Next visit to your doctor, he asks you for a blood sample, a urine sample -- and a few leftover strands of hair from your hairbrush?
It sounds like science fiction, but experts say hair tests might help doctors diagnose health problems just like the more common blood tests and urinalysis.
In addition, just as soil and water samples can determine environmental contamination, human hair samples can indicate toxic overload in the body, experts say.
Ben McLean became intrigued with the idea a few years ago and decided to have his hair analyzed for possible toxic substances. McLean, a longtime citrus grower in Clermont, sent a hair sample to a lab. The lab sent back a report explaining its findings along with recommendations for improving his health.
"It was fascinating," the Clermont resident says. "They give you a chart and it shows you the levels they say you should be in and what levels you are in."
McLean's chart indicated, for example, the amount of aluminum in his system was too high.
"They suggested I quit using deodorant with aluminum in it and antiperspirant because that has aluminum in it," he says. "I did follow their recommendations, and I think it was about six months later, it [aluminum level] had come way down to where it almost disappeared."
Each day, Americans are exposed to a multitude of toxins such as drug and chemical residues, heavy metals and radiation, which can accumulate in body tissue over time. The toxins cause vitamin and mineral imbalances that affect health, says Dr. Janet Starr Hull, author of Sweet Poison: How The World's Most Popular Artificial Sweetener is Killing Us -- My Story.
The environment is tainted with a variety of contaminants, from household chemicals to pesticides to toxic waste, many of which are commonly found in varying degrees in air, water and food. Some doctors think environmental toxins are a major factor in autoimmune disorders such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
It sounds like science fiction, but experts say hair tests might help doctors diagnose health problems just like the more common blood tests and urinalysis.
In addition, just as soil and water samples can determine environmental contamination, human hair samples can indicate toxic overload in the body, experts say.
Ben McLean became intrigued with the idea a few years ago and decided to have his hair analyzed for possible toxic substances. McLean, a longtime citrus grower in Clermont, sent a hair sample to a lab. The lab sent back a report explaining its findings along with recommendations for improving his health.
"It was fascinating," the Clermont resident says. "They give you a chart and it shows you the levels they say you should be in and what levels you are in."
McLean's chart indicated, for example, the amount of aluminum in his system was too high.
"They suggested I quit using deodorant with aluminum in it and antiperspirant because that has aluminum in it," he says. "I did follow their recommendations, and I think it was about six months later, it [aluminum level] had come way down to where it almost disappeared."
Each day, Americans are exposed to a multitude of toxins such as drug and chemical residues, heavy metals and radiation, which can accumulate in body tissue over time. The toxins cause vitamin and mineral imbalances that affect health, says Dr. Janet Starr Hull, author of Sweet Poison: How The World's Most Popular Artificial Sweetener is Killing Us -- My Story.
The environment is tainted with a variety of contaminants, from household chemicals to pesticides to toxic waste, many of which are commonly found in varying degrees in air, water and food. Some doctors think environmental toxins are a major factor in autoimmune disorders such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Hull, who has a doctorate in nutrition and a master's degree in environmental science, wrote about her experience with illness that she says was caused by aspartame. The artificial sweetener is just one of many substances Hull says can be detected through hair analysis.
Protein in hair follicles develops a record of what's going on in the body, Hull says, and because hair generally grows about half an inch each month, a three-inch strand may offer a six-month history of the body. The screening tool can detect the type and amount of toxic metals in the system. It also can determine amounts of essential elements necessary for normal body function.
Hull says the findings offer a foundation for nutritional counseling.
Critics argue that results can't always be trusted because chemicals used on hair such as shampoo and dye can cause inaccuracies. Also, they say, mistakes can be made by laboratories that use a variety of methods and procedures to test hair.
But criminologist Tom Mieczkowski of the University of South Florida in Tampa says current research shows that most experienced labs use preparations and techniques that quash such concerns. He says hair analysis can be even more reliable than urinalysis.
Although traditional medical practitioners sometimes scoff at the idea, the tests already are used in drug testing for prison parolees and forensics.
Protein in hair follicles develops a record of what's going on in the body, Hull says, and because hair generally grows about half an inch each month, a three-inch strand may offer a six-month history of the body. The screening tool can detect the type and amount of toxic metals in the system. It also can determine amounts of essential elements necessary for normal body function.
Hull says the findings offer a foundation for nutritional counseling.
Critics argue that results can't always be trusted because chemicals used on hair such as shampoo and dye can cause inaccuracies. Also, they say, mistakes can be made by laboratories that use a variety of methods and procedures to test hair.
But criminologist Tom Mieczkowski of the University of South Florida in Tampa says current research shows that most experienced labs use preparations and techniques that quash such concerns. He says hair analysis can be even more reliable than urinalysis.
Although traditional medical practitioners sometimes scoff at the idea, the tests already are used in drug testing for prison parolees and forensics.
Hair testing also is well documented when it comes to measuring for heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic, says Dr. Albert Robbins, a physician in Boca Raton who treats patients with multiple chemical sensitivity. He says the test can provide important information if used in conjunction with analyses but should not be considered a stand-alone diagnostic test.
Robbins says he does not make recommendations for treatment or for vitamin and mineral supplements based upon hair analysis alone. If a patient's hair sample indicated a problem, he says, he would follow up with blood tests to verify the earlier test.
"And then I would advise treatment."
Robbins adds that research hasn't shown yet that hair analysis works as well as other tests in determining what's causing illness.
But he says, "I have an open mind."
Robbins says he does not make recommendations for treatment or for vitamin and mineral supplements based upon hair analysis alone. If a patient's hair sample indicated a problem, he says, he would follow up with blood tests to verify the earlier test.
"And then I would advise treatment."
Robbins adds that research hasn't shown yet that hair analysis works as well as other tests in determining what's causing illness.
But he says, "I have an open mind."
No comments:
Post a Comment