Biological Terrain Assessment

Introduction

Biological Terrain Assessment (BTA), although it sounds like an expedition to uncharted lands, is a computerized analysis of blood, urine and saliva specimens used to recommend nutritional programs, vitamin and mineral supplements, homeopathic products, and/or herbs. It is more like an expedition into uncharted health claims.

This device is marketed by the Grieshaber Group, of Schiltach, Germany with Biological Technologies International (BTI) of Payson, Arizona marketing the BTA S-2000 and sponsoring seminars for chiropractors and other offbeat practitioners in the United States. The company, founded and run by Robert Greenburg D.C. promises to "provide the most advanced instruments and technologies in the world to support predictive and preventative healthcare. [1]

The list price of the device is $13,129, with various lease options available. [2] Company literature states that an average practitioner charging $150 per test and doing 20 to 25 tests per week can generate $153,000 to $192,000 per year for the tests alone [3].

How does BTA supposed to work?

There is no clear answer to this from information available. A device called the BTA S-2000 claims to analyze specimens of blood, urine, and saliva reporting pH, resistivity, and redox values of each of these fluids.

It is claimed that these factors are the indicators of the nature and processes of the individual's unique biochemistry, including the current status and activities of its enzymes, amino acids and other vital building blocks of life.

A visitor to the BTI web sight can view a bunch of fancy colored graphs that plot out test results but provide no useful information. A P.O box is the listed mailing address.

What is the BTA supposed to be able to detect?

Claims are made by BTI that the BTA can:

1. Determine whether enzymatic activity in the body is occurring properly and if digestion and absorption of vitamins, minerals and nutrients are occurring adequately by determining the pH of body fluids.
   
   
2. Alert the healthcare provider of the presence of damaging environmental or industrial contaminants, substances that can prove very damaging to the body's delicate chemistry by measuring oxidation-reduction (redox) values. "Low" redox values are supposedly increase a person's susceptibility to illness, disease, degeneration and premature aging.
   
   
3. "Redox values that are obtained and studied give the practitioner important information about the electron potential and movement within the body. Such information alerts the health provider of the degree of oxidative damage as well as the potential of vital and life-sustaining chemical reactions."

According to the Vega Grieshaber group (web site located in Germany) many diseases can be diagnosed with the aid of Biological Terrain Analysis: [4]

• Immune-system diseases
• Allergies and autoimmune diseases
• Metabolic diseases
• Environmental/toxicological diseases
• Heart/circulatory diseases
• Nervous-system diseases (CFS, MS)
• Chronic diseases and chronic/toxic diseases of the digestive organs
• Degenerative diseases of the skeletal system
• Viral and bacterial infectious inflammatory diseases

Such bold claims are subtly alluded to but not directly stated on U.S. web sites run by BTI. Such claims for disease diagnosis by U.S. firms might fall under F.D.A scrutiny as well as the scrutiny of malpractice attorneys.

Facts about pH, resistivity, and redox potentials

pH

The body is finely tuned and keeps its acid-base balance (pH) in finely tuned balance. Blood pH is normally 7.36 to 7.44. Disturbances in blood pH outside of normal occurring from conditions such as diabetic ketoacidosis, poisonings, lactic acidosis, kidney failure and other conditions are often apparent to laypersons, as well as medical professionals, because symptoms are often present.

Urine pH has a wider range than blood pH but does not usually provide useful information except for a few conditions. Urine pH is easily measured with a urine dipstick costing less than a dollar.

Saliva pH, assuming a person has not recently eaten, closely reflects that of blood and provides no no useful information.

Resistivity

Differences among various tissues in electrical resistivity, when used with a certain device (not the BSA 2000) can be useful in measuring percentage body fat. A variation of this device can measure both intracellular and extracellular fluid volumes which may be useful for determining the extend total body fluid excess in persons with congestive heart failure. This device is not widely used because these estimates can be made clinically.

Resistivity can also be used to measure concentrations of serum electrolytes in a fluid such as blood. Electrolytes concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate are commonly measured by medical doctors. However, this is not what BTA claims to do.

Oxidation-reduction potentials

Redox potentials are present for every substance that undergoes a chemical reaction including enzymes and body fuel sources such as starches, sugars, fats, and proteins.

A molecule is the smallest unit of any given substance (compound)- it in turn is made up of individual atoms. Individual atoms are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. Molecules of glucose, starches, and other sugars (containing atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen) are broken down to an intermediary compound called acetyl-CoA which in turn stripped of electrons in the presence of oxygen ("oxidized") to produce ATP (energy), carbon dioxide and water.

Just about anything that is synthesized (made) or metabolized (broken down) has a redox potential. The redox (energy) potential of a chemical reaction does not change. For example, the amount of energy released by the aerobic metabolism (oxidative) of a single molecule of glucose will always be the same. Redox potentials may provide useful information about individual chemical reactions but do not provide useful information in regard to overall health or for the diagnosis of disease.

Bottom line

The BTA is a relatively useless device that does not give meaningful information about either disease or health; it appears designed to generate revenue for its' users. Promotions for the BTA are smoothly written with a liberal sprinkling of complex scientific and biochemical terms; however, it is all smoke and mirrors telling the reader absolutely nothing about how the machine works or what it interprets.

Although measurement of redox potentials, pH, and resistivity have use in certain areas of chemistry and biology there is absolutely no basis for applying these measurements to whole body interactions or without a medical indication. Even if this machine could do everything it claimed these values are of no use in determining the health status of most people.

The only barrier to use of this machine by mainstream medical practitioners throughout the world is that it doesn't provide useful information. Cost would not a consideration for such a "fine machine" considering all the things it is supposedly capable of doing. This is especially true considering the traditional laboratory machines used by physicians that are capable of performing complete metabolic panels, blood count, blood gas-cooximetry, and electrolyte analysis cost much more.

References

1. Biological Technologies Industries. Promotional folder distributed in 1998.

2. Biological Technologies Industries. The 10 most frequently asked questions about Biological Terrain Assessment and the BTA S-2000. Undates flyer, distributed in 1998.

3. Biological Technologies Industries. If you seek meaningful results for your patient and a revenue generator for you practice consider the benefits of owning the BTA S-2000 for only $249.95 per month. Undated flyer, distributed in 1998.

4. Understanding Biological Terrain: a simplified approach, 1996 by Dr. Robert C. Greenberg, D.C.

DoctorsCorner.Com provides reference to the above sites but reminds the viewer these sites promote a useless test and provide misleading information

Acknowledgment

A large portion of content information was obtained from "Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique (B.E.S.T.) and the Morter HealthSystem" by Stephen Barrett, M.D. and can be accessed at http://www.chirobase.org. This site is vehemently dedicated to exposing medical quackery and provides in-depth information.

Content has been condensed,added, and reformatted by DoctorsCorner.Com.

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