Kristin Merizalde, Contributor
Thyroid Nation
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis For Thyroid And Adrenals
One of the BEST ways to fix our health is to get a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis. Minerals are excreted in our hair in specific patterns which can detect certain trends of illnesses like adrenal fatigue or predict the likelihood of developing an illness like hypothyroidism, diabetes or cardiac problems. Dr. Linus Pauling, a winner of 2 Nobel Prizes, stated that all diseases can be linked back to mineral deficiencies.
Why are we mineral deficient? Between stress, antibiotics, pharmaceutical drugs, GMOs, and the fact that our soils have been depleted of minerals since at least 1936, it is no wonder why we have such an epidemic of autoimmune illnesses!
Hair tissue mineral analysis is not a new science like many will have you believe. It has been around for about 80 years. Many believe that a hair test is even more valid than blood tests because blood is always trying to maintain balance, so results can vary day to day. Hair tissue mineral analysis or HTMA, shows you the relationships between about 30 minerals in your body so you get an extremely in-depth, personal view of your situation with a very non-invasive method. Imagine how much blood you would need to test for 30 minerals!
Minerals are needed for millions of enzymes as co-factors, inhibitors or even as the enzyme themselves. Enzymes are what keeps our bodies running. When we are low on minerals, our bodies cannot physically function correctly. This test shows us the levels of minerals we have for magnesium, potassium, sodium, calcium, sulfur, boron, manganese, copper, iron, and zinc. It also gives us a view on any potential heavy metal toxicity from things like mercury, tin, arsenic, and aluminum.
The HTMA also gives us the ratios between some of the most important nutrients, which is the key to making individualized treatments. HTMA can be helpful for healing from common illnesses so it truly can be an invaluable tool to getting back on the right track. Hair tissue mineral analysis testing works best when done every 3-6 months to help determine the changes going on in your body- it is possible to have to tweak your program every few months depending on how you are healing.
The HTMA ratios that we focus on are for adrenals, thyroid, metabolism, blood sugar, infection, vitality, and hormones. That is 7 huge factors that influence our health. An imbalance in one area will create symptoms- most people have 4+ imbalances on the hair tissue mineral analysis. You get so much information with one test and with me, you will get to go over everything that is relevant to you.
On the HTMA, the Calcium/Potassium ratio is related to thyroid health. These 2 minerals are antagonistic and they need to be balanced in order for the thyroid to function properly. We need calcium in the correct amount to keep both the calcitonin and parathyroid hormones in check. People with a high Calcium/potassium ratio tend to be hyperthyroid, and those with a low ratio tend to be hypothyroid. Most people have a high ratio because people tend to have extremely high calcium and very low potassium. We need potassium to keep calcium in check but it is very hard to get the recommended amount of potassium each day- we need about 4700mg a day!
Did you know that vitamin A, manganese, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, selenium and vitamin C are also critical for thyroid health? T4 and T3 need iodine- but the gland itself needs more than that. Thyroid health is very important but it is also imperative that we focus on adrenal health. The adrenals produce about 50 hormones; the thyroid only a handful. It is important to address both of these glands in order to truly heal the body.
About the Author
Kristin Merizalde was always sick growing up and by the time she was 17 she was diagnosed with a chronic illness. She had chronic pain, migraines, digestive issues, depression, anxiety and gained a lot of weight. She saw about a dozen doctors who just kept giving her more medications but they usually made things worse. She learned to just deal with the illness but was majorly depressed for several years. Her life started changing a few years ago when her health was severely declining and she had to make a major change both physically and mentally. She lost over 100 pounds and started cleaning her life of negativity. She finally started to learn the way to live holistically and one by one, all of her health issues started disappearing. It was the push she needed to realize that she could help others break free of their illnesses and regain their health and happiness. Please check out her website at SassyHolistics.com and join her Facebook group, Mineral Mavens to learn more about how minerals can heal the body.
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