What blood tests can't see.
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis reveals cellular mineral status and metabolic patterns invisible to blood tests. The ratios between minerals tell a deeper story than absolute values ever could.
Blood maintains homeostasis at all costs.
The body will strip minerals from bones, muscles, and organs to keep blood values in range. By the time blood tests show deficiency, cellular depletion has been ongoing for months or years. Hair captures a 3-month average of what's actually happening at the cellular level.
Blood Tests
- Snapshot of current moment
- Tightly regulated for survival
- Masks tissue deficiencies
- Limited toxic metal detection
Hair Analysis
- 3-month cellular average
- Reflects actual tissue status
- Reveals metabolic patterns
- Detects heavy metal accumulation
Ratios reveal what values hide.
Sodium/Potassium Ratio
Ideal: 2.4:1The "vitality ratio" - reflects adrenal function and stress response. Low ratio indicates adrenal exhaustion, chronic stress, and cellular energy crisis. High ratio suggests acute stress or inflammation.
Calcium/Magnesium Ratio
Ideal: 7:1Reflects blood sugar handling and carbohydrate tolerance. High ratio indicates insulin resistance and magnesium depletion. Low ratio can signal hypoglycemia or excessive magnesium loss.
Zinc/Copper Ratio
Ideal: 8:1Critical for immune function, hormone balance, and neurotransmitter production. Copper dominance creates anxiety, racing mind, and estrogen excess. Zinc deficiency impairs immunity and healing.
Calcium/Potassium Ratio
Ideal: 4.2:1The "thyroid ratio" - reflects cellular thyroid function even when TSH appears normal. High ratio suggests hypothyroid pattern at cellular level. Low ratio indicates hyperthyroid tendencies.
Fast vs. slow oxidation.
Fast Oxidizers
- Burn through nutrients quickly
- High stress hormones
- Anxiety, irritability, insomnia
- Need more fats and proteins
- Calcium and magnesium supportive
Slow Oxidizers
- Sluggish cellular metabolism
- Exhausted adrenals and thyroid
- Fatigue, depression, weight gain
- May benefit from more carbs
- Need adrenal and thyroid support
The "Four Lows" Pattern
When calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium are all below ideal ranges, it indicates severe cellular exhaustion and metabolic shutdown. This pattern requires gentle, sustained support rather than aggressive supplementation.
ATP requires magnesium to function.
Every molecule of ATP - the body's energy currency - must be bound to magnesium to be biologically active. The Mg-ATP complex is what actually powers cellular processes. Without adequate magnesium, the body can produce ATP but cannot use it efficiently.
Signs of Cellular Energy Crisis
- Fatigue that sleep doesn't resolve
- Muscle weakness or cramping
- Brain fog and poor concentration
- Exercise intolerance
- Slow recovery from illness
Toxic metal accumulation patterns.
Copper Toxicity
Often hidden as "biounavailable" copper - high tissue levels with functional deficiency. Creates anxiety, brain fog, hormonal chaos. Estrogen dominance and zinc deficiency worsen accumulation.
Mercury
May show low on initial tests due to body's inability to excrete. As mineral status improves, mercury often rises as the body finally mobilizes stored toxins.
Lead and Cadmium
Accumulate when protective minerals (calcium, zinc) are depleted. The body uses toxic metals as substitutes when it cannot access the nutrients it needs.
Important: Low toxic metals on HTMA doesn't always mean low body burden. Poor eliminators may show artificially low levels until their detox pathways improve.
See what's happening inside the cells.
HTMA provides a window into cellular health that blood tests cannot offer. Understanding mineral ratios, metabolic type, and toxic metal status enables targeted interventions rather than guesswork supplementation.