Absorption dysfunction as a consequence of leaky gut
Impaired intestinal integrity, due to food intolerances and/or inflammation in the intestine, for example, results in the intestine being unable to adequately digest and absorb food components. This often causes symptoms of deficiency, with the body lacking minerals and vitamins in most cases.
Detect deficiencies and avoid overdosage
As cofactors of numerous enzymes, essential trace elements such as zinc, selenium, copper, magnesium, manganese, cobalt, and chromium play a critical role in different metabolic processes. A latent undersupply can be associated with subtle impairments of physiological processes such as reduced cognitive performance, increased susceptibility to infection, or chronic inflammatory phenomena e.g. on the skin or in the mucosa.
Testing for the supply of minerals and trace elements is essential particularly for patients with gastrointestinal diseases in order to detect possible deficiencies early and provide specific substitutes. At the same time, with regard to substitution, determination of the levels in whole blood helps to prevent an oversupply.
The mineral analysis allows an assessment of the trace element balance
The mineral analysis in the lysed heparin blood or EDTA whole blood (therefore called whole blood mineral analysis) at the same time identifies metals bound to cells and also those that are free in the serum, thus allowing an optimal assessment of the trace element balance. The advantage in comparison to identification of the metals in centrifuged whole blood (serum) is apparent primarily in the case of the trace elements, which are predominantly intracellular. These include zinc and magnesium.
Material
The analysis is carried out using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
| Mineral profile | Material | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| "large" | Li-heparin blood | magnesium, selenium, zinc, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum, lead, cadmium, nickel |
| "small" | EDTA blood or Li-heparin blood | magnesium, selenium, zinc, chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum, cadmium, nickel |
| "calcium profile" | Li-heparin blood | Magnesium, selenium, zinc, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, lead |
Literature
- Hartmann M und Hartwig A. Disturbance of DNA damage recognition after UV-irradiation by nickel(II) and cadmium(II) in mammalian cells. Carcinogenesis 1998;19:617-621.
- Jennrich P. Schwermetalle – Ursache für Zivilisationskrankheiten. CO’MED. 2007.
- Löffler BM, Die Calcium-Magnesium defiziente Bevölkerung: Vitamin D3 allein ist nicht genug. OM& Ernährung. 2014.
- Thomas L. Labor und Diagnose. TH-Books Verlagsgesellschaft. 2012.
