THE FOUR-LOW ELECTROLYTES PATTERN

THE FOUR LOWS PATTERN

By Lawrence Wilson, MD

One of the most important patterns on a hair analysis is called four low electrolytes or four lows. The pattern is indicated when the hair levels are the following:

1. Calcium less than about 40 mg% or 400 ppm.

2. Magnesium less than about 6 mg% or 60 ppm.

3. Sodium less than about 25 mg% or 250 ppm.

4. Potassium less than about 10 mg% or 100 ppm.

Thirty years ago, when I began using hair mineral analysis, four-lows was a relatively rare pattern seen mainly in hard-driving business executives. Now it shows up often in people of all ages, and even in children down to the age of even 1 years old.

KEYS TO THIS PATTERN

1. All four of the numbers must be in the ranges shown above. If even one is even several mg outside this range, then we do not consider it a four lows pattern and this article does not apply. However, see #2 below for exceptions to this principle.

2. The parameters above are not absolute. They are usually correct. However, one could be a four lows if the numbers are very close, but not exact.

For example, we often see hair analyses where one of the numbers is slightly higher than this pattern. If you suspect that it is a four lows pattern, you may need to handle the person as if it were so in such as case.

3. For accurate assessment, the hair sample must not be washed at the laboratory. Only two labs do not wash the hair at the lab, Analytical Research Labs in Phoenix, AZ, USA and Trace Elements, Inc. in Texas, US.

If the hair is washed, this pattern cannot be accurately discerned. This is unfortunate, because four lows is one of the most critical patterns to identify in a hair mineral analysis, in our experience.

4. This pattern on the first hair test only is mainly the subject of this article. If you have received a retest mineral analysis with this pattern, the information in this article does not apply, except perhaps marginally.

On a retest, a four lows pattern is usually a retracing and just a temporary state that is a transition on the way to healing the body. On a retest, it signifies a resting phase. An analogy is a dog that curls up in the corner for a while to heal itself and rest. For this reason, we sometimes call a four lows pattern on a retest the dog in the corner pattern. It is not that important if it was not present on the first test. However, it still requires a four lows supplement program.

If four lows was present on the first hair test and it persists on a retest, as it often does, it means the initial four lows pattern is still present and has not shifted yet.

WHAT DOES THE FOUR LOWS PATTERN ON AN INITIAL TEST MEAN?

1. A lifestyle pattern. Most cases of four lows on a first hair analysis are what we call a lifestyle pattern. That is, the pattern is often related to a person’s attitudes or lifestyle. This is also why it may take a little longer to correct in many people who are not willing or easily able to change their lifestyle.

Lifestyle factors that may cause or contribute to the attitude are working too much or too hard, being in an oppressed or very stressful situation in some way, compulsive or obsessive tendencies that wear out the body, or other.

Attitudes that could drive a person into a four lows pattern might include intense rage or anger, intense fear, even intense guilt or some other emotion that wears down or depletes the body.

While improving the attitudes and lifestyle are important for all healing, they are most important for this pattern when it occurs on a first hair analysis. Recall that if the pattern only occurs on a retest, it is not as important.

Three analogies for a four lows pattern:

A. One is spinning his wheels in a ditch and getting nowhere fast.

B. One is in a state of collapse in some manner. The pattern looks like a collapse on the calibrated chart from ARL.

C. One is out in the cold without shelter. I say this because normally when the body is under a lot of chronic stress, after a while the sodium and potassium levels decrease and the calcium and magnesium levels rise. This increase in the level of calcium and magnesium acts like a form of protection or shelter that reduces the person’s stress in some ways, by literally suppressing alarm reactions in the body. However, with four lows pattern the ‘shelter’ does not arise, meaning that the calcium and magnesium levels remain low. I am not sure why this occurs, whether the person does not want it or, for some physiological reason, it simply does not occur.

2. Autonomic nervous system imbalance. This pattern represents an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system. It is an extreme sympathetic dominance pattern. This means the autonomic nervous system is involved and is not regulating itself properly.

Using the analogy of an automobile stuck in the mud or ice with the wheels spinning and getting nowhere, it is as if the person is disconnected from reality in a way and just keeps spinning the wheels instead of realizing he is not getting anywhere and should try a different way of living, thinking or acting.

3. This is a type of stalled transition pattern from fast to slow oxidation in most cases. This means that the person was formerly in fast oxidation, but the body cannot sustain the fast oxidation. As a result, the sodium and potassium levels have fallen. However, the person is not yet in full slow oxidation with elevated calcium and magnesium levels. This is the meaning of a transition pattern. Others are four highs, sympathetic dominance and fast oxidation with a very low sodium/potassium ratio.

This also means that the resolution or outcome as one exits four lows is usually for the person to become a slow oxidizer. This may involve a psychological transition one must make, not just a biochemical one.

4. A possible H-P-A Axis Disconnect. The four lows pattern can represent a type of imbalance that affects what is called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis or H-P-A axis.

This means the normal feedback mechanisms that control the adrenal and thyroid glandular activity through the sympathetic nervous system is not working quite right. An interesting theoretical consideration is that it may be related to excessive copper, mercury or perhaps other toxins that affect the glands and the feedback system involving them.

5. Most critical is that Dr. Paul Eck, a pioneer of mineral analysis, found that people with four-lows often do not respond well to standard nutritional balancing programs. They do not get well as fast, and often they have consulted many doctors and nutritionists with poor results. Figuring out the meaning of four-lows and how to help these individuals took a lot of effort and was a tremendous breakthrough for him that took 11 years or more of research.

6. A calcium and,, perhaps, a vitamin D imbalance. Four lows might have to do with calcium dysregulation. It may also involve a severe vitamin D deficiency, also impacting calcium metabolism in the body.

7. Clinically, we always address this pattern first on a hair mineral analysis. Only when the person is out of the four lows pattern, do we address most other imbalances on the test. This means that in every single instance, so far, we do not address toxic metals, nutrient deficiencies and many other factors until after the four lows pattern is addressed and corrected.

An analogy, again, is to first get the car out of the ditch where it is stuck before trying to fix other problems with it. One reason is that trying to fix the body while it is “spinning its wheels” just does not work well. Dr. Eck was brilliant to have figured out how to handle these individuals, who have usually resisted many kinds of corrective treatments. Dr. Eck’s method of handling these cases works wonderfully in most cases.

PHYSIOLOGY OF FOUR LOWS ON A FIRST MINERAL ANALYSIS

Two high and two low electrolytes are most common on hair analyses. Normally, on a hair mineral analysis one may see elevated sodium and potassium levels with low calcium and magnesium levels. This tends to correspond to an alarm stage of stress.

One also may see the reverse - elevated calcium and magnesium levels with low sodium and potassium levels. This is generally an exhaustion stage of stress.

Thus we find that calcium and magnesium levels tend to move opposite of the sodium and potassium levels. The reason for this is that sodium and potassium tend to solubilize calcium and magnesium, lowering the levels in the tissues. When less sodium and potassium are present, calcium and magnesium rise.

Four lows is the exception. However, in the case of four lows on a first tissue mineral analysis, we do not see two high and two low electrolytes. Sodium and potassium levels are decreased, indicating a state of adrenal exhaustion. However, calcium and magnesium are low, indicating an alarm reaction. So this pattern represents a combination of the stages of stress to some degree.

An ineffective alarm stage of stress. In fact, one is exhausted, but remains in an alarm stage of stress. This is often, in part at least, due to mental and emotional tendencies associated with four lows, although toxic metals and other chemical imbalances may also play a role.

It is a type of ineffective alarm stage of stress in that the adrenal and thyroid glands do not respond as they normally should.

The tendency of the person is to move into more of an alarm stage of stress - to push oneself harder, in order to force the adrenals and thyroid to respond. However, in the case of a first test in four lows, this does not work and one only becomes more exhausted.

Why standard nutrition and medical approaches don’t work with a first-test four lows pattern. Standard nutrition programs and medical interventions often do not work well because most seek to increase the person’s energy by enhancing the oxidation rate - increasing sympathetic nervous system activity. This is precisely what these people cannot do. If they try to raise their sodium and potassium levels, the body tends to lower the calcium and magnesium levels further. However, since this would be very dangerous, it does not happen and the person does not respond or may get worse.

For example, medical and even holistic doctors often give these clients thyroid hormones, in part to improve their energy level and often the serum thyroid hormone levels are low due to increased cell permeability or other problems with the thyroid gland in these cases. Not only does this therapy fail, but the person usually gets worse. We find that at times the person must stop the thyroid hormones in order to get well.

SYMPTOMS OF FOUR LOWS ON A FIRST TISSUE MINERAL ANALYSIS

Although one can have many symptoms, the most common ones are:

Fatigue: This is usually present. However, those who have not been in a four lows pattern for too long may not be in touch with their fatigue and may function very well with few complaints. They may continue to push themselves and use stimulants, activities, worry or other mental habits to drive themselves.

Allergies: This is probably due to a combination of exhausted adrenal glands and low adrenal reserves.

Anxiety, irritability, insomnia, muscle tightness and muscle cramps: All of these symptoms are often due to low levels of tissue calcium and magnesium.

Hidden lead toxicity: Other common symptoms include a tendency for lead toxicity because lead will replace calcium as calcium becomes more deficient. The elevated lead will not be revealed on the first several hair mineral analyses due to inability to mobilize lead from tissue storage. Only later, as the body’s energy improves with therapy will the lead often be revealed. Toxicity with other metals such as copper is also very common.

Impaired digestion: Individuals with four-lows often have food allergies, usually including wheat, dairy and at times gluten. They are also usually deficient in hydrochloric acid, which is associated with low levels of sodium and potassium.

Also, their sympathetic dominant personality tends to turns off digestive secretions and reduces the ability to digest food. Thus attention to diet and digestion is important. It is also one reason that pancreatin and perhaps hydrochloric acid are important supplements for them.

To assist digestion, excellent eating habits are important. These include quiet, regular, sit-down meals, thorough chewing and eating slowly. Others are avoiding overeating and complicated food combinations, and resting 15 minutes after eating before resuming activities.

Hidden copper toxicity. Most, or perhaps everyone with four lows has hidden copper toxicity regardless of whether they have other indicators of hidden or overt copper imbalance.

Degenerative diseases: If one remains in the pattern for several years, degenerative disease and cancer in particular may develop.

THE FOUR-LOWS PERSONALITY

There is a definite personality tendency associated with the four-low-electrolyte pattern when it appears on a first mineral analysis.

People with the four-lows pattern are often rather intense, driven and often self-critical and/or critical of others. Often the adults work very hard and do not know how to relax. They enjoy the intense drama of life, although they may not admit it.

It is as though they enjoy the sound of the spinning of the car tires. They are unaware of their personality pattern and how it affects them and others around them.

Many are frustrated, negative and cynical. They have all given up at some level, perhaps because they have sought help without result. They are usually fast oxidizer personalities or stress seekers, whether or not they are aware of it.

However, they are tired and unable to maintain this lifestyle and keep up their health. They often have negative attitudes about life, and most have a definite death wish. They are not happy people, as a general rule.

They may also have somewhat of a compulsive and perfectionistic tendency in their personality. Most are very good people who have given up at some level and just ‘hanging in there’ but not too open to changing themselves at deep levels.

Addressing the personality issue can be important to correct a four-lows pattern when it appears on a first mineral test. One who becomes aware of the personality pattern and makes lifestyle and attitudinal changes will respond much faster.

SABOTAGING THE PROGRAM

Some people with four lows on the first tissue mineral analysis are actually running away from life with their activities, worries, etc. For these people, slowing down is indeed frightening and perhaps painful as old memories and traumas may surface.

One needs large doses of self-love and compassion for oneself. These can help one face whatever comes up and realize that one can get through it and it is best to let go of old traumas rather than keep them bottled up inside.

Some people with four low electrolytes believe their condition is just getting worse if they slow down, and may consciously or unconsciously fight the program. However, this just slows progress.

Perhaps you know people who believe the only way to get a car out of the ice is to spin the wheels fast. Any other approach feels like giving up. Understanding the pattern thoroughly is helpful so that one realizes that slowing down is needed, even if one is unsure what that entails.

If one does not understand this, one is likely to sabotage the program when the feeling of fatigue and relaxation occurs. One may begin using stimulants like caffeine or taking high-dose B complex vitamins "just to get a boost". This can seem harmless enough, but it is not. I attempt to explain that these may be okay once one is out of the pattern, but until then it only slows down progress.

It is as though, if the car is stuck in the ice, one tells the driver to slow down the wheels, so that one can place a piece of wood or other material under the wheels to improve traction. Just as you are placing the wood, the driver decides to step on the gas again.

A case history of four lows. Years ago, a lawyer consulted me who had the four-lows pattern on his first hair mineral analysis. He began a nutritional correction program and he felt better within a month.

However, instead of listening to the advice about slowing down, this client took on more work, and in fact proudly reported he could now work seven days a week. One day he called, concerned because he felt dependent on the supplements.

I again explained the personality connection. However, he refused to slow down. I realized I was unable to do more for him as long as he stubbornly maintained his breakneck, compulsive lifestyle. I consider this case a failure on my part because I could not educate the client sufficiently for him to change his lifestyle. However, this article had not been written – maybe it will help others like him, of which there are many today.

FOUR LOWS ON A RETEST HAIR ANALYSIS

When the four lows pattern appears only on a retest but not on the first test, it is generally a simple retracing and not nearly as important. We call it a resting death pattern. This means the person is in a resting stage or healing stage. We also call it the dog curled up in the corner licking its wounds pattern. It will usually resolve within a few months, though in some cases resolution takes a year or longer.

COMMON CAUSES OR REASONS FOR FOUR LOWS (An Excerpt from Nutritional Balancing And Hair Mineral Analysis, 4^th edition, 2010)

To help reverse a four lows pattern, it is helpful to know how and why a person may move into the pattern. The major ways are described below:

1. END OF LIFE PATTERN.

Causes. A combination of nutritional depletion, fatigue, perhaps, and mental decay cause a degree of wanting to move on from this lifetime. Medical doctors may subtly communicate to older people that they are needing to die soon. This happens because the medical doctor cannot really rebuild the older person’s body using drugs, so the only alternative is to let the patient die. The habit of drugging the elderly just speeds the process along. I all this ‘medical disease’, and it is very prevalent today. As a result of all the above, the seventh chakra that brings life energy into the body begins to close and life comes to an end.

Whom. Millions over the age of 55-70, or very ill people at any age.

What they need and how to help them. Nutritional balancing is fabulous to help reverse the death wish and revive a desire to live.

2. LIFESTYLE CAVE IN.

Causes. Feeling overwhelmed, such as from a job loss, becoming ill or disabled, or some other stress such as a divorce. The person is also often toxic from unhealthy diets and other reasons. This adds to the problem, but is not the total cause. All the stress causes a “cave in”.

Whom. This is the most common cause of four lows in America. It occurs in men, as much or more than in women. Most are hard-working, white-collar or blue-collar workers.

How to help them: They can do well on a nutritional balancing program. The problem is getting them to stay with the program, as it requires more discipline, especially dietary discipline, than most are accustomed to.

3. EXHAUSTED AND DEPLETED.

Causes. Collapse occurs due mainly to nutritional depletion. Many are vegetarians or

have followed raw food or other extreme or deficient diets for years. Other types of stress add to the problem, but are not the major cause.

Whom. Affects men, women and children equally, mainly in Western societies where the diets are mainly refined foods, and the bodies are further weakened by chlorinated and fluoridated water, medical drugs, vaccines, air pollution and other insults to the bodies.

What they need and how to help them. They absolutely require the correct nutrition, along with a few supplements, but not too many, and often they require much more rest.

4. HYSTERICAL.

Causes. A delicate nervous system, along with neurosis, a faulty attitude or excessive stress of another kind, causes extreme anxiety and finally a collapse. Copper imbalance is often prominent, contributing to anxiety, fears and emotionality.

Whom. Mainly women over 25 with delicate nervous systems. However, it could be anyone who cannot relax because they worry constantly, even though they may sleep a lot.

What they need and how to help them. In addition to nutritional balancing, these people need the Roy Masters meditation and relaxation methods such as breathing, gentle walking or other methods to calm the mind.

5. SEXUAL ADDICTION AND DEPLETION.

Causes. Collapse is caused by overdoing on sexual activity.

Whom: Less common, but occurs in hetero- and homosexual men and some women.

What they need and how to help them. They are easy to help with nutritional balancing if they will reduce their sexual activity.

6. BLOWN OUT OR STRUNG OUT.

Causes. Collapse is caused by a combination of factors. However, the main one is being ‘strung out’ on a drug. It is most often sugar or caffeine, but it could be due to marijuana, methamphetamines or others. This leads to extra stress, confused thinking and poor quality lifestyle decisions. After a few years of living this way, the nervous system is ‘fried’ or becomes overwhelmed, causing one to collapse into four lows.

Whom. Common among some groups of Americans and Europeans, in particular.

What they need and how to help them. They need a new lifestyle, a clean diet, no stimulants or drugs, and a four lows nutritional balancing program. Progress will be slow if the body is loaded with drugs. Sauna therapy is most helpful to remove some of them. Advanced cases are more difficult to heal due to the poisoning of the nervous system with drugs.

7. DISEASED, OPPRESSED AND VICTIMIZED.

Causes. Collapse is due to inner stress from fear, starvation, disease and working too hard to survive. This is aggravated by stress from outside the body such as frequent wars, political unrest and often outright oppression by vampire-like governments. This results in epidemics of serious illnesses such as AIDS that further weaken the body until it collapses, often at a young age. Most do not live long lives.

Whom. Very common in developing nations, but it is not seen much in Western capitalist societies that are more prosperous and respect the rights of individuals and women, in particular.

What they need and how to help them. They are quite easy to help if they could afford good food, and if they could rest, which most cannot as they are kept poor and almost in slavery by their corrupt governments.

8. MENTALLY EXHAUSTED.

Causes. This occurs in some cases of multiple sclerosis, Lou Gherig’s disease and others. The person is mentally very intense, and not mentally balanced. Eventually the nervous system ‘crashes’ due to overwork, lack of rest, nutritional depletion and lack of mental control. This is very different from a lack of emotional control. Mental control has to do with resting the mind during the day instead of running it full bore all the time. In a few cases, the person’s mentality could be described as “loopy” meaning going in circles and without direction or much clear intent.

Whom. Relatively rare, and seen in cases of multiple sclerosis and perhaps other mercury toxicity syndromes.

What they need and how to help them. This pattern may be difficult to help with nutritional balancing, especially in long-standing cases. One must help the person to slow down mentally, which they do not like and/or have great difficulty with, thanks to mercury or other metal toxicity and perhaps mental problems. The Roy Masters meditation is most helpful, but they often do not like it because it raises awareness and can go around the conscious mind.

(end of excerpt from Nutritional Balancing And Hair Mineral Analysis)

CORRECTION OF A FOUR LOWS PATTERN

Principles of correction.

1. When the sodium and potassium levels are low, normally one would increase the levels of these minerals by boosting adrenal activity. Most people in four lows on a first test are tired, so the obvious principle would be to give them foods, herbs and supplemental nutrients to support their glandular activity.

However, when sodium and potassium increase, calcium and magnesium levels tend to decrease. In these people, calcium and magnesium are already low. The body does not permit further decreases, as this could be harmful.

For this reason, programs designed to boost thyroid and adrenal glandular activity, or other ways to increase energy production usually do not work. The person may feel better for a time, and then crashes or just does not respond well ever.

2. The proper approach, according to Dr. Eck’s research. The correction of four-lows depends on suppressing or turning off the sympathetic nervous system enough so that the adrenal and thyroid glands can rest and rebuild. This is analogous to slowing the wheels of a car that are spinning out of control. Another analogy is rebooting or restarting a computer because it is stuck in a loop. By shutting down the system and restarting it, essentially, it is like pushing the ‘reset’ button on a computer or other device that reloads the programs and gets the machine back functioning more normally. This is a very crude analogy, but it appears to be valid in some instances.

3. Lifestyle alone may be enough in a few cases. Resting a lot more, sleeping more, slowing down one’s life and adopting a positive, relaxed attitude could alone take a person out of the four lows pattern, theoretically, though it rarely seems to be enough.

4. Precise nutritional correction, however, is most helpful in most cases. Most of the time lifestyle changes are not enough, in our experience. Otherwise, the pattern tends to persist and can be quite intractable. Dr. Eck figured out how to do this, as follows:

Supplement outline. The supplement program consists of high doses of only a few supplements, as follows. For children, one must modify the dosages according to weight and age, primarily. The general supplement program for adults is:

1. Calcium – about 2400 mg of elemental calcium in 3 divided doses. Excellent forms of calcium include calcium lactate, chelate or citrate.

2. Magnesium - about 1300 mg of elemental magnesium daily in divided doses with meals. Good forms are the citrate, chelate, lactate or glycinate.

3. Zinc - 66 to 150 mg of elemental zinc, depending on the Na/K ratio. If the ratio is greater than 2, give more zinc. If less than 2, give only about 48-63 mg daily in divided doses. Good forms of zinc are the chelate, picolinate or others.

4. Copper – give only if the Na/k ratio is less than 2.5 in a dose of about 4-5 mg/day of elemental copper in divided doses.

5. GB-3 from Endomet Labs in Phoenix, Arizona – 1 or 2 per meal or less if not tolerated well. GB-3 product can cause loose stools at first in some people. In this case, we use another product from Endomet Labs called Enz-aid.

These are animal-based digestive enzymes. This is often less stimulating than the use of enzyme formulas with Betaine Hcl-pepsin or fungal enzymes because ours use ox bile and pancreatin, which are more parasympathetic in their nature than some synthesized products such as Betaine with Hcl and pepsin.

6. L-taurine – 3 grams daily in 3 divided doses.

7. EPA-DHA 300 mg/capsule – 3 per day.

8. Vitamin D3 4000 iu – 1 or 2 per day. after a month, reduce to 1/day.

9. Kelp – about 3 capsules (660 mg each) daily.

Optional products we use rarely:

Inositol/choline/methionine – about 600-1000 mg daily in 3 divided doses. This product is optional and often we do not include it to keep the number of tablets down or reduce the cost of the program.

Important notes about this program:

1. Do not add other supplements! Dr. Eck found that a smaller, simple program is best until the pattern shifts. Too many supplements can activate the sympathetic nervous system and be counterproductive.

Avoiding almost all other supplements is vitally important, especially avoiding any that boost or speed up adrenal or thyroid glandular activity. Especially avoid all B-complex, high-dose vitamin C or E, adrenal or thyroid glandulars, thyroid or adrenal replacement hormones, even bio-identical ones, and ‘adrenal’ or thyroid’ herbs such as ginseng, licorice extract, guarana, algae, chlorella, cilantro, spirulina and others.

Also one should avoid caffeine in all forms, sugars and chemicals in the diet.

2. The dosages of calcium and magnesium, in particular, seem very high, but are most often very well-tolerated in these individuals. For example, the computer at Analytical Research Labs may recommend less for general safety. However, the high doses are needed in most cases for a short time.

In general, the lower the electrolyte numbers on the hair analysis, the more calcium, magnesium and zinc are given.

3. The correction is not for a prolonged period, but only until the pattern changes. This is why the high doses are fine, in our experience. This is also why we do not address other imbalances while we are addressing a four lows pattern.

4. Lifestyle. Equally important are lifestyle factors to help rest the adrenals. These include more sleep, slowing one's pace of life, relaxation, slow walking, meditation and deep breathing.

5. Other relaxing therapies that may help inhibit excessive sympathetic or fight-or-flight nervous system activity include saunas, massage, gentle chiropractic, other bodywork such as Rolfing, meditation, or other gentle therapies. This too can help rest the adrenal glands.

Everyone with four low electrolytes is what we call sympathetic dominant, which means they overuse their sympathetic nervous system. All the therapeutic methods listed are to inhibit the sympathetic system.

6. Emotional correction. Equally important is to reduce worry, fear, compulsiveness, anger, cynicism and other emotional factors that tend to drive and stimulate the sympathetic system.

7. Adverse effects of four lows programs. At times, high doses to calcium, magnesium and zinc can make the four-lows individual more tired for a while. It is wise to warn the patient of this possibility.

If the fatigue is very annoying, the dosages may be reduced slightly. For example, instead of 3 or 4 calcium/magnesium tablets three times daily, give less in the morning when one needs some energy and make up for it by giving more in the evening with supper, when one is going to bed soon and doesn’t care about the fatigue.

Also, everyone is somewhat different in their sensitivity to all supplements, so doses have to be adjusted at times. Just recall the principles and you won’t go far wrong.

Rarely, someone gets diarrhea from all the magnesium. In this case, reduce the magnesium component of the program. This is surprisingly rare, however, indicating that these individuals must require enormous amounts of magnesium when in this metabolic condition.

This may be a great key to its correction and the reason some people love magnesium therapies such as magnesium oil, which we could use instead of oral magnesium.

HOW LONG TO COME OUT OF FOUR LOWS?

Since many factors can contribute to the four lows pattern, the time required to come out of the pattern varies widely.

In some people, four-lows is very temporary. It may show up on one test, and then disappear on the next. In other cases, a year or several years are required to come out of the pattern. A few people never emerge from the pattern only because they have difficulty slowing down.

CHILDREN WITH FOUR-LOWS

Here are three possible causes for four-lows on the first mineral analysis of a young child:

· A parent has the four-lows pattern and the child picks up the personality tendency from a stressed parent. Usually the parent is demanding of the child, and the child responds with the four-lows type of stress response.

· Some children today are born so nutritionally depleted or toxic, or with a tendency for the four lows personality pattern that they are predisposed to develop the pattern at a young age. It is seen in some children who have been diagnosed autistic or ADHD.

· Four-lows could be caused in part in a child or adult by a malabsorption syndrome or leaky gut syndrome, gluten intolerance or other severe food allergies. One could also look for signs of parasites in the stool and clinical signs as well such as weight loss, poor appetite, itching and others.

Fortunately, children's personalities are less set and thus correction often occurs faster than in adults. The same principles of correction apply: to reduce stress of every kind, rest more, and give only a small supplement program. Give the same basic products - calcium, magnesium, zinc, taurine, and possibly copper if the sodium/potassium ratio is less than 2.5.

Giving a digestive aid would be nice. However, most taste and smell awful. They are more difficult to crush or grind and disguise in foods the child loves to eat.

FOUR LOWS MAY PROVIDE A “SAFE” AND MORE RESTFUL BIOCHEMICAL PLACE OR SITUATION

We have observed that some people love a four lows program. This seems odd because it involves taking a large amount of calcium, magnesium and often zinc, which have a somewhat depressing effect upon body chemistry. In seeking to explain this, it appears that a four lows pattern can act as an adaptation to stress in that it may be a protective pattern for some people.

A crude analogy is an inexperienced driver who knows that rather than drive in the snow, he is better off spinning his wheels in a ditch safely at the side of the road. Another crude analogy is a mentally unstable person who prefers to be locked away in jail rather than out on the streets so that he will not harm himself or others. Four lows can thus apparently act as a “safe haven” in some ways, for some people. These are usually very emotional people who do not know how to handle the emotions such as anger, for example. they may not even be fully in touch with their emotional nature.

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