Dr. Jennie Christensen, Founder & CEO of TrichAnalytics Laboratory, shared her journey and insights on Theio Vitality Hair Analysis in a recent interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. Drawing from over 20 years of research on diet and metal exposure in wildlife and humans, Jennie developed this cutting-edge technology to provide a detailed blueprint of an individual’s nutritional health. Inspired by her personal health challenges and academic journey, Jennie emphasized the importance of resilience and leveraging available resources for female entrepreneurs. She also highlighted the significant benefits of Theio Vitality Hair Analysis for Canadians, empowering them to make informed decisions about their nutritional health and overall well-being.
If every person’s hair tells a story, Jennie’s story begins earlier than most. When she was six years old, she was diagnosed with a chemical imbalance disorder called trichotillomania (an obsession to pull out one’s own hair). Despite the challenges of living with this disorder, she did not let it deter her from starting university at age 16, pursuing her passion for environmental health, and eventually completing her Master’s degree and Doctorate in Toxicology.
Driven by curiosity and a desire to find solutions for environmental health challenges, she spent two decades studying how animals respond to the nutrients and toxins in their environment. Could we measure these changes to their diets and health in a fast and non-invasive way? Such a technique would, in theory, allow us to track the health of wildlife with incredible precision and even respond proactively to environmental threats such as pollutants in rivers and the food they eat.
Referring to her own acute knowledge of hair and its keen ability to store information about the body, she began experimenting with it and realized that hair was the key. As a strand of hair grows, blood nourishes its root where elements are absorbed into the keratin structure of the hair. Through this process, hair strands record elemental changes occurring in the blood, including dietary and toxicological information. Using her extensive experience with laser technology, she was then able to create a snapshot of an organism’s health at any given time.
With her success in studying wildlife, it was a natural progression for Jennie to delve into the realm of human health. Thus in 2015, she was granted permission to analyze the 170-year old hair and nail samples of two members of the historic Franklin expedition (a British voyage of the Arctic in 1845). Her results were enlightening and challenged the long-held theory of the cause of their deaths. It was a result of these projects and her strong faith and belief in herself and her work with laser technology and its far-reaching potential in the realm of environmental and nutritional health that solidified her decision to leave the work of environmental consulting and open her own laboratory. It is not a coincidence that she named it TrichAnalytics; trich being the Greek word for hair.
Jennie and her team developed an analytical method and algorithm to identify the ideal portion of the hair that best reveals the elemental composition of the body. The analysis requires incredibly precise laser technology called Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry — LA-ICP-MS for short. This method is certified by the Canadian Association of Laboratory Accreditation (CALA), making TrichAnalytics the only accredited laboratory in the world that analyzes hair in this way. It is this unique method of analysis and its potential to help improve human nutritional health that inspired the creation of Theío Vitality. Theío Vitality is the Nutritional Division of TrichAnalytics Laboratory.
Can you explain how Theio Vitality Hair Analysis provides a detailed blueprint of an individual’s nutritional health and what inspired you to develop this cutting-edge technology?
For over 20 years, my research on diet and metal exposure in wildlife and humans has utilized hair as a non-invasive monitoring tool, revealing its potential to archive dietary information. Hair is effective because the sulfur in it binds with elements from the blood entering the follicle, locking in dietary data. Inspired by tracking grizzly bears’ diets and mercury exposure, I adapted this method for humans. Theio Vitality Hair Analysis uses lasers and mass spectrometry to analyze single hair strands, providing insights into nutritional health, potential deficiencies, and inadvertent toxic metal exposure.
Having started your academic journey at such a young age and faced personal health challenges, how have these experiences shaped your approach to environmental health and the development of your business?
Living with trichotillomania since age 6 shaped my unique approach to environmental health and business development. The psychological impact of my condition drew me to animals and wildlife, who never judged me. I ultimately discovered the fascinating science of hair during my PhD in toxicology. Realizing hair’s potential to reveal dietary and metal exposure information turned my obsession into a positive acceptance of my condition. This resilience was crucial in navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship and achieving success with hair science and chemistry at Theio Vitality.
What are the most significant benefits that Canadians can gain from Theio Vitality Hair Analysis, and how does it empower them to make informed decisions about their nutritional health?
Theio Vitality Hair Analysis offers Canadians significant benefits by revealing nutritional deficiencies and potential metal exposures. Our technology uniquely extracts detailed information from hair, enabling individuals to make informed decisions about their diet and lifestyle. Benefits include identifying deficiencies, detecting mercury exposure from diet and lead exposure from water pipes or old buildings. It also confirms if your diet provides all necessary nutrients and verifies supplement absorption. Empowering individuals with this knowledge allows them to make proactive changes to improve their nutritional health and overall well-being.
Based on your experience, what are your top tips for female entrepreneurs navigating the volatile business environment of health and wellness technology?
For female entrepreneurs navigating the health and wellness technology sector, leveraging available resources and support systems is crucial. Utilize government grants such as IRAP and CanExport, which provide valuable assistance for STEM entrepreneurs, particularly female-owned and operated. Believing in yourself is paramount, as is seeking help from friends, family, colleagues, and the community—success is rarely achieved alone. Be prepared, both financially and psychologically, for the journey to take longer and be harder than expected. Try to tune into what I call “the invisible world of opportunity” – opportunities are everywhere, and some of the greatest ones were not in my business plan! Lastly, I preferred to bootstrap to maintain control and flexibility. It was really hard and financially painful at times, but in the long run, it has really paid off.
Looking ahead, what key trends do you foresee in health and wellness for 2024 and beyond, and how is Theio Vitality planning to evolve with these trends?
Looking ahead, key trends in health and wellness for 2024 and beyond include a focus on preventative medicine, managing health amidst limited access to doctors, and addressing environmental and global health crises. There’s a growing demand for non-invasive sampling, personalized nutrition, and plant-based diets, particularly with an aging population seeking better health control. Theio Vitality Hair Analysis aligns with these trends by providing a convenient, non-invasive method to monitor nutritional status. This empowers individuals to make informed health decisions, fostering greater self-management and preventative care.
