Hair analysis, when correctly done, measures the body’s levels of various minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc, among others. As the hair is considered a storage organ, it provides a biochemical record of nutritional status over a period of several months. This is why many health-care practitioners consider hair analysis to provide a better picture of underlying mineral imbalances than most blood or urine tests. Hair analysis does not assess vitamin deficiency, however, so other testing procedures are needed to supplement the findings of a hair analysis.
Individualized Optimal Nutrition (ION) The ION Panel, from MetaMetrix Medical Laboratories in Norcross, Georgia, uses a blood and a urine sample to measure 150 biochemical components. Specifically, ION checks for nutritional status in categories including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty and organic acids, lipid peroxides, general blood chemistries (cholesterol, thyroid hormone, glucose), and antioxidants. Each patient’s nutritional level is then compared with what is considered the healthy norm. In addition, ION can provide supplement recommendations based on the individual’s test results.
