Hashimotos disease findings through HTMA

Reported Mineral Patterns in Hashimoto's Through HTMA

These are common mineral imbalances we find with HTMA test and the goal should be to correct these findings.

Mineral/Ratio	Common Finding in Hashimoto's	Potential Implications for Thyroid/Autoimmunity
Copper	High (Cu excess or "hidden" high in tissue)	Cu is pro-oxidant; excess linked to estrogen dominance, ceruloplasmin issues, and thyroid hormone conversion problems. May fuel autoimmunity via oxidative stress.
Zinc	Low (Zn deficiency)	Zn needed for T4 → T3 conversion, immune balance (Th1/Th2), and antioxidant enzymes. Low Zn:Cu ratio (<8:1 ideal) is classic in autoimmunity.
Selenium	Low	Critical for glutathione peroxidase (antioxidant) and deiodinase enzymes (T4 to T3). Deficiency impairs thyroid protection from peroxide damage; studies link low Se to higher TPO antibodies.
Magnesium	Low (often "slow oxidizer" pattern)	Involved in >300 enzymes; deficiency linked to fatigue, inflammation, and poor thyroid receptor function. Common in stress-related Hashimoto's flares.
Calcium	High (relative to Mg/K)	"Calcium shell" in slow oxidation; may indicate parathyroid issues or tissue calcification, reducing cellular energy and thyroid function.
Sodium/Potassium (Na/K)	Low ("inverted" <2.5:1)	Adrenal stress marker; low Na/K linked to hypothyroidism, inflammation, and immune dysregulation.
Iron	Low or high (ferritin often low in blood too)	Low: anemia worsens fatigue. High: oxidative stress if unbound.
Toxic metals (e.g., Mercury, Cadmium, Aluminum)	Elevated	Interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis/binding; mercury mimics autoimmunity triggers. Often displaced minerals (e.g., Hg displaces Zn/Se).

Typical HTMA Profiles in Hashimoto's

1. Slow Oxidation (common ~70% cases per functional reports):

   • Low Na/K, low Ca/Mg, high Cu, low Zn, low Se.

   • Indicates adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism, sympathetic dominance.

2. Fast Oxidation (less common):

   • High Na/K, low Ca/Mg.

   • Hyperthyroid-like early in disease; stress-driven.

3. Four Lows (severe):

   • Low Ca, Mg, Na, K.

   • Exhaustion pattern; very poor thyroid function.

Supporting Evidence

• Selenium: Meta-analyses (e.g., Thyroid 2018) show Se supplementation (200 mcg/day) reduces TPO antibodies in Hashimoto's. HTMA often catches tissue deficiency before blood.

• Zinc/Copper: Studies in Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology link low Zn:Cu to autoimmune thyroid disease.

• Toxics: NHANES data shows mercury exposure correlates with thyroid antibodies; HTMA detects chronic burden.

• Limitations: A 2013 review in International Journal of Trichology notes HTMA variability due to hair treatments, environment; poor correlation with blood in some minerals.

Hair Analysis for Thyroid Assessment

Hair analysis is a valuable screening test for assessing thyroid function as it can provide insight into various steps involved in thyroid hormone metabolism. For instance, hair calcium levels can be an approximate indicator of thyroid activity as thyroid hormone reduces calcium levels in the body. Therefore, the higher the level of hair calcium, the lower the effective activity of the thyroid gland.

Similarly, hair potassium levels are associated with tissue sensitivity to thyroid hormone. When hair potassium levels are low, it indicates reduced sensitivity of the mitochondrial receptors to the thyroid hormone. This means that even if circulating hormone levels are normal and hormones can be absorbed into the cells, they may not be utilized, resulting in a low thyroid effect. This commonly contributes to thyroid problems in slow metabolisers. However, supplementing with potassium is rarely effective as the problem lies in the loss of potassium due to kidney dysfunction and electrical imbalances at the cellular level.

Furthermore, manganese deficiency can reduce thyroid activity as manganese is required for T4 production. However, manganese deficiency or bioavailability is becoming increasingly common. A manganese deficiency is associated with a low hair manganese level, while a high hair manganese level often indicates bioavailability. Adrenal exhaustion can cause manganese to become bio-unavailable as the binding protein, transmanganin (a manganese-carrying protein in human plasma), is not produced in sufficient quantity.

Metabolic typing can also help assess vitamin needs. For instance, vitamins C and B-complex tend to enhance thyroid activity. Higher doses are given to slow oxidisers and less to fast oxidisers to help balance thyroid activity. Supplementation without testing for metabolic type is often ineffective or can aggravate thyroid imbalances.

Hair calcium and magnesium levels are associated with cell permeability, and biounavailable calcium and magnesium stabilize cell membranes. This causes reduced cell membrane permeability that decreases thyroid hormone uptake into the cells, producing a cellular thyroid hormone deficiency. Serum hormone levels may be normal or even elevated, and high hair calcium and magnesium levels indicate some degree of biounavailable calcium and magnesium. This occurs mainly in Slow Oxidisers. Since serum hormone levels are normal or elevated, practitioners may not give thyroid support when it is, in fact, needed.

On the other hand, when tissue calcium and magnesium are low, as in Fast Oxidisers, cell membranes are more permeable. This causes a more rapid uptake of thyroid hormone into the cells and an increased thyroid effect. Serum thyroid hormone levels may be normal or even decreased. A practitioner who only measures serum hormone levels (T3 and T4) or TSH might conclude that the person needs thyroid hormone. A Full Thyroid Panel, although much better, may also suggest thyroid medication. However, this could make the person’s condition much worse, although it may provide a temporary energy boost.

Understanding a person’s cellular thyroid status, along with what is circulating in the blood can be very complementary since an HTMA provides a deeper insight into the mineral matrix of a person, which can identify disturbing factors.

Copper and Thyroid

Copper is a significant indicator of thyroid function, but relying solely on hair copper levels to assess copper status may not be accurate. This is because copper is not always found in hair, but can instead accumulate in organs such as the brain and liver. Supplementation of copper should not be based solely on hair copper levels. Other test results can provide valuable information about copper status.

Elevated levels of copper can raise calcium and lower potassium, resulting in a slow metaboliser pattern. This pattern is associated with excess tissue copper and reduced thyroid utilization, which can lead to hypothyroidism. It is important to note that the hair copper level, whether it is low, normal, or high, does not always correlate with this pattern.

In some cases, compensatory effects may occur, where copper stimulates the production of biogenic amines such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. This can lead to symptoms similar to hyperthyroidism, such as anxiety and sweating. In response, the body may increase T3 and T4 to force more thyroid hormone into the cells, which can result in fluctuating TSH levels. Unfortunately, this can lead to a misdiagnosis of hyperthyroidism and unnecessary approaches like irradiation or surgery. It is crucial to identify and address any underlying copper imbalances instead.

Weak adrenal glands can cause copper to become biounavailable, leading to a low sodium/potassium ratio or low hair copper level. Even in cases where hair copper levels are normal or elevated, copper supplementation may be necessary to alleviate symptoms until copper becomes biologically available.

Fast Oxidisers are often copper deficient, which is reflected in their relatively low hair calcium levels and elevated hair potassium levels. Their cells are excessively permeable and sensitive to thyroid hormone, which means that copper supplementation may be necessary even if hair copper levels are normal or elevated.

Other factors like toxic chemicals and heavy metals can also impair energy production, which can affect thyroid hormone stimulation. Hair analysis can help identify indicators of impaired energy production, such as cadmium toxicity or zinc deficiency.

Finally, it is worth noting that most Slow Oxidisers have depleted sympathetic nervous systems and are in a pathological parasympathetic state. This can impact thyroid hormone release, further emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to thyroid assessment and a deep understanding of a person’s biochemistry to address the cause to improve overall health.

The Mayo Clinic states that the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain, controls hormone production in the body. This gland produces thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which signals the thyroid gland to produce T4 and T3. The TSH level in the blood is an indication of the amount of T4 that the pituitary gland is asking the thyroid gland to make. Elevated TSH levels could imply hypothyroidism, where the pituitary gland produces more TSH to stimulate the thyroid to produce thyroid hormone.

Hair analysis may reveal different information about thyroid activity compared to blood tests. While blood tests measure circulating hormones (T3 and T4) and pituitary stimulation of the thyroid (TSH), hair analysis can indicate imbalances in the different stages involved in thyroid metabolism. The four stages include hormone production, hormone release, absorption into cells, and utilization in the mitochondria.

Thyroid hormone production requires manganese, iodine, tyrosine, cyclic AMP, vitamin C, B-complex, and other micronutrients. Radiation toxicity, excessive oxidant stress, or toxic chemicals can hinder hormone synthesis, while copper toxicity can stimulate hormone synthesis. Secretion of thyroid hormones requires sympathetic nervous stimulation, which may be affected by exhausted adrenal glands or other autonomic imbalances.

Once T4 is released into the blood, it needs to be absorbed into body cells. This process requires proper cell membrane function. Excessive calcium and magnesium can stabilize cell membranes and reduce cell permeability, while deficient calcium and magnesium can cause excessive cell permeability. Oxidant stress, impaired fatty acid metabolism, and other damage to cell membranes can also prevent thyroxine absorption. Copper affects absorption by altering calcium and potassium levels, while cadmium or nickel toxicity affects hormone absorption by influencing calcium, sodium, and other critical mineral levels. Potassium plays a role in sensitizing mitochondria to thyroid hormone utilization, but fluoride and chloride found in bleached white flour and drinking water, respectively, can hinder thyroid hormone utilization. Substances found in soy, raw cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli can also inhibit thyroid hormone utilization.

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis can detect imbalances in thyroid hormone metabolism in many steps, such as the hair calcium level, which can indicate the approximate thyroid effect. Low hair potassium is associated with reduced sensitivity of mitochondrial receptors to thyroid hormone, leading to low thyroid activity. Manganese deficiency can also reduce thyroid activity because it is required for T4 production. Serum thyroid tests are limited in assessing these factors and miss many problems, leading to misdiagnosis. Hair analysis can help in assessing thyroid difficulties.