I read in Izabella Wentz a year ago that most with Hashimoto’s/ autoimmune (mine is more likely Ord’s) are zinc deficient.
I haven’t tested, it’s £99 upwards from what I can see.
I tried a supplement on the basis that everything else I tested was low and the book suggested I’d be low, I thought it was a bit harsh on my stomach so stopped.
Read something else months later, started again but this time splitting the pills into quarters overtime through laziness this became halves.
Had recurring diarrhoea for months and blamed food contamination (gluten/dairy) at home, too many nuts, but then digitally eavesdropping on Hidden andImaaan having a very productive discussion about B1and other factors relating to digestion and the penny dropped.
I stopped the zinc earlier this week. I’ve done 2 days of solid bowel movements.
Found the culprit 👏
What have I learned?
1. The forum is as brilliant as we all think it is, confirmed and validated, scrolling through others chats is valuable.
2. I should save up and prioritise testing before ’trying’ anything else.
3. the book isn’t right all of the time for everyone, obvious really but when you are desperate you try all sorts.
Question; what is the best value mineral testing… anything under £99 and are the results reliable?
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It’s amazing how some supplements affect digestion; I’m currently trialling boswalia (for an arthritis flare) & I’ve had to split the recommended dose into quarters!
good thinking… it does have bulking agents, diacalcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose, anti caking agents magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, glazing agent hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. I’ll look them up 👍
Following on from Jim's post of a couple of days ago when he spoke about Selenium Transport Impairment, I mentioned that I had learnt that psoriasis patients had a high incidence of thyroid disease and were also commonly deficient in selenium and vit d, and most likely had abnormal levels of zinc and copper. I started taking 100 mcgs of selenium daily and after a couple of months found my scalp psoriasis had cleared completely after having it for over 20 years and as I was at the surgery because of a perforated ear drum I related this to the GP and asked if he could test me for the above minerals (not D which is frequently tested). He was very taken aback and said nobody had ever asked to be tested for that before but he suddenly said why not and passed me the necesssary form for the hospital.
I've just got the results back today and selenium was 1.30 (0.66 - 1.57) so I presumably I should carry on with the same.
Copper was 21.8 (11.0 - 25.1), so no need to take extra.
Zinc was 8.0 (9.2 - 19.2) which astounded me as I eat a fair amount of zinc containing foods
Sorry it doesn't help you although someone mentioned Ceres a long time ago which was cheaper that BH but I don't think they included copper.
good plan, I might do the same next time I’m with the GP. It would be good to know selenium too as I have frequent eye irritation but I don’t think it’s TED but tried 200mcg and have dropped to 100mcg a day now.
I once thought I might have had TED but optician confirmed it was blepharitis. I use eyelid wipes (without preservatives) every night and that has kept it at bay.
After reading through this thread I did a little research. Found this "at home test" re: zinc supplementation interesting. I did order some pure ionized liquid zinc so I will put it to this test when I receive it.
I don’t know what type of zinc you were taking but there are different kinds. I also don’t know what the different kinds do or what effects they can have but I started taking zinc citrate before the pandemic or just as it started as I think at the time I researched it was the right sort for me. I’m normally very effected by fillers soo I stick to recommended brands given on here. I’ve never once had any reaction. I’m finding it hard at the moment to get any so I’m assuming there is a shortage of something but perhaps when it’s back you might want to research the different kinds of zinc and see if another type might suit you better if you still need to take it.
Ahhhhh that could be the problem! The copper. If your zinc is low, your copper is going to be high, and taking more copper on top would make you ill - been there, done that! Try getting a zinc supplement that is just zinc.
ahhhh ok, good thinking , I’m seeing a theme in the replies, thanks so much. will investigate Zinc only but think I’ll test first. Starting to feel as though now I’m seeing things improve I’m less into dabbling 🤣
I follow a menopause nutritionist who is very strongly of the opinion that minerals make a big difference, you have to test them by hair samples not blood, and you have to get the test analysed by An Expert (i.e. her) as the body locks away some excesses of minerals which then look low though they're really high. I honestly can't tell if this is valid or bunk, but thought it worth mentioning! Happy to pm you details if you're interested
yes please, this sounds interesting, a podcast I was listening to recently also said mineral testing with hair was a better gauge of levels. Much appreciated 🌱
Yeah I've read that, but, you know, wikipedia... like I said, I'm not sure if it's truth or bunk but thought it worth a mention (or maybe just muddying the waters!!). I asked about it on here before but got few answers. Anyway Regenallotment I will PM you and Wua13262348 the details of the nutritionist when I start my laptop up next, and you can make your minds up, on the basis that it's NOT a recommendation!! HTMA = Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis btw
yes, i would think the hair would need to be totally virgin hair that had no chemical alteration - dyes, perms etc. Never had heat put against it, never been cleaned with chemicals. (all shampoos, conditioners, treatments etc)
Because all of those can effect the hair. So pretty much impossible except in new born babies!
I got a warning pop-up before posting this, so I hope the "woo" enthusiasts don't think it unkind of me to link to the result of a simple Web search, so others may be warned and save their money...
HTMA is a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis test. The assay uses a sample of your hair to assess your status of vitamins, minerals and heavy metals. The benefit of using hair over blood is that hair will reveal deficiencies on a cellular level. With blood those imbalances may still show "normal" results.
Could you pm me details too, if you don't mind. A cousin's ,daughter's, daughter did a hair analysis, though not purely for minerals. I have food intolerances, one of which is buckwheat. I have a problem with vit B12. Her hair sample threw up a vit b12 problem and a buckwheat problem. Can't remember what else was the same. I can tell you , from googling on the internet , that an excess of selenium should clear from the body in a few days , I think, via urine, faeces and breath. However, it can still be found in the hair and toe nails for 120 days.
Based on the above, I would say hair analysis could have its uses, and is probably relatively inexpensive.
I use zinc picolinate and have no issues with it. Zinc and copper have a see-saw relationship - when zinc is low copper is high, and when zinc is high copper is low.
In hypothyroidism people usually find that their zinc is low and copper is high, but there have been a small number of members who have reported the opposite.
I got my zinc and copper tested a few years ago and found that I had the usual zinc low/copper high. My copper was actually slightly over the range.
As a result I would never supplement copper. I supplement zinc about three or four times a week.
thanks so much, yes testing first before any more experiments I think 😬
🙏🙏 it is BEYOND satisfying when you crack something isn’t it! We are taught, and I tend to agree, that hair mineral analysis is the best way to test deficiencies xx
edit: *best way to test for mineral deficiencies. For overall I love organic acid tests!
another edit: copper gets demonized a lot in holistic health circles. But it does play a vital role in controlling cellular T4 uptake (it also helps with T4 production but this is less significant on replacement) it’s part of the electron transport chain needed for energy production and iron recycling system (which hugely impacts thyroid hormone conversion & tolerance as well as systemic inflammation) so I say don’t be fearful of copper 🙏
I just saw this by random, guess the notification alerts are still wonky. I'm always learning something or coming to an AHA moment on this forum so I'm glad the post led to something fruitful for you.
why don’t you just go to the gp and ask for a test? I know some say it has to be some singing dancing magical test that tests cellular level but honestly deficiency will show. Mine was 10 points under range! I asked because I was worried I. Was overdosing. I started taking it because I was having symptoms then was shocked to find out how low I was. I took a liquid version which is always going to be milder. I would definitely ask doctor before purchasing. A few years back it was well within range at the upper end a different doctor tested it in a different city. That test is cheap enough to test.
I was tested low in Zinc after complaining to my dentist about a sore tongue and mouth. He told me to get a blood test. I eventually did, though the GP was sceptical saying "we learn this in med school but......." It turned out that my zinc was quite low so he put me on effervescent zinc by Galen (45 mg of elemental zinc - equivalent to 125mg of zinc sulphate). As I was only given one tablet, dissolved in water and taken after food, it made very little difference. It took months of asking for a higher dose each time the bloods came back showing low levels. He mentioned something about whole grains blocking the absorption of zinc but not what to do about it. I took all wholegrains out of my diet Still struggling so put them back in again. Cut a long story short (several years) I was on the maximum dose of 4 times per day and still struggling when I saw a different doctor who told me that I just shouldn't take the zinc supplement after eating wholegrains. Bingo! The levels came up and the copper went down. I can't say I am any better because I have a feeling that the long term soreness of my tongue and dry mouth, that still bother me, will not go away but at least I know that the zinc and copper levels are within the normal range. It bothered me (but not my doctor) that they were low all through Covid
I would definitely test both zinc and copper before trying again, but agree that different versions have completely different effects. I am actually low, but not deficient, in zinc, a 50mg megadose supplement made me feel awful and didn't raise my levels, but a 30mg zinc picolinate increased them, although still less than 50% through range. Then I tested copper, and surprisingly that is low too! Just trying a new zinc copper combo, fingers crossed it'll be OK! Best of luck with sorting it out, it's a real science and the medical profession don't seem to have a clue.
Medicinesonline do have a test that gives you zinc and copper as a finger-prick test for £75. However, Blue Horizon Essential Trace Elements test will give you zinc, copper and selenium from the same test . It is £99 and not a finger- prick test. Nevertheless, in my opinion it would be a false economy to opt for the more convenient , cheaper finger-prick test. I say this because my zinc moved substantially as near toxic levels of selenium dropped. We are all different, and maybe your selenium levels won't affect your zinc levels. I am peculiar as I have genetically up-regulated selenium because of a double CBS mutation. When I was 441.18% through the range for selenium because I supplemented it at 200mcg for 120 days, my zinc was 13.56%. I stopped supplementing selenium 1/12/22. I tested it 20/3/23 and selenium was 142.86% and zinc had risen to 43.09%. Copper was 35.37%. I do not know where my copper level was previously as I used the Cerascreen zinc and selenium test then. I wasn't aware of the Blue Horizon test then. I don't supplement zinc or copper.
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Still struggling so put them back in again. Cut a long story short (several years) I was on the maximum dose of 4 times per day and still struggling when I saw a different doctor who told me that I just shouldn't take the zinc supplement after eating wholegrains. Bingo! The levels came up and the copper went down. I can't say I am any better because I have a feeling that the long term soreness of my tongue and dry mouth, that still bother me, will not go away but at least I know that the zinc and copper levels are within the normal range. It bothered me (but not my doctor) that they were low all through Covid 
GP and low zinc update
Update on Selenium and Zinc experiment
Zinc results
Zinc & Hypothyroidism
