In response to Dr. Blaurock-Busch’s article on hair mineral analysis (Townsend e-Letter, April 22, 2023), I want to offer the following comments.  Her article provides an accurate description of how metals and drugs are brought to scalp hair follicles and incorporated into the hair shaft making them available for laboratory analysis.   However, it’s important to note that the same circulation exposure to the hair follicle also applies to essential nutrient minerals that are incorporated into the follicle and hair shaft. This means that hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) can also be used to assess nutrient minerals that are related to cellular energy production and to the stress response.  These are both vital health issues that can be addressed with HTMAs.

More than 40 years ago, the HTMA research of Drs. Paul Eck and David Watts revealed that the nutrient minerals don’t deposit randomly in the hair follicles, but rather in distinctive mineral patterns most notably related to oxidation (metabolic) type – fast or slow.  Their HTMA research also showed that the nutrient minerals were closely related to neuro-endocrine and immune functions.

Forensic toxicology use of HTMAs to assess drug and toxic metal exposure is quite different from the Eck/Watts approach to using HTMAs to assess nutrient minerals.  Their approach helps us to understand nutrient mineral dynamics that support multiple health functions, both psychological and physical.  As Henry Schroeder, MD, observed, “minerals are the sparkplugs of life.”  The approach to HTMA interpretation developed by Drs. Eck and Watts extended Dr. Schroeder’s observation about the unique importance of nutrient minerals to an advanced level that can be universally applied to any person regardless of their health condition.

In her HTMA article, Dr. Blaurock-Busch cites a study that showed that high levels of toxic metals were “associated” with heart attacks.  An “association” is related to a correlation and does not necessarily provide an explanatory mechanism for a heart attack as a severe magnesium deficiency would.  Severe magnesium deficiency and heart attacks were extensively researched by Mildred Seelig, MD.  The researchers should have had access to HTMA nutrient mineral data and especially to magnesium status, which can be much more clinically significant in heart attacks than just the presence of toxic metals.

Drs. Eck and Watts were able to apply scientific mineral research and clinical practice to advance their understanding of HTMA laboratory data that included the assessment of stress as it is related to health conditions.  This approach allowed us to see more clearly how psychological factors triggering the stress response relate to shifts in nutrient mineral levels and ratios at the cellular level.  HTMA data also allowed us to observe the relationship between chronic psychological factors and patterns of nutrient minerals and numerous health conditions.

Given the nature of the complex neuro-endocrine/immune phenomena reflected in HTMA data and the fact that these phenomena are highly dynamic, observing everyone’s mineral pattern fluctuations over time is essential to maximize our understanding of these dynamic bio-psychological phenomena.

HTMA data also have been useful in helping us to better understand current health problems and to anticipate future health trends. By applying HTMA concepts and data, public health education and policies involving societal and environmental factors can be more intelligently developed.  Prevention or reversing adverse health trends can also reduce health care costs.

Health research that incorporated HTMA data would advance our understanding of the mind/body mineral system and how closely it is related to numerous health functions.   The HTMA research of Drs. Eck and Watts represented a unique advance in using solid laboratory mineral data to better understand the regulating health functions of the nutrient minerals.  This could have revolutionized data based approaches to medical and psychological education and health care services.

The Eck/Watts approach to using HTMA data was especially helpful in showing the close relationship between stress reactions and magnesium deficiency which helps to account for so many health problems and issues.  This HTMA approach also helps us to understand the extent of the copper toxicity epidemic that adversely affects the health functions of millions of people, children, adolescents, and adults.  HTMA data show the extent to which copper toxicity underlies so many physical and psychological problems of millions of people, especially females.

The clinical validity of the Eck/Watts approach to interpreting HTMAs is outstanding.  Since the HTMA nutrient minerals are closely related to the stress response, HTMAs can be viewed as psychological tests as well as physiological tests.

Below is from the abstract of my HTMA article published by Dr. Abram Hoffer in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, 2^nd quarter, 1994.

“The primary mechanism by which psychological factors predispose one towards a disease process is by means of the stress response and its effect on nutrient minerals at the cell and tissue levels. The stress response involves a general systems response relating psychological, neurological, endocrine, and immune system phenomena. These phenomena are reflected in certain types of nutrient mineral patterns involving levels of specific minerals and ratios between pairs of minerals. A secondary mechanism affecting this complex general systems response involves the accumulation of toxic metals from the environment in the body’s cells and tissues. This accumulation of toxic metals at a cell and tissue level displaces and interferes with regulating nutrient minerals. By interfering with cellular energy production and with neuroendocrine and immune system functions, the individual’s psychological coping mechanisms are also undermined. Vulnerability to stress is increased.   

“A database is suggested for observing critical relationships between essential nutrient minerals as well as commonly found toxic metals. Trace Mineral Analysis (HTMA) provides this essential data base. TMA generates and presents data in a manner which allows us to observe more clearly the dynamics of nutrient minerals and toxic metals at a cellular level. The dynamic relationships between these regulating nutrient minerals help to more comprehensively account for some of the phenomena described in PNI [psychoneuroimmunology] research and clinical practice. This approach allows us to see more clearly how psychological factors triggering the stress response relate to shifts in nutrient mineral levels and ratios at the cellular level. TMA data also allow us to observe the relationship between chronic psychological factors and patterns of nutrient minerals and toxic metals. Given the nature of the complex phenomena reflected in HTMA data and the fact that these phenomena are highly dynamic, observing each individual’s pattern fluctuations over time is essential to maximize our understanding of these dynamic bio-psychological phenomena. HTMA data also will be useful in helping us to better understand current health problems and to anticipate future health trends. By applying HTMA concepts and data, health policies involving societal and environmental factors can be more intelligently developed. Prevention or reversing adverse trends can also reduce health care costs.”

Published June 3, 2023