As hair grows it forms a permanent record of the body’s nutritional deficiencies or excesses. Toxic elements maybe 200 to 300 times more highly concentrated in hair than in blood or urine. Therefore, hair is the tissue of choice for detection of recent exposure to elements such as arsenic, aluminum, cadmium, lead, antimony, and mercury.¹ The CDC acknowledges the value of hair mercury levels as a maternal and infant marker for exposure to neurotoxic methylmercury from fish.

Through recent vast improvements in technology, instrumentation, and application of scientific protocols, hair element analysis has become a valuable tool for providing dependable and useful data for physicians and their patients. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated in a recent report that “…if hair samples are properly collected and cleaned, and analyzed by the best analytic methods, using standards and blanks as required, in a clean and reliable laboratory by experienced personnel, the data are reliable.” (U.S.E.P.A. 600/4-79-049)

Hair, however, is vulnerable to external elemental contamination by means of certain shampoos, bleaches, dyes, and curing or straightening treatments. Therefore, the first step in the interpretation of a hair element report is to rule out sources of external contamination.

Hair element analysis is a valuable and inexpensive screen for physiological excess, deficiency or maldistribution of elements. It should not be considered a stand-alone diagnostic test for essential element function and should be used in conjunction with patient symptoms and other laboratory tests. Doctor’s Data offers a Hair Toxic and Essential Elements profile and a Hair Toxic Element Exposure profile containing an expanded lineup of toxic metals.

Information courtesy of Doctor’s Data and CanAlt.

• Minerals screened include electrolytes: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus and trace minerals – copper, manganese, chromium, selenium, iron, molybdenum, lithium, cobalt, and zinc.
• Toxic metal screening includes: lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and aluminum.

The most common signs and symptoms of toxicity include:

• • Bad Breath
  • Chronic Disease: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Amyotrophic Lacteroclerosis (ALS), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
  • Cognitive Problems: brain fog, difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, headaches, ADD, ADHD,
  • Digestive Imbalances: constipation, diarrhea, excess gas, bloating, foul-smelling stools
  • Fatigue: chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Hormonal Imbalances: PMS, menstrual concerns, low body temperature, depression, anxiety, fertility concerns, mood swings
  • Infectious & Immune: asthma, autoimmune disorders, cancer, Lyme
  • Joint and Muscle Soreness or Pain: slow recovery, arthritis, gout
  • Mood Disorders: anorexia nervosa, anxiety, depression, OCD
  • Neurological & Movement: apraxia (motor disorder), cerebral palsy, epilepsy, seizure disorders, MS, peripheral neuropathy, tic disorders
  • Skin Concerns: acne, eczema, rashes, psoriasis, puffy or dark rings around the eyes

The principal risks of developing toxicity include:

• Age
• Chronic Inflammation
• Excess Exposure: alcohol, chemicals, drugs,  medications, mercury dental fillings, excess consumption of fish at risk of heavy metal exposure
• Genetic Link
• Hormone Imbalance
• Infectious Agents or Diseases
• Low Nutrients
• Microbiome Imbalance
• Obesity
• Poor Lifestyle – Diet, Lack of Sleep, Stress, Smoking

Your Naturopath or Nurse Practitioner will help assess which test is right for you, including an analysis of the most cost-efficient path of testing. We recommend a New Patient Visit with one of our Naturopathic Doctors for the most comprehensive approach to your health or a Pre-Lab Visit for a quick snapshot prior to lab testing as there are many tests available.  Lab testing alone is a one-dimensional picture of your health. The expertise of a health professional is required to create a three-dimensional picture for proper selection, and interpretation of lab testing. To complete your care we recommend booking your Post-Lab consult 2 weeks after testing to review your results and receive your tailored health plan.

Most of the advanced toxicity and essential elements testing is not ordered by your General Practitioner under OHIP-based services on routine screening tests. Our goal is to assess your health by evaluating high-risk factors including genetics and then work in prevention.

Third-party insurance companies may cover all or a portion of your consultations. Most of the other integrative testing is not currently covered by private insurance companies. Please check with your individual provider for details and how to submit claims.

Your Revivelife clinician will review all findings and create a tailored plan for you based on what are the root causes of your imbalances. The use of tailored meal plans, nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals (oral or IV), herbs, probiotics, prebiotics, stress management, and or acupuncture that promote healing is often advised. Therapy may include targeted probiotics and prebiotics that may minimize toxin exposure by trapping and metabolizing xenobiotics or heavy metals.² Examples include the detoxification of aflatoxin and patulin (two toxins produced by Aspergillus, a type of mold),³ the metabolism of heterocyclic amines and dimethylhydrazine,⁴ and the binding of lead and cadmium. ^4,5 Additionally, the production of the short-chain fatty acid butyrate by lactic acid bacteria (from the fermentation of dietary fiber) has been shown to stimulate GST production in intestinal cell culture; this may also contribute to some of the anticarcinogenic properties of dietary fiber.⁶

We recommend a New Patient Visit for the most comprehensive approach to your health or a Pre-Lab Visit for a quick snapshot before lab testing and a Post-Lab consult to review your results and receive your tailored health plan.

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1. Jenkins, D. TOXIC TRACE METALS IN MAMMALIAN HAIR AND NAILS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/4-79/049 (NTIS PB80103997), 1979
2. Resta SC. Effects of probiotics and commensals on intestinal epithelial physiology: implications for nutrient handling. J Physiol (Lond) 2009;587 (17) : 4169-74
3. Topcu A, Bulat T, Wishah R, Boyaci IH. Detoxification of aflatoxin B1 and patulin by Enterococcus faecium strains. Int J Food Microbiol 2010;139 (3) : 202-5
4. Nowak A and Libudzisz Z. Ability of probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN 114001 to bind or/and metabolise heterocyclic aromatic amines in vitro. Eur J Nutr 2009;48 (7) : 419-27
5. Ibrahim F, Halttunen T, Tahvonen R, Salminen S. Probiotic bacteria as potential detoxification tools: assessing their heavy metal binding isotherms. Can J Microbiol 2006;52 (9) : 877-85
6. Pool-Zobel B, Veeriah S, Böhmer FD. Modulation of xenobiotic metabolising enzymes by anticarcinogens — focus on glutathione S-transferases and their role as targets of dietary chemoprevention in colorectal carcinogenesis. Mutat Res 2005;591 (1-2) : 74-92