By Gabi Giacomin, Dr. of Naturopathic Medicine, Member Trisomy21 Research Foundation, SAC

I have referred a few clients for testing recently who have experienced Rapid Deterioration (RD). RD refers to people/ children losing speech, losing cognitive, behavioural and adaptive functioning, and the ability to carry out daily functions as they could previously. Assessing levels of toxic metals is important, as there’s a strong connection between environmental toxicity and brain damage 1.

I discovered that Hair Analysis offers so much more than heavy metal testing. Amy Yasko, a biochemist who works with children who have autism, places a high priority on Hair Analysis.

Minerals

Lithium levels are reported on this test. Lithium is crucial for drawing vitamin B12 into the cell. Vitamin B12 is one of the most important nutrients for Methylation Cycle function – immunity, cognition, DNA production, detoxification – and is strongly associated with cognition. In addition, Lithium decreases cognitive decline in people with Alzhemier’s Disease 11. Yasko reports that Lithium and Potassium at low levels can cause aggressive behaviour in children and must be addressed 2, 3.

Secondly, you can get an idea of thyroid function from Hair Analysis. Potassium is necessary to sensitise tissues to thyroid hormone 14, low potassium can indicate poor cellular response to thyroxine.  I have seen clients with a TSH of around 1.3 – which looks great in blood analysis, show up with virtually no Potassium and chronic hypothyroidism on a Hair Analysis. Testing TSH in isolation can be misleading – you don’t get a comprehensive picture of thyroid function. Looking at the balance between minerals in relation to metabolism gives us an accurate picture of thyroid metabolism.

In contrast, children on high dose thyroid medication can experience serious mineral excretion. This is due to medication pushing the thyroid into hyperactivity, speeding up the metabolism to extreme levels. The metabolism is so fast the body is excreting minerals at a higher rate than they can be replaced which can lead to osteoporosis in the long term 28. I was alerted to this during a review, its not something i was aware of prior to testing. So, both hypo and hyperthyroidism can be second checked using Hair Analysis. Blood tests give us a snapshot of what’s going on at the time of testing, Hair Analysis gives us a picture of what the thyroid is doing over a period of 3-4 months.

Adrenal fatigue and chronic stress can be identified through Hair Analysis via Magnesium levels 29. People with Down Syndrome typically present with adrenal fatigue and low cortisol on blood tests. Adrenal fatigue is linked to hypothyroidism – a connection routinely overlooked by physicians 15.

Thyroid medication will mask adrenal fatigue, which overtime develops into an autoimmune condition known as Addison’s disease – identified in adults with DS 12. Cortisol is associated with immunity, production of growth hormone, energy, weight, stress and inflammation and is important for the health and development of children with DS.

Increased levels of copper in adults with DS are common and are associated with progression of AD 30. Elevated copper and depressed zinc are associated with aggressive behaviour, pyroluria and neurological inflammation 17, 18.  Increased copper and zinc have been reported in red cells of people with DS, associated with the overexpression of SOD1, along with a depletion of selenium and glutathione. Levels of copper, zinc and selenium can be monitored and balanced through Hair Analysis.

Hydrochloric acid and mitochondrial function are identified in Hair Analysis. Chronic malabsorption has been established in people with DS 13. Malabsorption causes depletion of minerals such as iron, calcium and zinc 4 as well as poor protein digestion. Malnutrition in DS caused by malabsorption is thought to be a cause of early onset Alzheimer’s Disease 13. Mitochondrial dysfunction is recognised in DS and contributes to intellectual disability 20.

Heavy Metals

It is well established in research that people with Down Syndrome have elevated levels of heavy metals compared to the typical population 5, 6. Increased gastrointestinal absorption of Aluminium has been observed in people with Down Syndrome and is associated with the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease 6. Aluminium is neurotoxic and when brain levels exceed toxic thresholds, its inevitable that aluminium contributes to neuroinflammation. Aluminium is a catalyst for early onset AD despite genetic predisposition, but isn’t an inevitable consequence of ageing in the absence of Aluminium 6. People with DS have a permeable blood brain barrier, caused by over expression of MicroRNA 155. This increases the potential for Aluminium to accumulate in the brain and cause toxicity.

Aluminium is toxic to the brain 21. It interfere’s with normal neurological function and is associated with Dyslexia, Autism and behavioural difficulties at school 22. Aluminium levels are elevated in people following the use of antacids. High levels of Aluminium can be found in drinking water, deodorants, intramuscularly injected vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs. Aluminium accumulation is associated with autoimmune ASIA syndrome, cause by vaccines, where it is used as an adjuvant to enhance the a desired immune response 23.

Increased levels of Mercury are reported in DS and are associated with DNA damage 5. Children with DS have decreased detoxification capacity for Mercury because of genetic and biochemical imbalances which reduce their ability to excrete Mercury 6. They are particularly vulnerable to mercury intoxication which causes damage to the developing central nervous system, as well as kidney and lung damage. Sources of toxic mercury exposure include fish, vaccine preservative thimerosal, inhalation of mercury vapour, skin creams, teething powders and dental amalgams 5.

Mercury increases the production of Hydrogen Peroxide via the enzyme SOD, which is over expressed in DS 5. This increase in Hydrogen Peroxide causes DNA damage, and increases the potential for genetic mutations and carcinogenesis 9. Mercury exposure depletes selenium and glutathione, vital for protecting the body from oxidative damage, and ultimately leads to the dysfunction of brain cells 9. People with DS have a deficit of glutathione and selenium compared to the typical population, and are at high risk of developing brain damage following mercury exposure.

High levels of arsenic have been found in children with Down Syndrome, and their parents, in India 7. The incidence of DS births is increasing, and is thought to be related to more than genetic defects 7. Environmental factors such as heavy metal toxicity may play a role through their interaction with genes. Research shows that children in India with DS had high concentrations of arsenic, while their parents had toxic levels of arsenic. Water contamination with the pesticide trichlorfon was reported to cause an outbreak of DS birth incidence in a village in Hungary, in 1993, and in Massachusetts in 2003, suggesting environmental pollutants have some potential to cause Down Syndrome through pre or post conception teratogenic and mutagenic action. It is recommended from this study to reduce body levels of heavy metals before pregnancy 7.

Treatment

Curcumin protects the brain by directly binding with toxic metals, it also protects the brain from oxidative damage and inflammation 24. Curcumin has the ability to bind effectively with metals such as iron and copper giving it a neuroprotective role with enhanced radical scavenging efficacy.

Green Tea polyphenols act as effective heavy metal chelators, binding to ions such as iron and are antioxidant. Iron accumulation in the brain is associated with a range of neurological disorders including Alzhemier’s disease 25.

Supplementation with antioxidants alongside chelation therapy has proven to be a better treatment than chelation alone 26. Certain antioxidants are especially beneficial in heavy metal toxicity: Vitamin E protects membrane lipids and prevents lead‐induced oxidation of proteins. Vitamin C reduces lead absorption and increases lead excretion. Low serum levels of betacarotene predispose to arsenic‐related ischaemic heart disease and betacarotene spares glutathione in cadmium toxicity 26.

Alpha lipoic acid chelates iron, zinc, copper, mercury and cadmium and contributes thiol groups for the detoxification of cadmium 26. Selenium plays two important roles in protecting against mercury toxicity. Firstly, its highly reactive selenol group enables binding to mercury. Secondly, their antioxidant properties help eliminate mercury-induced reactive oxygen species 27.

Nanoporous silica is an effective heavy metal sorbent and chelating agent 31. Currently, the preferred method of heavy metal chelation involves agents such as EDTA and DMSA. These require multiple applications and can burden and damage the renal system. They are also known to extract essential metals (iron,magnesium, calcium and zinc) from the body, resulting in mineral deficiencies 31. Nanopourous silica was two time more efficient at chelating heavy metals than EDTA and DMSA 31.

In conclusion, Hair Mineral Analysis is a great tool for assessing the metabolism, mineral and metal status of people with Down Syndrome. It’s use in DS is supported by quality research making it a reliable method of testing and valuable for enhancing treatment protocols. Hair Analysis is a private test interpreted by Naturopaths and holds great value for the future health and development of people with DownSyndrome. 

“Hair is used for mineral testing because of its very nature. Hair is formed from clusters of specialized cells that make up the hair follicle. During the growth phase the hair is exposed to the internal environment (intracellular) such as blood, lymph and extra-cellular fluids. As the hair continues to grow and reaches the surface of the skin its outer layers harden, locking in the metabolic products accumulated during the period of formation. This biological process provides a blueprint and lasting record of mineral status and nutritional metabolic activity that has occurred during this time.”

Dr. Ioannis Toliopoulos, PhD, Molecular Biologist, Physiologist

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1474439/

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/984241

3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924933811728954

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2543192

5. http://www.academia.edu/27596596Mercury_toxicity_and_DNA_damage_in_patients_with_Down_syndrome

6. https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease-reports/adr170010

7. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/Arsenic-Down-syndrome-link-found/articleshow/53126940.cms

8. https://www.omicsonline.org/mechanisms-of-heavy-metal-neurotoxicity-lead-and-manganese-2157-7609.S5-002.php?aid=40460#134

9.Midorikawa K, Kawanishi S. Superoxide dismutases enhance H2O2-induced DNA damage and alter its site specificity. FEBS Lett  2001;495:187–190

10.Cheng L, Zhang DZ.Molecular genetic pathology . Totowa, NJ: Humana;2008. p. 45.

11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26402004

12. https://library.down-syndrome.org/en-us/research-practice/12/2/autoimmunity-puzzle-down-syndrome/

13. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/030698779090051F

14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7237944

15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3520819/

16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11903959

17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9251975

18. https://metabolichealing.com/copper-toxicity-major-epidemic/

19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4066992/#B47

20. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24548784

21. Exley C (2014) What is the risk of aluminium as a neurotoxin? Expert Rev Neurother 14, 589–591.

22. http://www.alz-disease.org/downloads/Aluminum1.pdf

23. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23992328

24.Hedge ML, Bharathi P, Suram A, Venugopal C, Jagannathan R, Poddar P, et al. Challenges associated with metal chelation therapy in Alzheimer’s disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2009 Jul:17(3):457‐468

25. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775893/

26.Flora SJ, Mittal M, Mehta A. Heavy metal induced oxidative stress and its possible reversal by chelation therapy. Indian J Med Res 2008 Oct;128(4):501‐523

27. Chen C, Yu H, Zhao J, Li B, Qu L, Liu S, et al. The roles of serum selenium and selenoproteins on mercury toxicity in environmental and occupations exposure. Environ Health Perspect 2006 Feb:114(2):297‐301.

28. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/bone-disease-with-hyperthyroidism-and-thyroid-hormone-therapy

29. https://metabolichealing.com/adrenal-thyroid-function-hair-tissue-mineral-analysis-2/

30. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4030141/

31. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3429124/