Mineralbalans, stress och tungmetallförgiftning: insikter från labbet bakom hårmineralanalysen

Vi har haft möjlighet att intervjua Kaely McDevitt från Trace Elements. Kaely är i grunden terapeut och utbildad dietist med inriktning mot kvinnors hälsa. Hon har under många år arbetat med hårmineralanalys och utbildat terapeuter inom området. Idag äger hon Trace Elements tillsammans med sin man, Kevin McDevitt. Här delar hon med sig av sin berättelse.

About you

My name is Kaely McDevitt and I am a co-owner of Trace Elements alongside my husband, Kevin. I am a Registered Dietitian and have run a private practice specializing in women's health for the last ~10 years. I've also spent the last 6 years teaching other nutrition practitioners how to utilize functional labs, including HTMA, into their practice. While I have experience with a variety of different types of lab testing, HTMA quickly became a favorite amongst my team and I and is the only test we run on every single client. Once I dove into the world of minerals and understood how foundational they are to health and healing, HTMA testing became an essential tool that has had a hugely positive influence on client outcomes.

What does Trace Elements stands for?

Trace Elements is an internationally recognized leader of HTMA laboratory services and nutritional products. In our >40 years of operation, the pioneering work of Dr. David Watts and upwards of 2 million patient samples, we have demonstrated our commitment to excellence in laboratory testing, education and research

Explain HTMA simply

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is an analytical test which measures the mineral content of the hair that can give an indication of mineral status and toxic metal accumulation following long term or even acute exposure. Minerals are absolutely essential to everything from energy production to detoxification to digestion. Learning about your tissue mineral status is like a snap shot into your biochemistry for the last ~90 days

Why hair?

Put simply, hair is a tissue biopsy that is easy and painless to collect. It is a highly stable sample which makes transit to the lab far easier than if it were blood or urine. It provides insight into tissue/intracellular mineral status over a three-month period whereas blood work would tell us what's in transit and only about that moment in time

How does the lab ensure quality?

Trace Elements is a licensed and certified clinical laboratory that undergoes regular inspections and adheres to CLIA guidelines in addition to rigorous daily, weekly and monthly QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control) studies to confirm and validate all aspects of test methodology. TEI uses ICP-Mass Spectrometry, the most modern analytical technique to be applied to routine elemental analysis.

Understanding the report

In my opinion, the most important areas to look at as a new practitioner are the metabolic type, the nutritive minerals (especially the first four: Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium and Potassium) and the significant ratios. These areas collectively inform you on how your client's cellular energy production is going. You'll get insights into the function and balance between energy-producing endocrine systems like the adrenals and the thyroid. This information can connect the dots between symptoms and provide a road map for creating better balance and efficient energy production.

Common mistakes or misconceptions

The most common misconception I see amongst new HTMA practitioners is treating this test like a diagnostic test rather than a "report card" of energy and stress. While blood work may be read as something high/low being in or out of range, an HTMA is read with more nuance. For example, high values on an HTMA don't always correlate to a high amount of that nutrient, instead it could be depicting an excessive loss of that nutrient.

Everyday connection

Minerals are responsible for running enzyme reactions in the body that control everything from how we convert food into energy, detoxification, hormone production and everything in between. Minerals are also our buffers against stresSome of the first "wins" clients often report are better energy all day long, deeper sleep at night and more stable mood/focus.

Any advice for new therapists?

My top advice is to have your own experience with HTMA - running the test on yourself and going through the process of building/following a mineral repletion protocol will be immensely helpful. You'll be able to speak to tangible results and end-user experience when you go through it yourself first.

For people thinking about doing the test

HTMA is a simple, cost-effective and incredibly helpful tool for just about anyone. Whether you're working on resolving long-standing health symptoms or just looking to optimize your health, there is always something to be learned from taking a look at your mineral status.

Vill du göra en hårmineralanalys tillsammans med en av våra terapeuter ?

Nutritech är plattformen i Norden för hårmineralanalyser sen mer än 30 år. Vi har terapeuter över hela norden som jobbar med allt från hälsocoacher, zonterapi, massage, hudterapeuter, näringsterapeuter m.m. Se vilka som finns nära dig för bästa matchning.

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Kombinera hårmineralanalys med din nuvarande verksamhet och bredda ditt erbjudande. Du får tillgång till utbildning, analyser och löpande stöd. En flexibel modell som passar både nya och etablerade terapeuter.

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