Oligoscan testing
When looking for the root causes of illness, two factors are commonly implicated:
- mineral deficiencies
- toxic metal accumulation
Oligoscan provides an innovative, safe, pain-free, instant mineral and toxic metal test.
With so many health problems linked to lack of minerals and exposure to toxic metals, this is a great test to look at tissue levels of these nutrients and toxins. Diet and lifestyle can take you so far, but if you keep peeling back the layers then toxic metals are often at the root of most chronic illnesses. Metals affect biological functioning of our body and displace essential minerals. They also cause oxidative stress damaging cells and leading to accelerating ageing and fatigue. Toxic metals will likely exacerbate many symptoms, or even cause them outright. Unless they are addresses medical treatment programmes are likely to be less effective.
Do you want to know if you have a burden of toxic metals or a deficiency of any essential minerals? Request an Oligoscan test. The Oligoscan calculates your reference ranges based on certain data so ensure you know the following: age, gender, weight, height and blood type (O, A, B, AB – rhesus factor not required). Blood type testing is available as an add on if needed.
Often these metals are tested for in the blood, but except in cases of acute poisoning, toxic metals are generally found everywhere except in blood, as their damaging effects mean they are quickly tucked away in fat cells and other tissue out of harm’s way. Over time, if the natural detoxification routes are unable to deal with this burden the metals accumulate and are stored deeper in bone and organs where they can cause problems.
How does Oligoscan work?
Oligoscan uses a process called spectrophotometry, which is an analytical quantitative measurement of the absorbance or optical density of a chemical, a method applied to many areas of scientific study. To simplify, it is based on the interaction of light with a sample – in this case the tissue of the dermis of the plan of the hand, which is constant in colour due to lack of melanin. Consider chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants, which absorbs red and violet wavelengths and transmits yellow, green and blue. This is why we see chlorophyll as green. In the same way we can measure individual elements (minerals and metals) in tissue as each element has it’s own signature pattern of wavelengths that it absorbs and transmits, just like the chlorophyll. Four points are tested for greater accuracy, then the data is sent direct to the secure sever, analysed and the report is back on the screen within seconds.
What does Oligoscan measure?
20 essential and trace minerals: Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Silicon, Sodium, Potassium, Copper, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Chromium, Vanadium, Boron, Cobalt, Molybdenum, Iodine, Lithium, Germanium, Selenium and Sulphur
14 toxic metals: Aluminium, Antimony, Silver, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cadmium, Mercury, Nickel, Platinum, Lead, Thallium, Thorium
Overall oxidative stress which would indicate need for antioxidants
Important Element Ratios: Calcium:Magnesium, Calcium:Phosphorus, Potassium:Sodium, Copper:Zinc, this helps identify imbalances in the body such as tissue dehydration.
Mineral deficiencies
Modern living predisposes us to mineral deficiencies. Minerals cannot be made in the body, they must be obtained through diet. Sadly, food today has considerably fewer minerals than it did 100 years ago, this is in part due to overarming leaving the soil mineral depleted, and in part due to environmental pollutants that contaminate the soil, water and air causing plants to take up toxic elements in the place of essential minerals.
Toxic metals
Toxic metals have no benefit to us. When metals accumulate faster than we can eliminate them, our body burden increases. Toxic metals are implicated in many health conditions including neurological illnesses like Alzheimer’s. They lay the foundation for chronic infections as moulds and parasites feed on these metals. Many symptoms are the effects of the immune system attacking these pathogens. As metals contribute so much to symptoms the Oligoscan test helps guide our understanding of your root causes of illness. And also having a way to detect metal toxicity and address it before onset of symptoms is very valuable should you be concerned regarding past exposures or genetic dispositions.
Prices:
Oligoscan test as an add-on to a consultation: £90
Oligoscan test with 30min consultation and report: £150 (includes test, interpretation and recommendations)
Blood type testing: £15
Blood type test kits to do yourself: £10