Is Hair Test Mineral Analysis reliable?

drainage & detox open access optimization Jul 18, 2024

Wondering if Hair Test Mineral Analysis (HTMA) results are reliable?

In short, the answer is no. I have done HTMA myself. I also used to recommend HTMA to assess heavy metal toxicity, thinking it was a gentler alternative to chelation testing (which it is!). However, I've come to realize its limitations. The problem lies in the lack of standardized protocols and established reference ranges, making it hard to trust the results.

HTMA falls under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), which classify it as a high-complexity test. This means labs set their own standards, leading to significant variation and questionable accuracy. Take, for instance, the outcomes from Labs A, B, and C depicted in the provided picture. Each lab tested a split hair sample from the same *healthy* donor. Samples were taken from near the scalp and were submitted for analysis at the same time. The results showcase different deficiencies between labs, and disparities even within the same sample tested by Lab B. Consequently, each lab may interpret the patient's health differently.

While HTMA may offer insights at a population level, such as testing an entire community for a specific toxic exposure, its utility for individual clinical decisions remains precarious without standardized protocols and rigorous quality control measures in place.

Will I continue to use it? No, until it is standardized.

Some sources you can explore: