Cellular-Level Analysis (EHA)
The best way to correctly carry out a comprehensive analysis of the organism at a cellular level is to examine soft tissues, and hair is the most suitable for this. This laboratory test is called the 'Elemental Hair Analysis', or EHA for short.
What you will learn in this article:
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What it is.
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Why use hair and not blood. How the analysis works.
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What the analysis tells us.
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Who it's good for, who can benefit the most.
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What you will gain, what changes will occur after the analysis.
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Choosing a laboratory. What to consider.
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How to prepare for the analysis.
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What to watch out for.
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Sources, research.
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My story.
What is it?
Elemental Hair Analysis is a method which enables the assessment of the nutritional state of an organism. 👨🔬 This examination determines the level of elements in our body, both those necessary for the proper functioning of the body (homeostasis) and the toxic ones. This test determines not only the levels of given elements, but also the ratio between them, e.g. calcium to magnesium, did you know that there should be 2x more calcium than magnesium? Why are the proportions between the elements important? Because a deficiency or excess of a given element influences other elements. There is a mutual dependency between certain elements. The determination of the ratio between elements allows for an assessment of metabolic activity and regularity of physiological processes in the body.
It is used to assess the nutritional status of the body in prophylaxis, disease and rehabilitation. It is useful in detecting various health problems and tendencies to diseases, which at a later stage gives us the possibility of preventing diseases before they appear or develop to such an extent that we notice them (i.e. the appearance of specific disease symptoms). 👩⚕️
Should you still do blood tests 🩸?
🩸 Blood is a very important tissue in our body, morphological tests are also very important tests. It is advisable to do such tests periodically from time to time, as such tests determine and show us different information that is also important.
IMPORTANT: blood parameters can change very dynamically. The blood does not communicate what is happening in the body over time or at the cellular level. The blood is the carrier of nutrients, while the cells are recipients. The content of elements in blood serum depends on the time of day, food eaten before the test, emotional state, and it should be remembered that in our body there are regulating mechanisms - HOMEOSTASIS, that is equalizing the level of elements in blood at the expense of reserves in tissues and vice versa. If there is too much of a given substance, the blood will give it back to the tissues. 🩸 Blood test results may give an apparent correct concentration of the elements, but they reflect only a temporary state of the organism, not the actual state of nourishment of our body. And although, for example, we consider a blood test determining the level of glucose in the blood as useful/important, these results still do not illustrate the reason why this sugar rises, what is the cause of the changes that have occurred. These questions may be answered through the assessment of mineral levels at the cellular level. The hair test therefore gives an indication of the state of our body and its nutrition. Bio-elements are built into the hair structure during its growth, and their concentration provides information about their content in the organism over a longer period of time, about 2-3 months.
To illustrate, let me give the case of my son, who was not yet 2 years old. Before all the panic with COVID-19, at home we went through a so-called cold (or mild flu condition) in December-January (2019/2020).
My youngest son went through it the worst because I don't supplement him the same way like the older members of the family. He had symptoms of coronavirus before it hit Europe: fever and a constant cough that ended with him having difficulty breathing. He had 46-50 shallow breaths per minute (a newborn has 40 breaths/min, older children 20-25 breaths per minute), with the throat area collapsing.
We called the doctor right away. My son received steroids, and everything ended happily. After a month, the doctor ordered blood tests because profuse nosebleeds began, and the horror began again. The hospital called us before they even sent the results to the doctor.
I was supposed to see a doctor that same day with my son. The doctor couldn't do anything to determine what had happened because my child was already healthy, laughing. The doctor, however, was very concerned. He wouldn't tell me anything, but I forced him to at least tell me what was worried about. He just told me not to look for the answer myself because I'd stumble on worrying information, and the blood results could be due to something else.
(Of course, I looked it up... the results suggested severe anemia and even leukemia - you know what was going on in my head as a mum.)
I did the private tests again, with the same results. The next step was to wait a month for the paediatrician and get tested again. The results were a little better, they told me "the blood is coming back to normal." It was probably caused by the virus and steroids.
My point is that the blood test only determines the situation at one moment. It is an important and fundamental study. But if we want to know more about what is going on in our bodies, if there is a deficiency or excess, it is worth checking other methods as well.
Therefore, on the basis of humoral tests it is difficult to prove that there is a deficiency or excess of bio-elements. A lack of elements in the body can be caused by many factors: poor nutrition, poor variety, environmental conditions and pathological states. Bio-elements are constantly built into the hair structure during its growth, therefore it provides information about their content over a longer period of time of 2-3 months. Elemental hair analysis is an increasingly appreciated diagnostic tool for the assessment of the nutritional status of an organism.
Deficiencies of nutrients can be the cause of many dangerous diseases, information about the actual level of nutrients allows for the implementation of prophylaxis and prevention measures of diseases, and allows to match the needs of the body with the actual state of nutrition. For people living in harmful environments, the analysis allows for the detection of toxic elements and implementation of a detoxification programme.
What does the analysis tell us?
First of all, the analysis is designed to assess the nutritional status of our body. It not only determines the number of elements in the body, but also the relationship between them. This is very important because the elements may "compete" with each other or "cooperate". We do not have to know it all, because the results of the test are interpreted by doctors cooperating with the laboratory. The elemental hair analysis is not used to treat, diagnose, or track diseases. However, thanks to the results, it is possible to adjust the nutritional programme to the current needs of the body. Determination of mutual proportions between elements allows to determine the metabolic type and the course of physiological processes. Changes in the values of the elements are reflected in the functioning of the body, e.g. the nervous, hormonal and digestive systems. The results "increased" or "decreased" do not necessarily mean pathology, however, they may suggest that a person is prone to certain diseases, may support therapeutic interventions and explain existing pathology. Based on the result, an individual dietary and supplementation (vitamin-mineral-antioxidant) program is recommended to improve the state of health.
The Elemental Hair Analysis - HEALTH PROGRAM, which I use, gives you:
⚜ determination of 29 elements (including 5 TOXIC elements),
⚜ the mutual proportions between these elements,
⚜ diet for 7 days - each day of the week with nutritional recommendations
⚜ physical activity recommendations
⚜ description and characterization of metabolic type
⚜ a supplement program for up to 6 months (with an introductory program of 1-3 months).
Why is all this so important?
Diet together with a vitamin 💊 and mineral supplementation program, plus physical activity, leads to metabolic balance. It is worth mentioning that each of us is an individual and needs a unique approach, not general recommendations. The state of such balance (homeostasis) protects us from diseases and more.
Who is it good for? Who can benefit most from the analysis?
The examination should be used primarily for prophylactic purposes. Detailed attention to this examination should be paid by people who:
⚠ live and work under tension and stress, experience constant stress
⚠ feel constant tiredness, lack of desire to act
⚠ have a mood disorder
⚠ have general illness, headaches
⚠ have ongoing health problems or cannot diagnose them
⚠ are athletes who want to achieve better results
⚠ are planning to start a family (both mums and dads-to-be)
⚠ are pregnant or breast-feeding women
⚠ have hormone problems
⚠ are after diseases (in order to recover faster)
⚠ want to change their eating habits
⚠ cannot cope with their current diet or have poor eating habits
⚠ have digestive problems
⚠ have skin problems, hair loss, nail problems
⚠ rarely do preventive check-ups
⚠ want to check whether their child is developing properly.
What will you gain from following the recommendations?
The elemental hair analysis allows us to visualize the state of our organism, our health over a period of about 2-4 months (depending on the period from which you give a hair sample). The obtained result indicates disorders in the organism which are present, micro- and macro-element disorders, and pathogenic heavy metal load. Based on the result of the examination, individual recommendations are prepared. After their application, your life may change:
✅ Your mood and health will improve
✅ You will feel a surge of energy and a desire to act
✅ you will have the chance to control your weight effectively
✅ Your mental and physical condition will improve
✅ You may eliminate unhealthy food cravings
✅ The ageing process will slow down
✅ Your immune system will work more efficiently
✅ Prevention will be tailored to you
✅ You will eliminate digestive problems
Choosing a lab. How to choose, and what I considered.
Before I decided to choose a lab 🧪, I searched the web and looked for different offers. You must know, there are not many such laboratories, it's all about specialized equipment. On the other hand, there are many partners who cooperate with the given labs, as I am one of them. What this means, is that it’s important to read carefully what is included in the price. You can use any partner that you like, but it is worthwhile to analyse what kind of test is offered and in which laboratory and who performs it and who describes it. What are the conditions of taking the material, i.e. whether you can do it yourself (which is very convenient nowadays), whether you have to appear in a particular institution, and whether you can send the material at any time, or you have to wait for a particular date. In my opinion it is important what part of the body a particular laboratory accepts hair for examination (in different parts of the body hair grows differently and is exposed to different factors). Everyone should look at these aspects to see if the laboratory meets your criteria and if you are satisfied. Here are some facts about the lab that I chose. I was guided by how many years they have been on the market, who works there, i.e. researches and describes (because cooperation does not determine this at all, it may be that cooperation means that a particular doctor, nutritionist uses the help of elemental hair analysis and does not describe the results). The price, what is included in the given price. Tests are different, descriptions and recommendations too. And how long you have to wait for the results.
The laboratory 🧪 we use and cooperate with is the Department of BIOCHEMISTRY OF THE Medical Academy (Biomol). It is a Polish laboratory which has been on the market since 1998, i.e. for over 20 years. Doctors of various specialisations also cooperate with this laboratory. In general, tests of mineral metabolism have been carried out all over the world for 30 years. In the 90's the diagnosis of trace elements in hair became a well-known method of assessing the nutritional status of the body. The laboratory performs tests for customers from all over Europe, from Asian countries and from North America. Biomol is a European leader in its field, because they work on the basis of European standards, cooperate with state and private institutions in many countries. In addition, they continuously expand their knowledge during lectures and training courses in many different countries (Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, France and Belgium). The company's mission is to promote the knowledge of correct lifestyle and proper nutrition of the body. The team at the laboratory has developed its own way of interpreting the elemental hair analysis based on knowledge and experience gained. Each laboratory can define its own values and norms. Here, the norms are defined for the mineral composition of hair for the Central European population. The results are interpreted by cooperating doctors. Thus, the analysis has become a helpful diagnostic tool for many doctors and nutritionists. It was also important for me to know the language in which the results are offered, so that it wasn't only Polish (there are also languages: English, German, Czech, Russian and Ukrainian). I, as a PARTNER of this laboratory, add extras for people who want to use this kind of test.
How should I prepare for the analysis?
Before cutting the sample, you should fill out the medical questionnaire.
Hair should be clean before taking the sample, without any styling agents such as mousse, gel, lotion etc. Use sharp scissors 💇♀️💇♂️ to cut out the hair, do not pull it out. The hair should be cut from the occipital part, the place where the hair is cut is important in terms of elemental determination. First 2-4 cm from scalp are suitable for examination. Collect 200mg of hair, it is a full tablespoon. It is important not to get anything dirty, so put the cut hair in a foil bag or a clean envelope. Such prepared sample should be sent to the laboratory.
What to look out for:
The hair to be tested must be natural, not dyed or treated with chemicals. If it was, you should wait 8 weeks until they grow back, hoping that within a month the hair grows about 1 cm.
On the other hand, if your hair is too short, wait until you have a minimum growth of 2 cm, or every time you get a haircut, collect the hair for about 2 months.
In the case of diseases that have caused hair loss, the collection of material for examination will be from another part, in which case please contact me. These are exceptions only for people who have been affected.
There is a 10-15 working day wait for the test, from the time the sample is received by the lab. However, there are situations in which the test can be accelerated, you have to ask the lab first. These situations are: conducting a hormone treatment, chronic inflammation, cancer (in order to support pharmacotherapy). Keeping in mind that it is up to the doctor treating the person with the disease.
What should I watch out for?
People who are already ill should not change their treatment without first consulting their doctor 👨⚕️, because supplements are not drugs 💊. Supplements are intended to supplement our deficiencies. When you take nutritional supplements, you may feel worse, this state may be caused by "detoxification", the direct cause may be toxic elements and catabolites accumulated in tissues, which are removed from the body. It could also be caused by organism demanding substances with which it has been fed so far, when we change our diet, for example, or give up sugar. This should be temporary. If there is a significant deterioration of the well-being, it is possible to reduce the nutrients to half for a few days. Again, on the basis of the elemental hair analysis we do not determine any illness, nor do we follow the course of an illness; we evaluate the nutritional state of our organism. If a diagnosis has already been made, the doctor may decide to use the analysis as an auxiliary method to achieve better results of treatment. However, the leading doctor decides about nutrition, physical activity and supplementation.
My story:
Generally I am a healthy person, nothing ails me, I do not have any diagnosed disease, but listening to my body and its subtle signals you can see the slow changes in the body.
Where can the analysis be done?
You will probably find many companies working with laboratories, they will differ in prices and what is included in the result. We also offer this service, in addition in the price we give:
✔ consultations after receiving the result,
✔ assistance with organising the supplementation
✔ access to a closed Facebook group, where we describe and recommend proven supplements and describe how they work and what they do.
👇Click the Link Below to Learn More👇
https://gbb-store.co.uk/products/elemental-hair-analysis-1
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_of_the_human_body
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30889915/