Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis: Significant Ratios

Hair Analysis — Significant Ratios | Butter Nutrition

I’ve been meaning to write about the significant ratios in hair analysis for some time now, because they are so important, but between working with clients and balancing life, it’s taken a while for me to finally get to it.

You see, most people don’t quite understand the value of hair analysis until they take the test.

Why is that?

Hair Analysis gives you insight into 35 different minerals in your body, and it also gives you something called your “significant ratios.” The significant ratios give you deep insight into the functioning of your body from accessing the minerals that support that area.

For example, with Hair Analysis’s Significant Ratios, you can find out your:

Metabolic type (fast or slow) via the calcium:phosphorus ratio
Stress supportive mineral balance (think always stressed, fight or flight syndrome) via the sodium:potassium ratio
Thyroid supportive mineral balance (think fatigue, brain fog, sluggish digestion, weight issues) via the calcium:potassium ratio
Hormone supportive mineral balance (think PMS, hormonal imbalance) via the zinc:copper ratio
Adrenal supportive mineral balance (think always tired, feel run down) via the sodium:magnesium ratio
Blood sugar supportive mineral balance (think hangry, moody, energy dips during the day) via the calcium:magnesium ratio

…and so much MORE!

But let’s dive into each one of these ratios a bit more (if you are client of mine and want to revisit your results, you can find your Significant Ratios on the top of page 2 of your report from the lab).

Significant Ratios — What do they represent?

Metabolic Type (calcium:phosphorus ratio)

In hair analysis your metabolic type is based on the Ca/P ratio (calcium:phosphorus). The Ca/P ratio shows the balance of the autonomic nervous system. A low Ca/P ratio equates to sympathetic dominance or fast type (think stuck in fight or flight mode), and a high Ca/P ratio equates to parasympathetic dominance or slow type (think stuck in the rest and relax phase). Generally speaking, women have a tendency to be slow metabolic types, whereas men are more frequently fast. However, that’s not always the case.

The ideal Ca/P ratio is 2.6. If your ratio is out of balance, it means you need to work to optimize your calcium and phosphorus intake appropriately.

Cliff notes: Ca/P Rato

Ideal ratio: 2.6

Range: 1.8-3.6

Stress Ratio (sodium:potassium ratio)

The stress ratio is a great way to assess your overall vitality.

The idea ratio between sodium and potassium levels should be about 2.4:1, with an acceptable range between 1.4-3.4. Sodium and potassium are very sensitive to the stages of stress as well as inflammation. These minerals also help represent adrenal cortical hormones (particularly aldosterone that influences sodium retention) and renal control.

By optimizing sodium and potassium levels, one can increase their body’s resilience to stress.

Cliff notes: Ca/P Ratio

Ideal ratio: 2.4:1

Range: 1.4-3.4

Thyroid Ratio (calcium:potassium ratio)

While I’ve written in-depth about this ratio here, let me give you the cliff notes version. You need proper balance between calcium and potassium to support optimal thyroid health from the mineral perspective, but the common American lifestyle compounds this problem twofold — forcing calcium level too high (often by supplementing too much vitamin D), and potassium levels too low (often from stress, dieting, and eating processed foods).

This makes the thyroid ratio go waaaaaaaay out of balance, and chances are, you may be familiar with the way that makes you feel.

You see, calcium slows things down in the body if you have too much of it, but high calcium levels are now commonplace due to Vitamin D supplementation. In short, it’s often not from eating too much calcium-rich food, but instead a product of vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D supplements tell your gut to absorb more calcium from your food than you would otherwise. The even worse supplement combination would be supplementing high amounts of vitamin D and calcium at the same time.

According to Trace Element Lab, “The inhibitory action of calcium on the thyroid has been suspected since the last century, but more recent studies have confirmed its effects. It is known that calcium decreases thyroid activity and that calcium absorption is increased in thyroid insufficiency. Vitamin D would also be considered to contribute to lowered thyroid function due to its close, synergistic relationship to calcium.” [2]

This is one of the most important ratios that I prioritize bringing into balance with my hair analysis clients.

Cliff notes: Ca/K Ratio

Ideal ratio: 4.2:1

Range: 2.2-6.2

Hormone Ratio (zinc:copper ratio)

An ideal zinc: copper ratio is around 8:1, although ratios between 8-12 are also considered acceptable. Zinc and copper levels are highly influenced by the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, while estrogen is closely linked with copper levels. Zinc is a very important ingredient for progesterone and testosterone production.

By knowing one’s zinc and copper level, you can then give the body the appropriate mineral support needed, supporting hormonal balance at the most basic level — that is, making sure your body has all the raw materials to support it and it’s natural desire for hormonal health.

Cliff notes: Ca/P Ratio

Ideal ratio: 8:1

Range: 4-12

Adrenal Ratio (sodium:magnesium ratio)

The sodium to magnesium ratio is all about adrenal regulation. Sodium is regulated by adrenal hormones whereas magnesium is greatly depleted under the stress response giving a snapshot of your adrenal health from the mineral perspective.

Cliff notes: Na/Mg Ratio

Ideal ratio: 4:1

Range: 2-6

Blood Sugar Ratio (calcium:magnesium ratio)

The parathyroid and thyroid glands, along with estrogen, largely regulate calcium and magnesium levels. A low Ca/Mg ratio suggests low insulin levels, while a high Ca/Mg ratio can suggest parathyroid hormone dominance.

Cliff notes: Ca/Mg Ratio

Ideal ratio: 7:1

Range: 3-11

Where is your body at?

I hope this gives you further insight into why I’m such a fan of hair analysis and the unique snapshot it provides of your unique body chemistry. If you’re ready to get this kind of insight into the interworking of your own body, you can get started with hair analysis here.

Important note: I always recommend a consultation with any hair analysis purchase to dive deep into your health history, supplement usage that can influence mineral health, lifestyle factors and habits that can contaminate hair mineral results (zinc-based dandruff shampoos, water softeners, Epsom salt baths where the hair is soaked and more). That way, you can get the most value out of your Hair Analysis Purchase.

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Mineral Balance for Metabolic, Thyroid and Adrenal Health (and how to test it) | Butter Nutrition

References:

http://t.traceelements.com/Docs/newsletternov-dec2010.pdf
http://www.traceelements.com/Docs/The%20Nutritional%20Relationships%20of%20Thyroid.pdf

Quiz: Are you in nutritional debt?

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis: Significant Ratios

Significant Ratios — What do they represent?