Element Profiles

Overview

Nutrient and Toxic Elements: Erythrocyte and Whole Blood

Erythrocyte and whole blood toxic element levels are good indicators of body pools of essential elements as well as the toxic elements aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. The Metametrix Nutrient and Toxic Elements Profile is an especially accurate way of determining whole body status of potassium and selenium. Whole Blood generally reflects increased or recent exposure to toxic elements. The Metametrix Toxic Metals Profile shows levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury.

Nutrient elements are measured in erythrocytes and toxic elements are measured in whole blood. One exception is selenium, which is measured in whole blood as a reliable index of selenium status. Erythrocyte element levels are good indicators of body pools of essential elements such as magnesium, potassium, chromium, and zinc.

Often referred to as minerals, the chemical elements are fundamental to every function in the body. They join together in crystalline structures to form bone. They shuttle independently across membranes, resulting in nerve impulses, or serve at the heart of many enzyme molecules to direct chemical processes. The importance of calcium and phosphorus to bone formation and the electrolyte role of sodium and potassium are commonly understood.

Magnesium is involved in over 300 chemical reactions in the body, including all ATP transformations and therefore all cellular energy production. Depletion from food sources has resulted in a near epidemic of magnesium insufficiency.

Selenium is required by the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which maintains the oxidative balance in all tissue. Low selenium, therefore, can directly influence an individual's antioxidant protection.

Chromium and manganese are especially important in insulin insensitivity and Metabolic Syndrome.

Zinc deficiency has been implicated in a variety of disorders, including sexual impotence, retarded growth, hair loss, and immune system depression.

Because of rapid depletion of all elements, analysis should be standard protocol before and throughout chelation therapy. Nutrient element analysis is critical for identifying both the need for and monitoring the adequacy of either oral or IV supplementation. It is because of their diverse and vital roles that nutrient element imbalances are frequently found to be factors in degenerative diseases. Since the body cannot manufacture the elements—and daily losses are unavoidable—the nutrient elements are all "essential" and must regularly be taken in through the diet. But they are easily lost in food processing, so it’s easy to see how deficiencies can occur. 

Nutrient and Toxic Elements: Urine

Some elements can accumulate in tissues causing toxic effects. Metal toxicity is a significant environmental health concern. A toxic load of lead, cadmium, mercury or arsenic is capable of rendering considerable damage to the brain and nervous system, particularly in children. Toxic elements produce their many negative effects through various mechanisms. One mechanism, irreversible enzyme inhibition, is illustrated by the anemia caused when lead binds to enzymes in the hemoglobin synthesis pathway. The cancer-inducing effect of arsenic seems to be due to an inhibition of DNA repair. Genotoxicity, in which chromosomes are damaged, is linked to the free radical generation abilities of cadmium, lead and nickel. Mercury causes enzyme poisoning.  

Which Test Should I use?

Urine element testing is primarily useful to monitor levels of toxic metals such as aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury and for special mineral uptake testing. The 6-8 hour collection profiles are primarily for patients who are receiving oral or IV metal chelating agents to mobilize toxic elements from body pools. The 24-hour collection profiles may be used with or without administration of chelating agents to assess the rate of excretion of the elements reported. The total output of urine over 24 hours is collected and the daily output of nutrient and/or toxic elements is determined.  

Metametrix offers flexibility in urine element testing. Clinicians can select from challenged and unchallenged protocols. They can select either both nutrient and toxic elements or toxic elements only. Although many clinicians do both pre- and post-challenge testing, some now elect to only test following the oral or IV administration of a chelating agent.

All content courtesy of Metametrix Inc. c 2009 Metametrix Inc. All rights reserved.