WHOA is me! Woe is ME!

I just received my Hair Tissue Minerals Test (HTMA) earlier this afternoon and I'd LOVE to share this with you. This type of test analyzes hair samples (about a teaspoon worth). This provides information over about an 8 week period.

My results were not exactly as I had suspected but extremely validating. I've received a couple of bouts of hard news in the past week regarding my health and the results of this test are following suit, even correlating with my other issues.

I will mostly talk about this test in terms of the ratios so this post isn't too long, and because the information makes more sense in relative terms given the way the minerals interact with each other.

First, I wanted to show you a snapshot of my main minerals overview. This will give you an idea of how the minerals are laid out on the test and how the reference ranges are shown. On my test, you can see that two minerals that such high levels that they don't even fit on the graph (magnesium and potassium). This test also includes some other minerals and some heavy metals (not shown).

Let's take a look at the ratios on my test result!

Calcium/Phosphorous: The Autonomic State Ratio - HIGH

This ratio gives a snapshot of the metabolic state of the body and if your body is in sympathetic (stimulatory) or parasympathetic (recovery) state. Calcium is controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system while phosphorus is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. The ideal ratio indicates a balance between both states. A high ratio indicates slower metabolism and parasympathetic dominance. Extreme parasympathetic is unhealthy and indicates burn-out and exhaustion.

I am not off to an amazing start.

Sodium/Potassium: The Vitality/Stress Ratio - HIGH

This ratio is considered the most important ratio we have on this test. It indicates the expression of adrenal hormones, aldosterone and cortisol. Sodium is linked to aldosterone while potassium linked to cortisol. A high ratio indicates acute stress, acute inflammation, and pain. Emotional stress also increases sodium levels, increasing the ratio. High sodium levels also contribute to irritability and an easy-to-angered state.

I am starting to see a bigger picture regarding my mental state.

Calcium/Potassium: The Thyroid Ratio - HIGH

This ratio gives us insight into the health of the thyroid. Thyroid hormone controls calcium in the body through the production of calcitonin. The higher the calcium, the lower the thyroid activity. When potassium is low, thyroid hormone is poorly utilized. This imbalance can indicate a sluggish thyroid (ME!) or even hypothyroidism.

I will be running a thyroid panel to see the entire picture of what is happening with my thyroid hormone levels.

Zinc/Copper: The Hormone Ratio - EXTREMELY LOW

This ratio is typically call the hormone ratio because both copper and zinc are associated with sex hormones including testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen. However, we can also use it to assess the likelihood of copper toxicity (which I will discuss in a future post). A low ratio indicates possible copper toxicity and estrogen excess. Copper toxicity is associated with a number of psychological disturbances and dysfunctions because it can be stored in brain tissue.

Sodium/Magnesium: The Adrenal Ratio - LOW

This ratio tells us about the health of our adrenal glands and can show us if adrenal activity is too fast or too slow. Sluggish, or slow, adrenal activity means the adrenal glands are not producing enough cortisol. This used to be called adrenal fatigue or adrenal insufficiency; in my educational programs, it is considered a sign of metabolic chaos. This ratio concurs with my vitality ratio result of chronic fatigue, exhaustion, and burn out.

Wooo.

Calcium/Magnesium: The Blood Sugar Ratio - IDEAL

Calcium aids in insulin release while magnesium has an inhibitory effect on insulin. Imbalance in these minerals can lead to hyper- or hypoglycemia. It is also interesting to note here that chronic stress raises calcium levels. If someone is overconsuming carbohydrates and sugar, this ratio will be elevated. Luckily for me, this ratio is in balance! (Victory!)

There are several more ratios on this lab test and other mineral and metal markers. It's a really easy and inexpensive way to help correlate physiology and symptomology. For me personally, I have recently been diagnosed with some tendinitis, high-grade impinged nerves, and a couple other ouchies and this test definitely correlates with the pain, inflammation, and fatige that comes with fighting injury. It gives me a launch pad for further investigation and meaningful habit change.

If you are interested in having an HTMA done for yourself, let me know!