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Hair Mineral Analysis Level 1- Hair NutriPATH

Aluminium (hair)

Hair
Optimal Result: 0 - 8 ppm.

What does it mean if your Aluminium (hair) result is too high?

Elevated Aluminum (Hair) – What It Means on a Hair Mineral Test

Aluminum is a non-essential and potentially toxic metal that has no beneficial role in the body. Despite this, it is widespread in everyday life—found in cookware, personal care products, medications, and even drinking water. Elevated aluminum levels in a hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA), such as those offered by Nutripath, may indicate chronic exposure, impaired detoxification, or active elimination of stored aluminum.

Hair mineral testing reflects longer-term exposure (months, not days), making it a useful screening tool for aluminum accumulation over time.

What Elevated Aluminum in Hair May Indicate

1. Chronic or Environmental Exposure
Ongoing exposure to aluminum is the most common cause of elevated hair levels. Sources include:

  • Cookware and foil made from aluminum

  • Antacids and buffered aspirin (often contain aluminum compounds)

  • Aluminum-based deodorants and cosmetics

  • Baking powders and certain processed foods

  • Municipal drinking water, especially if treated with alum or fluoride

  • Occupational exposure (e.g., mining, welding, or working with metals)

  • Inhalation of airborne particles, especially near bauxite mines or industrial areas

Even though gastrointestinal (GI) absorption of aluminum is typically low (around 0.3%), it can increase significantly in the presence of citric acid or malic acid, commonly found in fruit juices, soft drinks, and processed foods. Conversely, diets rich in phosphates from animal proteins may help reduce absorption.

2. Increased Elimination During Detox or Healing
Sometimes, high levels in hair reflect that the body is actively eliminating stored aluminum through detox pathways. This is often seen during nutritional balancing, chelation therapy, or after changes in diet or supplementation.

3. Impaired Kidney or Detox Function
Since aluminum is primarily excreted by the kidneys, any reduction in kidney function can cause it to accumulate. Supporting kidney and liver detox pathways is important in these cases.

Why Elevated Aluminum Matters

Chronic aluminum exposure has been linked to a range of health issues, particularly affecting the brain, bones, and immune system. While not everyone with elevated hair aluminum will have symptoms, long-term accumulation can contribute to:

  • Memory loss, brain fog, and cognitive decline

  • Potential neurodegeneration, with some research suggesting a role in Alzheimer’s disease

  • Bone fragility or osteodystrophy, especially in those with kidney disease or on aluminum-based medications

  • Anemia that resembles iron-deficiency, caused by aluminum's interference with red blood cell production

  • Low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress

  • Muscle weakness, coordination problems, or gastrointestinal irritation in cases of high body burden

Aluminum may persist in bone tissue for years, and symptoms may develop gradually, making early detection important.

Hair vs. Blood vs. Urine Aluminum Testing

  • Hair analysis offers insight into chronic exposure and excretion trends over time.

  • Blood tests reflect recent exposure, but may miss chronic accumulation.

  • Urine testing, especially after chelation, can help assess total body burden.

Hair testing is ideal for identifying patterns before they become clinically significant—but should always be interpreted in context.

What To Do If Your Hair Aluminum Is Elevated

Reduce exposure:

  • Switch to aluminum-free personal care products (e.g., deodorants)

  • Avoid aluminum cookware and foil where possible

  • Filter drinking water (reverse osmosis or activated alumina filters)

  • Review medications and antacids for aluminum content

Support detoxification:

  • Eat a diet rich in fiber, antioxidants, and protective minerals like magnesium, zinc, and calcium

  • Stay well-hydrated to support kidney clearance

  • Consider binders or gentle chelation therapies under professional guidance

Evaluate nutrient status:

  • Aluminum competes with other minerals—especially calcium and iron. A deficiency in these can make aluminum more harmful and more easily absorbed.

Therapeutic Options

If aluminum burden is significant, your provider may recommend:

  • Chelation therapy using agents that bind aluminum and promote urinary excretion

  • Monitoring pre- and post-chelation urine tests to track progress

  • Kidney and digestive support to enhance natural detoxification

Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before beginning detox or chelation programs, especially if you have pre-existing conditions.

Bottom Line

Elevated aluminum levels in hair suggest long-term exposure, active detox, or impaired elimination. While hair aluminum does not always equal toxicity, it is a red flag worth investigating—especially if symptoms are present or exposure is ongoing.

By identifying and reducing sources of aluminum and supporting your body’s detox systems, you can lower your long-term risk and support better overall health.

Frequently asked questions

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Instead of searching for your lab results in different places or tracking them down from different providers, Healthmatters houses, organizes, and interprets them all in one central location.

With a Healthmatters account, you can dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data, anytime, anywhere.

For our professional users, Healthmatters provides intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history.

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
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  • The NutrEval FMV®,
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  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
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You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.

It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.

If you’re on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.

There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."

Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.

For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.

We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.

Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.

Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.

For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.

Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.

Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.

The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.

For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.

Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.

You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.

Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.

Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.

We’ve crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.

1. Graph View:

Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.

2. All Tests View

Explore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.

3. Table View:

For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.

Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.

Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.

Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.

Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.

A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.

The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.

To learn more about Healthmatters Pro, please refer to the professional page.

Yes, you can! Simply go to the "Invite Doctor" section, enter your doctor’s email address, and send the invitation. Your doctor will receive an email with secure access to view your results. You can revoke this access at any time. All shared information is securely encrypted and protected for your privacy.
Yes, you can! Go to the Graph view or Spreadsheet view. In the top-right corner, click "Export to Excel," and the file will be downloaded to your device.

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