SPECIFIC LABORATORY TESTS RELATED TO DETOXIFICATION

Our naturopath may recommend specific testing (blood, stool, urine, hair and / or saliva) at this visit in order to better understand how efficient your body is in the removal of toxins, what your toxic load status is with respect to heavy metals and other toxins. Some of the tests provided at the clinic may include:

HAIR MINERAL ANALYSIS

Hair mineral analysis assesses levels of 22 potentially damaging elements using a hair sample. A substantial body of scientific literature supports hair analysis as an accurate, reliable gauge of long-term toxic exposure. Because hair follicles are exposed to the blood supply during growth, element concentrations in hair reflect concentration in other body tissues.

Should levels be elevated, a variety of clinical and lifestyle interventions can be implemented to reduce toxic burden; follow-up hair testing provides a good indication of long-term treatment effectiveness (after 3-4 months).

The following elements will be checked through the hair mineral analysis:

• Aluminum
• Antimony
• Arsenic
• Barium
• Bismuth
• Cadmium
• Copper
• Gandolinium
• Gallium
• Germanium
• Lead
• Mercury
• Nickel
• Palladium
• Platinum
• Rhodium
• Tellurium
• Thallium
• Thorium
• Tin
• Tungsten
• Uranium

Although everyone is potentially exposed to toxic elements, this comprehensive profile is particularly relevant for individuals employed in high risk occupations, including welding, metal working, mining, battery production, aerospace work, optical fiber and lighting manufacturing, and various other high technology and metal manufacturing industries. Because of their unique physiologies, children and other adults (especially post-menopausal women) are also much more vulnerable to the negative health effects of toxic element exposure.

DETOXIFICATION PROFILE

Detoxification profile to assess the body's capacity to carry out detoxification through functional challenges-caffeine, acetaminophen, and salicylate-which evaluate specific aspects of the detoxification process and free radical damage. These functional assessments provide a comprehensive profile of the body's detoxification capacity and potential susceptibility to oxidative damage.

This test measures the clearance of challenge substances in two salivary specimens; the products of detoxifying reactions are also assessed in an overnight urine specimen. In the Comprehensive version of this profile, the urine specimen is analyzed for levels of lipid peroxides. In addition, various oxidative markers are assessed from fasting blood specimens taken the morning after the challenge. These tests are sensitive indicators of biological detoxification status.

OXIDATIVE STRESS PROFILE

Oxidative stress at the cellular level results from many factors, including exposure to alcohol, medications, trauma, cold, toxins or radiation. Although the biochemical significance of oxidative stress has been proven in relation to a vast range of degenerative disorders, including cancer, diabetes, premature aging, Alzheimer's and many others, until recently it has been difficult to assess its impact upon individuals and then measure effectiveness of therapeutic intervention.

Oxidative Stress Profile is a sensitive assessment utilizing challenge substances to evaluate the body’s' oxidative stress status, antioxidant reserve and interrelationship with liver detoxification. This test provides a powerful window on the status of the body's intra-cellular health, and allows clinicians to develop individual therapies for patients and monitor treatment progress.

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