If you were to imagine the setting for a fortune teller, an almost unnervingly pristine mews between Knightsbridge and Chelsea might not be the first place to spring to mind. You were probably picturing an incense-laced den bedecked with thick velvet curtains that unveil a palm-reading Mystic Meg type.
Well, this is not your average palm reading. Instead, this is an OligoScan, the non-invasive palm scan that purportedly measures essential minerals, trace elements and heavy metals stored intracellularly within the body’s tissues. In non-science speak, it’s a functional test that claims to reveal everything from your iron and vitamin D levels to the presence of aluminium in your body — painlessly and almost instantly. Sort of like a blood test, but without the needles and waiting time for results.
How does it work, you might well ask? A small device is used to send a beam of light through the palm of your hand. Using tissue spectrophotometry (a technique used to measure how much light a substance absorbs), this can estimate mineral patterns at a tissue level.
I tried one out at an aesthetic clinic called Clinicbe. It’s frequented by highly groomed international types and is the home of Dr Barbara Kubicka, an aesthetic medicine expert who has recently added OligoScan to her treatment offering.
“It’s a really simple and non-invasive way of getting a snapshot of what’s going on inside the body, particularly when it comes to mineral levels and potential exposure to heavy metals,” she says. “It uses a small sensor placed on the palm of your hand. From that, we can see things like magnesium, zinc and calcium levels, as well as whether there are any toxins like mercury or lead present.
“In my clinic, it’s been really helpful for shaping a more personalised plan. If we spot imbalances, we can look at targeted supplements, diet and lifestyle tweaks that actually make sense for that individual, rather than taking a blanket approach.”
Once I’ve filled out a few medical history forms, the scan begins. And then promptly ends — it’s just four almost undetectable taps on my palm before a computer generates the results. A chart shows my levels of 21 minerals, which are mostly in the “normal” to “OK” region, except for a few at the lower end of the spectrum, including magnesium. I was pleased to see a sea of green in the “vitamins” section of the chart, and interested that my vitamin D levels were lowest.
More alarming was the “heavy metal” section, which showed an excess of silver, mercury and aluminium.Kubicka reassures me that the latter, at least, is common — the presence of aluminium in everything from cosmetics to pans makes it hard to avoid. What exactly I’m meant to do about the metals is less clear, other than moving to an Alpine lodge and ditching deodorant.
Overall, it was interesting to see the results and, as Kubicka says, to get some insight into what’s going on in there. I can’t help but think that this insight ought to be taken as guidance rather than gospel. And, indeed, the OligoScan has been designed as a functional guidance tool, not a diagnostic one. When I ask a doctor friend what he thinks, he replies with a single word: “Bollocks.” I’m sure he and Kubicka could have a lively conversation about it sometime.
“I’ve seen it make a real difference in helping patients feel more in control of their health and feel like they have a greater understanding of their own bodies,” she says. “Sometimes just having that clarity is the turning point.” That’s true of a good old-fashioned palm reading too.
