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Lab Testing · Redefining Wellness Center
How to prepare for and collect your samples for the lab tests we use most.
Prescription Medications: There is no need to stop taking your prescription medications for the HTMA test.
Supplements: You can continue taking your supplements as normal for the HTMA test.
Foods: You can continue to eat as you normally would prior to the HTMA test.
Collecting Your Hair for the HTMA Test: Your collection sample should consist of approximately 1 heaping teaspoon of hair that is cut from the root of the hair, keeping only the first inch that grows closest to the scalp and discarding the rest. See the instructions in the kit to be certain you are collecting an adequate amount.
Sample Collection: Collect from clean, dry hair that does not contain any gels, sprays, or other hair products.
*Heavy metals are labeled as "Toxic Elements" on the HTMA.
Aluminum: Aluminum is the third most abundant element in the Earth's crust and occurs naturally in the environment and drinking water. Aluminum may be ingested, absorbed through the skin, or inhaled. The average adult in the United States ingests 7–9 mg of aluminum per day through food and 10-100 mg of aluminum per day through aluminum-based products and environmental sources. Sources of aluminum exposure include processed foods (coloring agents, anticaking agents, processed cheese, table salt, baking powders/baking soda, pickles, bleached flour, prepared dough, cake mixes, non-dairy creamers, vanilla powders); aluminum-containing food packaging, pots and pans, steamers and strainers, cooking utensils and baking trays, soda cans; aluminum foils; cosmetic products (deodorants & antiperspirants containing aluminum hydroxide, eye shadows, sunscreens, toothpastes); antacids; vaccinations; tap water; pesticides and herbicides; jet fuel; and mining, factory work, and welding.
Antimony: Antimony is a metal found in the Earth's crust, often combined with other substances within rocks. It is used in flame-proofing materials and as an ingredient in some paints, glass, and batteries, and is often coupled with lead to improve durability. Sources of antimony exposure include lead storage batteries, sheet & pipe metal, bearings, castings, pewter, paints & ceramics, fireworks, enamels for plastics/metal/glass, tap water & single-use water bottles, and the inside of fire/shooting range facilities. Higher levels may be found near waste sites or industries that process or release it, such as smelters, coal-fired plants, and garbage incinerators.
Arsenic: Arsenic is a natural element of the Earth's crust and is highly toxic in its inorganic form. People are primarily exposed through drinking or using contaminated water, industrial processes, eating contaminated food, and smoking tobacco. Levels tend to be higher in drinking water from ground sources such as wells. Sources include food (seafood; rice & rice-based cereals; mushrooms; inorganic poultry), cosmetics, tap water, pesticides and herbicides, job sites (copper or lead smelting, wood treating, farms/fields/orchards where arsenic-containing pesticides were used), and tobacco. To reduce arsenic in rice, rinse it in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear, then cook.
Beryllium: Beryllium is a naturally-occurring metal used in high-technology products including aerospace components, transistors, nuclear reactors, and golf clubs. The primary route of exposure is through airborne particles of beryllium metal, alloys, oxides, and ceramics, and through the combustion of fossil fuels. Sources include aerospace, construction, laboratory, smelting/foundry, and machine operator work; beryl ore mining; tool and die manufacturing; dental technician work; furnace tending; electronics; X-rays; dental supplies and labs; computer parts; automotive parts; industrial ceramics; nuclear weapons; sporting goods (golf clubs, bicycles); welding; and tobacco smoke.
Cadmium: Cadmium is a heavy metal produced during the smelting of other metals such as zinc, lead, and copper. It is also used in metal plating, some paints, plastics and fertilizers, and is found in cigarette smoke. Sources include tobacco smoke; mining, smelting, and refining of metals; fossil fuel combustion; incineration of municipal waste (cadmium-containing batteries and plastics); phosphate fertilizers; cadmium-containing foods (rice, grains, bread); tap water; and jewelry, toys, and plastics.
Lead: Lead is a metal found naturally in the Earth's crust, historically used in paints, gasoline, batteries, bullets, keys, and some vinyl products. Sources include homes built before 1978 with lead-based paint; water pipes and tap water; toys and jewelry; mining sites; battery recycling or manufacturing; auto repair/mechanic work; shooting ranges or hunting; fishing weights made of lead; demolition of buildings; cosmetics (specifically lipstick); metal keys; fruits and vegetables grown in or near lead-contaminated soil; inorganic spices; imported candy; old mini-blinds; plumbing (lead solder); pottery/ceramics using lead glazes; stained glass using lead solder; and repair, renovation, or remodeling of residential/commercial buildings.
Mercury: Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal used in various industrial and medical applications. Sources include dental amalgams; thermometers and thermostats; fluorescent light bulbs; batteries; coal-burning power plants; fish and shellfish (king mackerel, shark, swordfish, tuna); vaccines containing thimerosal; skin-lightening creams/products; and imported jewelry.
Uranium: Uranium is a naturally-occurring radioactive heavy metal that enters the body via inhalation, ingestion, and/or skin contact. For most people, food and drinking water are the main sources. Sources include working with materials/products that contain uranium (mining, milling, processing); phosphate fertilizers; root crops such as potatoes, parsnips, turnips, and sweet potatoes; living near uranium mining/processing/manufacturing facilities; military supplies; old dental supplies; and tap water and reverse osmosis water. Distilled water is the only water that removes radioactive elements.
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Prescription Medications: There is no need to stop taking your prescription medications for the MycoTOX.
Supplements: There is no need to stop taking your supplements for the MycoTOX sample. Fasting for 12 hours may increase the excretion of mycotoxins from the adipose tissue (not required). Avoid binders such as charcoal or bentonite clay for 72 hours.
Sample collection: You will collect your sample from first-morning urine before eating any food or drinking.
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Prescription Medications: There is no need to stop taking your prescription medications for the O.A.T.
Supplements: We ask patients to stop taking all of their supplements for 3 full days prior to collecting their O.A.T. sample.
Foods: For 48 hours prior to collecting your O.A.T. sample, avoid these foods: apples, grapes (including raisins), pears, cranberries and their juices, and alcoholic beverages.
Ingredients: For 48 hours prior to collecting your O.A.T. sample, avoid these ingredients: arabinogalactan, echinacea, reishi mushrooms, and ribose.
Sample collection: You will collect your sample from first-morning urine before eating any food or drinking.