Understanding Mineral Deficiencies: Why HTMA Testing Matters
Have you been told your bloodwork is normal, even though you’re exhausted, bloated, and feel completely burnt out?
This common scenario is extremely frustrating because despite what your doctor says, you know this isn’t how you’re supposed to feel everyday.
For many of the women I work with, the missing piece is something most doctors never check: minerals.
Minerals may be small, but their impact on your health is huge.
Here are a few key roles minerals play in the body:
Energy and stress resilience: Magnesium, sodium, and potassium help your adrenals respond to stress and keep your energy stable throughout the day.
Hormone balance: Zinc and copper affect estrogen and progesterone balance. Selenium and potassium support thyroid function.
Blood sugar and cravings: Potassium, calcium and magnesium keep blood sugar stable, so you have steady energy and don’t have to push through cravings and afternoon slumps.
Nervous System: Calcium and magnesium work together to calm the nervous system, support sleep, and reduce anxiety.
Thyroid Function: Selenium, magnesium, and potassium are essential for optimal thyroid health.
Just like the spark plugs in a car ignite the fuel to power the engine, minerals are the spark plugs of the body.
They power the reactions in your cells that make energy, regulate hormones, digest your food and facilitate detoxification.
When minerals are depleted or out of balance, you’ll feel like you’re running on empty and pushing through exhaustion, everyday.
Here’s the tricky part:
Standard blood work often misses these imbalances because your body will do everything it can to keep your blood levels within a tight, stable range. This is called homeostasis. For example, if magnesium levels are low, your body will pull it out of your tissues to keep blood levels optimal.
This means that standard blood work often looks “normal” even when your tissues are actually depleted.
That’s where Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) comes in.
HTMA isn’t a replacement for blood tests, but it can give you information standard tests can’t, such as your long-term mineral status.
What is HTMA testing?
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is a simple, at-home test that uses a small sample of hair to assess your body’s mineral levels.
Unlike blood tests, which show what’s happening in your body at the moment of collection, HTMA provides a long-term view of your mineral status, over 3-4 months of time.
Mineral deficiencies
Mineral deficiencies have become increasingly common.
Chronic stress, processed foods, environmental toxins, depleted soils, and even exercise (without proper mineral replenishment), all deplete our mineral stores.
Women, in particular, are more susceptible to deficiencies.
A few reasons for this are chronic dieting, use of hormonal birth control (depletes minerals), pregnancy, breast-feeding and the high demands of busy work and home lives, that women often burden.
HTMA vs. Blood Tests
Unlike blood tests, which provide a snapshot of what’s happening in your blood at the moment of collection, HTMA looks at mineral deposits in your hair (which represents your soft tissues) over the past 3–4 months.
This gives us a longer-term view of how your body is using minerals.
A big reason I love HTMA is because of the insights it gives us about your thyroid function.
Did you know that women are 5-8 times more likely to develop hypothyroidism compared to men?
The calcium/potassium ratio is known as the “thyroid ratio”, and the levels of other minerals such as zinc, magnesium, and selenium help us understand how your body is converting and using thyroid hormones.
Mineral deficiencies are a common reason for thyroid imbalances like hypothyroidism, which often goes undetected on blood tests.
With HTMA we can uncover:
Early signs of hypothyroidism (even if your bloodwork is normal)
Root causes of poor gut health: minerals are needed to make stomach acid and digestive enzymes.
Mineral imbalances driving fatigue, PMS, heavy periods, and perimenopause symptoms.
Hidden toxic metals (eg. mercury, aluminum, lead) that interfere with hormones, gut health, and energy.
Why Mineral Balance Matters for Gut and Hormone Healing
Minerals play a big role in how your gut and hormones function:
Gut Health: Low stomach acid (often linked to low zinc, sodium and potassium) makes it harder to break down food, leading to bloating and poor nutrient absorption.
Hormones: Minerals are the building blocks for thyroid and reproductive hormones. If you’re depleted, your body can’t produce or regulate them effectively.
Coping with stress: Without enough magnesium, sodium, and potassium, your adrenals struggle to handle stress
When we identify and correct deficiencies, women notice more energy, better digestion, improved mood, and less hormonal fluctuations around their periods and in perimenopause.
The Next Step in Your Healing Journey
If you’re stuck in a cycle of burnout, gut issues, and hormone imbalances that are impacting your daily life, it’s time to dig deeper into your minerals to understand why.
HTMA testing gives us the roadmap to see where you’re deficient, so we can help you restore balance with a food-first approach, and get the long-term results you deserve.
Ready to stop guessing and finally get answers?
HTMA testing gives us a clear picture of your mineral balance - the foundation of your energy, hormones, and gut health.
Instead of chasing symptoms, we’ll uncover what your body really needs and create a plan that helps you feel like yourself again.
👉 Book your HTMA test today
