Chemical elements that get into a human body with food, water, air, are later absorbed and distributed in its cells. Lack or surplus of one, or a few of them leads to different diseases.
There is a constant dependence between the ratio of these elements in hair and a human body both for physiological equation and for cases of pathological disturbance.
Hair is a “data storage” of mineral metabolism in a human body during the whole period of its growth. We can evaluate mineral condition of the organism by analyzing mineral ratio in hair.
Nutritionists use the knowledge about mineral ratio in hair a lot to normalize adipose, protein and carbohydrate metabolism (content of sodium, calcium, magnesium, zinc etc.). Biological importance of the elements is determined by their participation in almost all types of metabolic reactions.
Sample chamber of the laser elemental analyzer LEA-S500 manufactured by SOL instruments
Hair elements’ analysis is the perfect tool for clinical screening and diagnostics, used for detection of critically important microelements and macro-elements contained in a human body as well as for definition of ratio of vitally important elements and detection of toxic ones. At that, if the results of blood and urine analysis show a current or recent body’s state, having general nature, the results of hair analysis reflect more long-term period of life.
A number of chemical elements, being detected in hair and having vital importance, can’t be define a using blood and urine analysis or more complex equipment need to be used for their detection. Hair samples have advantages in comparison with other bio substrates, namely: their sample collection is simple, painless, and suitable for further investigation.
Investigation results of its microelement composition are evaluated by comparing with physiological acceptable and critical levels. The methodology developed for the qualitative detection of 30 macro and microelements in human hair is based on the laser atomic emission spectroscopy utilized in elemental analyzer LEA-S500 (manufactured by SOL Instruments Ltd., city of Minsk, Belarus). The methodology allows to reveal ongoing time-dependent dynamics of accumulation of essential and toxic elements on a hair lock for a short time line.
The possibility to perform investigations in dynamics allows to reveal hidden deficit of elements, to avoid clinical phase of this deficit and raise the level of human body functional reserve. Suggested methodology can be successfully implemented for hygienic evaluation of chemical elements balance in bio system based on studying regional micro element passport of population.
Laser elemental analyzer LEA-S500
Author: Vitali Dubouski, Head of Depertment of Atomic Emission Analysis, SOL instruments Ltd.
Publication date: 28 March 2018.