Replacement Therapy and Mineral Balancing – Everything You Need to Know

Replacement therapy is a way of treating that many doctors and practitioners use when they design Mineral Balancing Programs based on a hair analysis. This method involves adding minerals that the hair test shows are lacking and not suggesting a mineral that is too high. Holistic Wellness From Within and Analytical Research Laboratories does not endorse this replacement therapy.

This is an extremely important subject and a significant distinction between how I develop Mineral Balancing Programs and other labs, doctors and practitioners develop programs while using hair mineral analysis.  The failure of replacement therapy is the primary reason hair analysis is misunderstood and criticized in the media, even in alternative healing discussions. Researchers try to change the level of one mineral in the hair by adding that mineral. When this approach does not work, they often criticize the entire credibility of hair analysis.

Understanding Replacement Therapy

Replacement therapy is common because it is straightforward. It assumes that mineral levels in the hair reflect the levels in the body. If a mineral is low, it must mean there is a deficiency. It further assumes that by consuming more of the low mineral, the hair level will increase.

On the other hand, replacement therapy believes that if there is too much of a mineral in the hair, there is also too much in the body. Cutting back on that mineral should reduce the hair level.

Why Replacement Therapy is an Incorrect Approach to Balancing Minerals

In the mid-1970s, Dr. Paul Eck discovered that hair mineral levels do not show the levels of the mineral throughout the whole body. Some minerals build up in the hair, while others are stored in different areas of the body. Sometimes, a high level of a mineral in the hair indicates that the body is losing that mineral. For instance, a high calcium level in the hair is often seen in people with osteoporosis.

The first assumption of replacement therapy is completely incorrect. Dr. Eck tested replacement therapy on many clients when he started studying hair analysis. He suggested zinc to someone whose hair zinc level was low. But frequently, the more zinc he provided, the lower the zinc level showed on a retest. He recommended calcium to people with a low calcium level, but their levels did not change. He observed that some individuals who never added salt to their food had a high sodium level, while others who salted everything had a low sodium level that did not rise, regardless of how much salt or sodium-rich foods they consumed.

The second idea of replacement therapy—that taking more of a mineral would increase its level in the hair—also turned out to be false. This was very confusing and frustrating and made little sense. Dr. Eck continued his research. He noticed other oddities. For example, when he suggested copper to a person with low calcium, the copper might not increase, but the calcium level did. He noticed that when he recommended potassium to someone with a low sodium level, the sodium level would rise. For several years, the outcomes of Dr. Eck's research were both unclear and perplexing.

Mineral Interactions

The breakthrough came when Dr. Eck learned about mineral interactions, which he described as the deep connections between minerals. I call this the synergistic effect of minerals. He found this concept in a book on minerals by Davies (Davies, I.J.T., The Clinical Significance of the Essential Biological Metals, C.C. Thomas, 1972). He began to understand that there is a “mineral system.” The body maintains all minerals in a delicate balance to keep homeostasis or stability.

For example, if replacement therapy were effective and someone ate a very high calcium diet—like sesame seeds, greens, yogurt, and ice cream for dessert—the calcium level in the body could rise to dangerous levels. The same applies if someone consumed too much potassium or sodium. However, the body has strong mechanisms to prevent such disasters. The minerals remain balanced, even when a large amount of one mineral is consumed during meals.

Achieving Mineral Balance

Dr. Eck discovered that to change the balance of the minerals, one must work with the mineral system within the body, not against it. It is a complex system where minerals interact not only with each other but also with vitamins, glands, and other bodily systems.

A summary of the main interactions can be found in the mineral wheel included in the hair analysis report. A simple graphic representation is available from the laboratory. Only by adhering to the principles of mineral balancing can one effectively influence mineral levels.

The development of the science of mineral balancing involved years and thousands of experiments. Gradually, Dr. Eck realized that the mineral system could be simplified by identifying oxidation types as classified by Dr. Watson and the stages of stress noted by Dr. Hans Selye. He discovered that mineral ratios are more critical for understanding the mineral system than merely mineral levels. Over time, more pieces of the puzzle started to fit together.

The reality is that the levels shown in a hair analysis provide a roadmap of how the body reacts to stress. Unfortunately, the extensive research is difficult to appreciate just by looking at a hair analysis report. It's like trying to grasp the years of research that went into the car you purchase.

To achieve favorable results with hair analysis, I strongly recommend following the guidelines provided in your Program Design that I prepared based on your Analytical Research Laboratories hair tissue mineral results.

Resist the temptation to engage in replacement therapy. Replacement therapy is easy to implement but it does not work. The body is intricately designed, and Mineral Balancing Programs need to address the synergistic method that affect how minerals interact in the body within all bodily systems.