by Lawrence Wilson, MD

HAIR MINERAL ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION METHODS

Physicians and other practitioners such as nutritionists use hair mineral testing in the following ways:

· The overwhelming majority of physicians and other practitioners only use hair mineral testing for the detection of toxic metals.

· A much smaller number of doctors also use the test for the detection of low levels of trace minerals or electrolytes such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus and sulfur. Most then practice replacement therapy to raise or lower the levels of the trace minerals and the electrolytes.

· An even smaller number of physicians follow the advice of Dr. David Watts and Trace Elements, Inc. laboratory. He uses a variant of Dr. Eck’s method of interpretation that is much simpler, and in my experience, much less complete and less effective.

· A relatively small number of practitioners just follow the recommendations of Analytical Research Labs. These are quite good, but not comprehensive enough or quite accurate enough, in my view.

· A few follow the advice on this website, which is basically an updated version of Dr. Paul Eck’s method of interpretation with some subtle but important updates and changes.

This article explains and compares these five methods of using a hair mineral analysis.

1. HAIR TESTING FOR TOXIC METALS ONLY.

Hair analysis can reveal the presence of about a dozen or so toxic metals in the hair tissue. However, problems with this method are:

1. The test does not evaluate the total body load of the toxic metal, and it misses most of them. This is because they are stored away deep in the organs and will not be revealed on any type of test.

2. Some metals tend to accumulate in the hair more than others, so the reading is only a rough estimate.

3. People who cannot eliminate well may not show any toxic metals, when, in fact, most people are high in many of the toxic metals.

4. Much more can be learned from the test, if it is performed and interpreted correctly.

2. ASSESSMENT OF TRACE ELEMENT AND MACROMINERAL LEVELS, ALONG WITH THE TOXIC METALS

A small number of practitioners use the hair test to assess trace minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, manganese, chromium, selenium, lithium, boron and others. They may also look for abnormal levels of the electrolytes such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus and sulfur. They may also look for abnormal levels of the ultra-trace minerals such as rubidium, cobalt, molybdenum and others that are normally present in extremely small quantities, even though they may be required for life and for health.

This use of hair testing is valid to a degree. However, problems with this method are:

1. Interpreting the value of the trace minerals and electrolytes on a hair mineral test is not simple. I would contend that without the concepts of Dr. Paul Eck, it is basically impossible or very unreliable. Many factors can potentially affect the levels of the trace, ultra-trace and macro-minerals in the hair.

2. Many practitioners make the mistake of thinking that the mineral level in the hair reflects the total body load of the mineral, which is definitely not true. It only reflects the amount present in the hair at the time of the test.

3. Most practitioners try to use replacement therapy to correct the levels of the trace minerals and electrolytes. Replacement therapy is the use of either dietary restrictions or supplementation of minerals to normalize the hair levels of the minerals.

Replacement therapy, in my experience, is a very bad way to either replenish the body’s minerals or balance body chemistry. This is discussed in more detail in a separate article, Replacement Therapy.

3. DR. WATTS AND HIS METHOD OF INTERPRETATION.

Dr. David Watts, DC, PhD, founded Trace Elements, Inc. hair testing laboratory around 1983. Dr. Watts had previously been an employee of Dr. Paul Eck, where he learned of the method of interpretation of hair tests that Dr. Eck was researching at the time.

Dr. Watts, however, changed a number of the ideas of Dr. Eck. As a result, the test interpretations are not at all similar to those of his teacher.

Beneficial aspects of Dr. Watt’s method include that his lab does not wash the hair at his lab before testing it. This is critical for accurate trace mineral readings, and for the overall accuracy of the test. Dr. Watts’ lab also reads many more minerals than does Dr. Eck’s lab at this time, which is helpful at times, but most often not needed. Dr. Watts also takes into account some of the concepts of Dr. Eck’s nutritional balancing science such as the oxidation types and rate, the importance of mineral ratios, and perhaps a few others. They are a relatively large lab and they operate around the world.

From the perspective of Dr. Eck’s work, which I studied for 14 years with Dr. Paul Eck, and have continued to research for another 16 years, the following problems occur with Dr. Watt’s interpretations and programs:

1. Ideal mineral values are not printed on the hair analysis graph. This is an important omission because a central principle of nutritional balancing science is that ideal values matter very much. Also, many of the patterns we recognize require knowing if the readings are high, low, or right at the ideal level. Also, a number of the newer patterns, in particular, involve visual recognition of patterns. Without knowing the ideal values, the graph is much, much harder to interpret, if not impossible.

2. Only Dr. Eck’s laboratory, Analytical Research Labs, automatically and at no charge to the doctor, retests any reading that is far out of range. This is an excellent free service that helps assure excellent accuracy. No other laboratory offers this unique and helpful service.

3. Dr. Watts assesses the oxidation rate using only the calcium/phosphorus ratio. I believe this is completely incorrect!

Dr. Eck considered using the Ca/P ratio, but instead decided to use a combination of the calcium/potassium ratio and sodium/magnesium ratio. From my clinical experience, Dr. Eck’s method of assessing the oxidation rate is far superior.

4. Dr. Watts does not recognize mixed oxidation types. I believe this is an important mistake.

5. Dr. Watts assigns numbers to various types of fast and slow oxidizers, calling them slow type 1 or slow type 2. This differs from Dr. Eck’s original research. It adds confusion because his numbering system does not explain the significance of the patterns in any way. We prefer to use descriptive names for all patterns that help the practitioner understand the meaning of the pattern.

6. Dr. Watts does not recognize many of the essential hair mineral patterns that Dr. Eck found were critical to correct, such as four low electrolytes. He also does not take into consideration at all the more recent patterns that I have noted such as the bowl, the hill, step up, step down, and many more. These are vital patterns to consider in many cases. They help us understand the case and permit us to design more accurate and more effective nutritional corrective programs.

7. Dr. Watts, to my knowledge, does not delve deeply into the psychological and/or emotional interpretation of a hair analysis. This aspect of the test interpretation is often vital for our clients. It provides information about personality tendencies, emotional issues, mental illnesses and other factors that can greatly assist a person to become well.

8. Dr. Watts’ dietary suggestions are almost totally lacking, and not emphasized in his reports at all. This is an important omission. We find that the diet for the oxidation type and rate is a fantastic and critical part of healing the body at the deepest levels, and it is almost totally omitted by Dr. Watts and Trace Elements, Inc.

9. The TEI product recommendations are nowhere near as good as those from Dr. Eck’s laboratory. This is because Dr. Watts has deviated from the principles of correction that Dr. Eck figured out. Also, The TEI products are definitely inferior in nutrient content and perhaps quality assurance compared to those of Dr. Eck. They are less costly because they are not as good.

10. Dr Watts gives no credit for any of his work to Dr. Paul Eck, who was one of his main teachers. This is not only unprofessional. It also makes it hard for clients and practitioners to learn more about the science of nutritional balancing, where the research actually came from, and other aspects of the science.

11. Trace Elements, Inc. laboratory does not pay nearly enough attention to lifestyle factors, and drinking water. These mistakes can greatly diminish the effectiveness of his corrective programs.

12. Dr. Watts left his teacher, Dr. Eck, in 1983. He has not kept up with Dr. Eck’s later research that occurred after that time.

4. DR. PAUL ECK’S METHOD OF INTERPRETATION AS OFFERED BY THE COMPUTER AT ANALYTICAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES

This is far superior to any of the methods above, in my opinion. However, the lab computer was altered somewhat after Dr. Eck’s death, and it has not been updated for a few years, for the most part.

5. THOSE FOLLOWING THIS WEBSITE AND MY SUGGESTIONS FOR UPGRADING AND IMPROVING THE ARL COMPUTER RECOMMENDATIONS

I have tried to restore the nutritional balancing programs to the principles and techniques that Dr. Eck recommended. In addition, I have learned of a number of new patterns on the hair test, and there are several important modifications of the computer recommendations that make the programs far more effective. These are discussed in the 2010 edition of Nutritional Balancing And Hair Mineral Analysis. And in an article on this website entitled Program Changes To The ARL Computer Program.

This system appears to be the most helpful for the clients. Dr. Eck was a very brilliant scientist who incorporated principles of healing from both ancient and modern sciences, both Western and Eastern medical sciences, and combined them in a unique and amazingly integrated fashion. Most of this website is dedicated to explaining and teaching this rather amazing scientific synthesis.

Courses | About Dr. Wilson | The Free Basic Program