Biochemical Individuality

Biochemical Individuality (The Key to Understanding What Shapes Your Health) refers to the unique nutritional needs each person has, based on their lifestyle, environmental exposure to various stresses and genetics. Biochemistry is a complex web of interactions that controls the way your body uses amino acids, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fats for all your body functions. Amino acids, for example, are used to produce hormones, skin and bone. For your biochemistry to function properly, your body requires the right amounts and proportions of nutrients. The amount of a certain nutrient the average person requires may not be the optimal amount you need for good health.

How does biochemical individuality relate to disease?

Symptoms of disease can occur in response to problems with biochemical processes. Depression provides a good example. The body requires certain nutrients in order to manufacture mood-regulating hormones (serotonin, dopamine and epinephrine). For these hormones to be properly manufactured, your body needs the amino acids phenylalanine and tryptophan, vitamins B3 and B6 and the minerals iron and copper. Low levels of these nutrients—the raw materials needed to manufacture the hormones—can produce depression. People may become deficient in the required nutrients because they don’t get enough of the nutrients in their diet or their unique biochemistry may simply require additional amounts of one or more nutrients for the biochemical pathway to function properly.

If I take the U.S. DRI of a nutrient, should that be enough?

The problem with the U.S. DRI is that it does not define the optimal amount of a nutrient for body functions. Even if it did define the optimal amount, some people may require more of a nutrient for optimal function, especially if they are under stress, exposed to environmental pollutants or genetically predisposed to needing more of a certain nutrient.

How can I find out what my nutrient requirements are?

Nutritional biochemistry testing is the best way to learn about your specific nutrient requirements. Hair Mineral Analysis is one of the most comprehensive personal nutrition tests available.