The Use of Hair Tests in Clinical Decision Making
Most practitioners of natural or integrated medicine who have an interest in heavy metal toxicity often use urine or feces pre-post provocation tests to determine toxic metal loads.
Usually, chemical chelators such as DMSA or EDTA are used to provoke the mobilization and elimination of toxic metals from the body tissues – these have unwanted disadvantages in that they may strip essential minerals from the body as well as mobilize more metals than the person can eliminate, causing a variety of side effects as well as the rapid re-absorption of metals back into storage organs and tissues with consequent side-effects.
Let’s think for a minute about what these tests are telling us. We have a urine level of mercury in the baseline sample of 3 ppm. After provoking with the chemical chelator DMSA, We took a second sample 24 hours later.
The post sample shows 6 ppm of mercury. What does this mean? It simply tells us that the person has a certain amount of mercury stored in the body tissues and organs, which is in circulation and is eliminated through the urinary tract. It will not tell us what is being eliminated through the biliary route (this is a feces test) and it cannot determine the total amount of mercury stored in the body. These are arbitrary figures and not absolute, so are not comparable.
Seeing these results, the practitioner will usually recommend a chemical chelator before suggesting retesting in 2-3 months. So, the patient gives more urine and receives the provocation agent, and this time, the results show 1.5 ppm mercury in the baseline and 3 ppm in the post-urine sample. What does this mean? Again, it simply shows that mercury is still being mobilized due to the chelation process – it cannot tell us how much mercury has been eliminated in the past 2-3 months, nor can it indicate how much mercury is left in the body.
One cannot subtract the first test results from the post-test results, which I have seen many practitioners do, concluding that “there is a 50% decrease in mercury in the body.” What clinical decision can be taken based on this information?
Given that the urine and feces test is a snapshot of the body’s metabolic activity over the last 24 hours, we can only conclude that mercury is being mobilized from storage sites and being eliminated. Therefore, the patient can continue to take their chelating protocol.
In summary, the urine provocation tests are a ‘snapshot’ of how the body eliminates toxic metals at any point. Therefore, these figures are arbitrary and not absolute, and the figures for one provocation test cannot be compared with another one repeated three months later.
It simply means that if metals are still being eliminated after provocation with the chelating agent, they are stored in the body. It gives us no more information than this.
If the detoxification organs are compromised, as is often the case with autistic spectrum disorders, then there may be very few metals eliminated after provocation. What does this tell us? Can we conclude categorically that no metals are stored in the body tissues and organs?
What clinical decisions do we make when we are confronted with these results? Do we simply say to the patient that as there is no percentage increase in metals in the post-urine sample, they do not need to follow a chelation protocol? This decision based on these urine tests warrants considerable caution as an extremely toxic and ill person could end up getting a lot worse if left without a chelation protocol.
Based on the abovementioned arguments, as a clinician actively involved in heavy metal chelation using natural chelators, I decided to avoid the possible adverse effects of chemical chelators by using a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis sample – let me share some of my observations with this.
HAIR TISSUE MINERAL ANALYSIS
I used Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) for a more comprehensive and gentle approach. Here are the benefits:
- Gentle Approach: HTMA avoids aggressive mobilization, reducing symptom exacerbation in conditions like MS, cancer, autism, and cardiovascular diseases.
- Long-Term Tracking: HTMA allows tracking progress over time, showing the decline in toxic metals and indicating diminishing storage sites.
- Cost-Effective: HTMA costs patients less than $70-80 every two months, making it a budget-friendly option.
- Ease of Use: Quick and easy to perform, HTMA can be implemented by an assistant in any clinical setting, overcoming compliance issues associated with 24-hour urine collection.
- Comprehensive Screening: Measures levels of essential minerals and toxic metals, providing a critical role in early detection and prevention of disorders.
- Stability: Hair is stable and doesn’t require special handling, remaining viable for years.
- Sensitivity: Mineral levels are higher in hair than in blood, making detection easier.
- Accuracy: Advanced technology has made hair mineral analysis highly accurate and reliable.
- Predictive Value: HTMA can indicate tendencies for over 30 common health conditions, including psychological disorders.
Dr. Laurence Wilson, M.D., describes HTMA as a soft tissue mineral biopsy, reflecting the body’s mineral deposition over 2-3 months. This provides a more meaningful snapshot of metabolic activity than blood or urine tests.
Using HTMA in Clinical Practice
- Baseline Testing: Collect a baseline hair sample from the patient and start a natural heavy metal chelator like HMD™.
- Monitoring Progress: Retest hair after two months of chelation. Increasing toxic metals indicates effective mobilization from storage sites; warranting continued chelation.
- Continued Testing: Repeat HTMA every two months while on the chelation protocol. A decrease in metals signifies diminishing storage sites, guiding the continuation of chelation until levels are negligible.
HOW DO WE USE THE HTMA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE?
Firstly, the clinician takes a baseline hair sample from the patient. Whether metals show up on the hair test or not, it is wise to start the patient on a natural heavy metal chelator such as HMD™ and then repeat the hair analysis in two months—this will allow the hair to grow out. You will collect hair that will reflect the body’s metabolic activity during the two months that the HMD™ was taken.
Suppose metals are present in the storage organs. In that case, the probability is that you will get a dramatic INCREASE in the toxic metals compared to baseline – this indicates that the HMD™ is pulling heavy metals out of storage sites into the blood and then into the hair.
This indicates that the person has metals stored in the body, and the clinical decision is to continue taking the HMD™. Diagram 1 and Diagram 2 provide some examples of this. Diagram 1 shows a young 3-year-old boy—the left test is the baseline, and the right test is after the HMD™ protocol for 2 months. There is a dramatic increase in the metal cadmium from 0.022 to 115 mg%—this was traced to the mother, who also had extremely high levels.
Diagram 1. Pre-test (left) and post-test (right) showing high level of toxic metals in a 3-year-old child, after being on the HMD™ oral chelation protocol
Diagram 2. Pre-test (left) and post-test (right) showing high level of toxic metals in a 29-year-old mail, after being on the HMD™ oral chelation protocol
Diagram 2 shows the level of mercury rising after taking the HMD™ protocol for two months. The hair test can be repeated after a further two months but always while they are still taking the HMD™.
A reduction in metals shows that the person is on the right track, and the storage sites are diminishing. You can keep repeating this until there are negligible metals on the HTMA, which is a reflection of negligible metals in the body’s storage sites.
Pilot Study Using HTMA
A pilot study with 50 patients at the Da Vinci Holistic Health Center in Larnaca, Cyprus, used HTMA to monitor heavy metal detoxification. Patients were given the HMD™ Ultimate Detoxification Protocol, consisting of HMD™, HMD™ Lavage, and Chlorella pyrenoidosa.
Results showed significant increases in heavy metal elimination, confirming HTMA’s effectiveness in monitoring detoxification progress.
Conclusion
HTMA is a valuable tool in clinical decision-making for heavy metal detoxification. It provides a comprehensive, cost-effective, and gentle approach to monitoring and managing heavy metal burdens. HTMA facilitates informed clinical decisions and supports effective detoxification protocols by tracking progress over time.
For more information on HMD™ and its benefits, watch this video.
