Essential minerals — those necessary for human health are classified into two equally important groups: major minerals and trace minerals.

The major minerals:are used and stored in large quantities in the body, are calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur.

The trace minerals:just as vital to our health as the major minerals, but we don't need large amounts. Minerals in this category include chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc.

We don't manufacture essential minerals in the body and we get them from our diet. The minerals come from rocks, soil, and water, and they're absorbed as the plants grow or by animals as the animals eat the plants. When you eat a healthy diet that includes a variety of vegetables, beans, fruits, whole grains, lean protein, and unsaturated fats (like olive oil), you're likely consuming all the healthy minerals you need.

Essential minerals (metals are also one type of mineral):

• Copper (Cu):Assists with metabolizing fuel, making red blood cells, regulating neurotransmitters, and mopping up free radicals.
• Manganese (Mn):Helps form bones and helps metabolize amino acids, cholesterol, and carbohydrates.
• Zinc (Zn):Helps blood clot, helps make proteins and DNA, bolsters the immune system, and helps with wound healing and cell division. Key for energy levels and overall improves our mood and well-being due to its function in regulating enzymes and hormones in our body and protecting our immune system.
• Chromium (Cr):Helps maintain normal blood sugar levels and helps cells draw energy from blood sugar. Elevation can indicate loss of chromium from iron toxicity or another mineral imbalance. Supplementation can help with fatigue and sugar/carbohydrate intolerance.
• Selenium (Se):Helps maintain the circulatory system, digestive organs, and reproductive system. It is also involved with heavy metal detoxification and is essential for thyroid function.
• Phosphorus (P):Plays a role in bone structure and energy levels. High levels can indicate excessive protein breakdown of body tissues while low levels can indicate inadequate protein synthesis, low zinc, cadmium toxicity, or enzyme deficiency.
• Iron (Fe):Helps make hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying chemical in the body's red blood cells) and myoglobin (a protein in muscle cells). Iron is essential for activating certain enzymes and for making amino acids, collagen, neurotransmitters, and hormones. Deficiency in Iron leads to anemia which can leave a constant feeling of fatigue/weakness. Looked at more for toxicity not deficiency in a hair test.

Minerals and also electrolytes tested:

• • Calcium (ca): Builds bones and teeth; activates enzymes throughout the body; helps regulate blood pressure; and helps muscles to contract, nerves to send messages, and blood to clot. Deficiency is common in older adults, especially in women. A lack of calcium in the body increases the risk for brittle bones and fractures.
  • Magnesium (Mg): Like calcium, builds bones and teeth. It also helps to regulate blood pressure and blood sugar and enables muscles to contract, nerves to send messages, blood to clot, and enzymes to work. Magnesium's role in our body is to produce and maintain ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate Magnesium) molecule which provides energy to all our basic bodily processes such as making enzymes to process and transporting other nutrients. Deficiency will slow these processes down as well as cause nausea, loss of appetite and potential digestive upset.
  • Sodium (Na): Balances fluids in the body, helps send nerve impulses, and helps make muscles contract.
  • Potassium: Balances fluids in the body, helps to maintain a steady heartbeat and to make muscles contract, and may benefit bones and blood pressure.

Electrolyte Balance:

• Calcium + Magnesium: Indicate how much stress the body is under (can be from past traumas, emotional stress, work stress, pathogens/yeast/mycotoxins, blood sugar imbalances)
• Sodium + Potassium:Intimately linked to adrenal gland function, and the balance between aldosterone (mineralocorticoid) and cortisone (glucocorticoid) secretion; an indicator of how well our body is responding to stress in our life.

Our health and wellbeing may be challenged by mineral imbalances and toxic metal excesses, aggravating conditions including cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines, learning difficulties and hyperactivity in children.

Toxic metals can impair thyroid function and can prevent calcium from getting into bone, brain fog, and skin rashes.

Heavy Metal Toxins Tested:

• Lead (Pb): Toxic heavy metal found in paint, auto exhaust, batteries and battery manufacturing, cigarette/tobacco smoke, coal and oil combustion.
• Mercury (Hg): Found in toxic personal care and beauty products, fish, contact lens solution, fabric softeners, tattooing, tooth amalgams, disinfectants.
• Cadmium (Cd):Toxic heavy metal found in cigarettes (including e-cigarettes), contaminated soil, coal production.
• Arsenic (As): Toxic heavy metal found in rice, water, conventionally raised chickens, seaweed, shellfish.
• Aluminum (Al):Toxic heavy metal found in water, the air, pots, baking sheets, air fryers, teas, antiperspirant deodorant, dry shampoo, processed cheese, baking powder.

Help determine carbohydrate metabolism, thyroid function, levels of inflammation, adrenal reserves, copper toxicity, tissue breakdown and calcium shell.

• Ca/Mg

• Ca/K

• Na/K

• Zn/Cu

• Ca/P

Nickel (Ni): Most absorbed nickel is of dietary origin from hydrogenated oils, cocoa and chocolate. Batteries (nickel-cadmium), non-precious dental materials, costume jewelry, and nickel-plated hardware are other sources that may be of concern in nickel dermatitis. Smoke, cigarette smoking and food are major sources of nickel exposure.

• Cobalt (Co):Part of the vitamin B12 molecule and is necessary for B12 activity and function. Cobalt, which is mainly stored in the liver activates numerous enzymes and is excreted in bile. High levels increase the toxic effect of selenium and suppress iron absorption. Elevated cobalt on a hair test is a sensitive indicator of selenium deficiency.
• Molybdenum (Mo):An essential trace element that is an activator of specific enzymes. Deficiency has been linked to gout. Low levels in heavy meat eaters reflect digestive disorder, the need for digestive enzymes and dietary changes.
• Lithium (Li):This trace element is required to modulate nerve transmission throughout the central nervous system. It generally has a calming effect. Lithium deficiency is very common and under recognized.

Analysis of mineral status and ratios found in hair can reveal the general rate of metabolic function.

The metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats into energy is referred to as oxidation. This is the rate at which nutrients are converted to energy within all of your body's cells. If oxidation occurs too slowly or too fast, energy production is impaired. Your oxidation rate is influenced by both your genetics and diet. Therefore, what you eat affects your rate of oxidation and energy production, which in turn affects your mental, emotional, behavioral, and in most cases, physical health.

Determining if you are a fast or slow oxidizer can help you alter your lifestyle, most particularly your diet, to support your metabolism. If we are eating food that does not burn efficiently based on the needs of our body we will not function optimally, and this can lead to not only physical but also mental health challenges.

People can be divided into three general body types:

• Fast oxidizers:Rapidly convert food into energy. In order to balance their body, fast oxidizers need to eat heavier proteins and fats that burn more slowly than carbohydrates. Blood pH tends toward a little more acid.
• Slow oxidizers: Convert food into energy at a slower rate, and require higher amounts of carbohydrates rather than proteins and fats. Slow oxidizers can be more susceptible to fatigue due to the reduced activity of their adrenal and thyroid glands. Blood pH tends to be more alkaline and do better on more plant based foods and lean animal proteins
• Mixed (balanced): individuals who do well with a mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats