Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

Dr. Henry Schroeder was a pioneer in mineral research at least 50 years ago.  Dr. Shroeder made the observation that “minerals are the basic spark plugs in the chemistry of life”. 

If you have been dissatisfied with traditional health care and are looking for alternative approaches to boost your energy and manage stress, it may be time to consider a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) test. Dr. Rick Malter is a leading expert in hair tissue mineral analysis and how mineral imbalances can affect your stress and energy. Since 1980, he has 41 years of experience with HTMA personally and professionally. To help you find your mineral balance and feel your best, he starts with an advanced nutritional approach based on your hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA). This accurate laboratory test reflects how nutrient minerals relate to your stress reactions and your energy production. The patterns of nutrient minerals that are shown in a HTMA can be read like a mineral map revealing how a person may be functioning physically and psychologically. Are you a fast or a slow metabolizer? A person’s metabolic type is easily determined by a HTMA. A fast metabolizer responds differently to dietary supplements than a slow metabolizer. There are two major minerals (magnesium and copper) that are rarely assessed by any other laboratory tests besides the HTMA, yet research has shown that these two minerals are vital in supporting good health, energy, and vitality.

Magnesium

An extensive body of research shows how important magnesium is for supporting good health. Magnesium deficiency undermines energy production leaving people fatigued and exhausted. Magnesium is vital for hundreds of important enzymes for the body to function optimally. Magnesium is essential for maintaining a healthy heart rhythm and is nature’s anti-stress nutrient. Major health risks associated with substantial magnesium deficiency are sudden massive fatal heart attacks, serious glucose regulation problems, and anxiety and depression. Thirty-five years ago, in 1980, determining how severe my magnesium deficiency was based on my first HTMA very likely saved my life and restored my health, energy, and vitality. A person’s magnesium status can be strongly impacted by intense stress, either physical or psychological. 

Also, too much calcium and vitamin D can bring on a significant magnesium deficiency. A HTMA helps to explain how these magnesium deficiency effects can occur.

Health problems with copper are more complicated to explain. Fast metabolizers usually have an absolute copper deficiency, i.e. their HTMA copper level is below the ideal HTMA copper level. Slow metabolizer individuals, especially females, usually have excess stored copper that is often referred to as “copper toxicity”. However, the overall effect of the excess stored copper on the slow metabolizers’ mineral pattern is such that they can’t efficiently utilize copper metabolically. Therefore, in effect, they also experience a deficiency of copper even though they store an excess of copper. Fast and slow metabolizers respond differently to copper supplementation so determining your metabolic type and copper status through a HTMA is very important.