HOUSTON, Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- SpectraCell Laboratories has recently added Vitamin A to the essential nutrients it measures using its proprietary FIA(TM) (Functional Intracellular Analysis) technology. SpectraCell Laboratories tests 28 different vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and antioxidants to determine an individual’s specific deficiencies. Now Vitamin A will be available as well, effective September 1, 2005.
Although commonly available serum tests can measure the quantity of Vitamin A present in blood serum, these routine methods do not provide information on actual Vitamin A deficiency within the cells. SpectraCell’s FIA(TM) technology uses patients’ own live lymphocytes (white blood cells) which are grown in a series of patented culture media containing various levels of each micronutrient necessary for growth. Then changes in rates of cellular growth for each different nutritional environment are measured to detect which specific nutrients are inadequate for optimal immune function.
Because of the functional nature of the FIA(TM) technology, deficiencies can be detected regardless of serum levels. Similarly, what may be optimal for one person may be suboptimal for another, depending on such factors as metabolism, age, genetics, prescription drug usage, lifestyle or illness. Since FIA(TM) takes all these individual biochemical factors into account, true individual deficiencies are discovered and can be treated before they contribute to chronic disease states.
“The addition of Vitamin A to our test panel is an example of SpectraCell’s commitment to continued research and development. SpectraCell must develop a different culture media for each specific nutrient that it measures,” states Dr. Fred Crawford, VP of Operations at SpectraCell Laboratories. “It can take many months to determine the precise tissue culture components needed in the media, but once completed, the benefit in measuring intracellular deficiencies is unmatched. Now we have added Vitamin A to our roster.”
Studies on Vitamin A have shown that it may play a preventative role in certain cancers and it plays a vital role in healthy eye and retina function. However, excessive amounts of Vitamin A can be toxic, so the need to monitor cellular function of this nutrient is especially relevant. Since “more is better” is not always true when it comes to certain nutrients, the need to determine an optimal level of Vitamin A at the patient’s cellular level is particularly important. SpectraCell’s FIA(TM) test is specifically designed for this purpose.
About SpectraCell Laboratories
SpectraCell is a CLIA accredited laboratory that services healthcare providers nationwide by providing an innovative assessment of a patient’s nutritional status. Unlike traditional serum, hair and urine tests, SpectraCell’s patented FIA(TM) (Functional Intracellular Analysis) process measures how an individual’s white blood cells respond to varied environments of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. By evaluating the functionality of specific nutrients in a patient’s own cells, individual differences in metabolism, age, genetics, health, prescription drug usage, absorption rate or other factors are taken into consideration, opening a true “window on intracellular function.”
SpectraCell Laboratories, Inc.
CONTACT: Otto Schaefer, Vice President, Sales and Marketing of SpectraCellLaboratories, Inc., +1-800-227-5227, or fax, +1-713-621-3234
Web site: http://www.spectracell.com/
