detox

There are many benefits of doing heavy metal tests that can be applied for a wide variety of health concerns. These tests provide good information about various heavy metals and the potential health implications they cause or contribute to. Also, with many heavy metal tests like hair analysis certain mineral levels are also being looked at to see if deficiencies are occurring that could also worsen the situation. Finally, hair analysis heavy metal testing as looks at the pattern of mineral distribution and can provide some clues as to the likelihood of heavy metal problems. There are a number of heavy metal tests that are commonly done, and the benefits of these heavy metals tests always depends on how each test is being used.

Benefits of Heavy Metal Tests – Hair Analysis

The benefits of heavy metal tests, specifically hair analysis is important to understand with regards to detection of various heavy metals. Hair analysis, aka. Hair Metals or Hair Metal Analysis is an excellent test to perform as a general screening tool for heavy metal exposure. Hair is a medium that registers stored heavy metals in the body, and upon attempted excretion of these metals it shows up normal, high or very high depending on accumulation of that particular heavy metal overtime. For example, chronic exposure to metals like arsenic or lead are often seen elevated on hair testing, when compared to blood testing where the levels may not appear at all. The reason is hair analysis is able to pick up on stored levels of heavy metals overtime instead of just an acute exposure which may only show in the blood stream for a short while, i.e. a few days to a week. A hair analysis is a preferred screening test for anyone wanting to assess heavy metal exposure that has occurred over time.

Benefits of Heavy Metals Tests – Urine Testing

The benefits of heavy metal tests, specifically urine testing, aka, urine metal testing is important to understand with regards to detection and measurement of excreted heavy metals overtime. Urine metal testing is often used when an individual is undergoing heavy metal detoxification therapy to measure how much metal is being excreted. Often when a baseline urine metal test is done, unless there has been recent exposure to a heavy metal, the levels on excretion are quite low. However, when a specific detoxification medication is used prior to the urine metal test it will show elevated excretion of a particular metal like lead, arsenic or mercury.

Benefits of Heavy Metal Tests – Blood Testing

The benefit of heavy metal tests, specifically blood testing has a limited role in the detection of heavy metals unless exposure levels are quite high and currently occurring. For example, children are often tested for lead and mercury in the blood and the reports come back low or non-existent. The blood report is then read as negative and the parent told heavy metals are not an issue. However, when the blood results are cross checked with a hair analysis, aka. hair metal test one will see high levels of certain metals like lead and/or mercury. The reason is blood levels do not register elevated metals for very long unless the exposure to the specific metal is still ongoing. Once the exposure has occurred the metal is normally cleared from the blood fairly quickly. Often, the metal is taken into the tissues of the body and stored there. Therefore, blood testing often reports false negatives.

Summary of Benefits of Heavy Metal Tests

The benefits of heavy metal tests are important to recognize as their value is immeasurable when heavy metal exposure is suspected. Toxic metals cause serious damage within the body and can affect every organ system causing and/or contributing to brain, nervous system, immune, cardiovascular and hormone problems. Hair metal analysis is excellent for all around assessment of past exposure to heavy metals. Blood testing is worthwhile for recent exposure to various metals like lead and mercury, and urine testing is best used as a baseline prior to heavy metal detoxification or as a way to track metal excretion when undergoing heavy metal detoxification therapy. The benefits of heavy metal tests unfortunately are not regularly appreciated by traditional medicine practitioner, but are often seen as a vital tool in the practices of integrative medicine doctors.

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