing Method
According to Dr. Lawrence Wilson, a consultant at Analytical Research Laboratories in Phoenix, Arizona, a hair analysis test is made by burning a small sample of hair at a very high temperature in a mass spectrometer. The result is screened to measure the level of 21 minerals, including iron, selenium, lithium, calcium, zinc, aluminum, cobalt copper and sodium. Wilson explains that hair is used because it is easy and safe to sample and because it stores minerals and toxic metals, traits he says make it a good source for measuring their levels.
Flaws in the Test
In a study published in the September 1983 edition of the "American Journal of Medicine," R.S. Rivlin writes that nutrition analysis should not be based solely on the results of hair analysis. This is because the hair sample may be corrupted by environmental contaminants, previous cosmetic treatments, sweat, variations in the rate of hair growth and no clear definition of a normal scale. He further points out that measurements of heavy metal concentrations in the hair often do not correlate with levels in the blood or urine.
Warnings
Dr. Stephen Barrett warns that hair analysis is not a reliable means of evaluating a patient's health and nutrition. Barrett cites a statement from the American Medical Association Committee on Cutaneous Health and Cosmetics, which confirms that the condition of your hair may not be related to your body's health. "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," says the AMA committee. "Therefore ... hair metal levels would rarely help a physician select effective treatment."
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