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Low Potassium [CASE STUDY]

Low Potassium

Let’s focus on the Low Potassium marker on this Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis.

It’s just one marker on one test and we’d really need to put it in context with everything we know about the whole person. But this was quite pivotal for Robert’s Case Study.

Hair tests aren’t interpreted in the same way as other tests like blood tests.  You can’t always make assertions on what is definitely going on in the body from the hair. But what you can do is observe what is going on in the hair tissue, understand the biochemical reasons why that may be and relate that to the function of the body to identify imbalances, dysfunctions and interventions.

Low Potassium

There was a lot of information on Roberts Hair Mineral Analysis Test and one of the graphs from the report (shown above) highlighted some very interesting features.

One of the most important findings was the very low Potassium (K) level in the hair.  Potassium is a mineral and electrolyte with many functions, but is a key player in the stress response and adrenal function.  When it is so depleted in the hair it is likely to be depleted in the body, so it was important to check his blood levels too to rule such a deficiency out.

We understood that Robert’s lifestyle, nutrition and hydration needed fine-tuning quite specifically to support his depleted electrolyte levels and it was quite amazing how many of his ‘outside the gut’ symptoms would alleviate (e.g. salty cravings) after this.

Some clients we work with are even quite sensitive to getting the electrolyte balance just right. It can take some careful titration due to how different minerals interact.

For example – there is a balancing act going on between Potassium (inside the cell) and Sodium (outside the cell) to give our cells their functional integrity. 

So it’s not just about adding in more of one and ignoring the other. 

Read on here about Robert’s Ulcerative Colitis health challenges and what he did to solve them: https://functionalhealthclinic.co.uk/case-study-ulcerative-colitis/

Jack

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