Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms & HTMA: How to Test Accurately
Hair Calcium/Magnesium Ratio and Coronary Artery Calcification
This study investigated the relationship between tissue calcium and magnesium using hair sample testing and subclinical coronary artery calcification, using coronary calcium scores (CCS). The population included over 200 individuals aged 40 years and above. They found an association with CCS and the tissue calcium-to-magnesium relationship. Coronary calcification scores were strongly associated with a higher calcium-to-magnesium ratio in the hair than lower calcium-to-magnesium ratios found. Park, B, et.al. High Calcium-Magnesium Ratio in Hair is Associated with Coronary Artery Calcification in Middle Aged and Elderly Individuals. Biol.Trace Elem.Res. 179,1, 2017.
Comment: An excess tissue calcium-to-magnesium relationship can lead to many problems not only related to coronary artery calcification, but other soft tissue calcium deposition sites. An elevated ratio is also associated with blood sugar and insulin dysregulation, arthritis, osteoporosis, hypertension, and stress-related conditions. The many enzyme activities that require magnesium could also become disturbed
Low Hair Magnesium and Ventricular Wall Thickness
The relationships between low magnesium intake and cardiovascular disease are well known. As discussed above, a disturbance in the relationship between calcium and magnesium is associated with coronary calcification. This study found a relationship between hair magnesium status and echocardiographic parameters in chronic hemodialysis patients. They found that hair magnesium levels were significantly lower in patients with high left ventricular mass index compared to those having a low mass index. Low hair magnesium correlated with posterior left ventricular thickness, interventricular septum thickness, left ventricular wall thickness as well as relative wall thickness. The authors concluded that hair magnesium concentrations is a biomarker for ventricular hypertrophy in hemodialysis patients. Ochi, A. et al. Hair magnesium, but not serum magnesium, is associated with left ventricular wall thickness in hemodialysis patients. Circ. J. 77,12, 2013.
Comment: Inadequate magnesium status, or magnesium deficiency, has been associated with many health conditions for decades, particularly heart disease. Magnesium deficiency symptoms can manifest widely, including muscle cramps, fatigue, restless legs, sleep issues, and cardiovascular problems. However, because serum magnesium has been used as the test of choice, but rarely reflects true magnesium status, the effective use of magnesium therapy for the large population affected is grossly ignored and underutilized. Since it is also well known that serum magnesium tests do not reflect total body magnesium status, Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) can be accepted as a more adequate screening tool for total body magnesium as well as magnesium’s relationship with other mineral concentrations.
How to test for magnesium deficiency effectively is a critical question for both patients and practitioners seeking accurate nutritional insight. When considering testing for magnesium and other minerals, it's important to understand the strengths and limitations of various methods:
- Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA): This method reflects mineral and heavy metal accumulation in the hair over several weeks to months, making it ideal for assessing long-term exposure and mineral status. HTMA is particularly valuable because it offers a broader window into the body's mineral dynamics, capturing trends that serum tests may miss.
- Blood Testing: Blood tests measure what is currently circulating in the bloodstream and are best for detecting recent or acute exposures. However, since the body regulates blood levels tightly and minerals quickly move from blood to tissues, blood tests often fail to reveal true tissue status—especially for minerals like magnesium.
- Urine Testing: Urine analysis shows which minerals and heavy metals the body is actively excreting. This can help identify ongoing exposures or elimination patterns, particularly when substances are used to provoke the release of stored metals from tissues.
- Stool Testing: This type of test can reflect elimination of minerals and metals through the digestive tract and may provide insight into gastrointestinal excretion. However, results can be influenced by factors such as diet, digestion, and individual metabolic processes, making interpretation more complex.
By understanding the unique insights each testing method offers, practitioners and individuals can make more informed decisions about which assessments best reflect overall mineral balance and toxic metal exposure. This is especially critical in the context of magnesium, where
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis often provides a more accurate depiction of long-term status and its interplay with other essential minerals.
5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms & HTMA: How to Test Accurately
What are common magnesium deficiency symptoms?
Magnesium deficiency symptoms can be wide-ranging and often subtle, as magnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions. Common signs include muscle cramps or spasms, chronic fatigue, anxiety, difficulty sleeping (insomnia), headaches or migraines, and in severe or long-term cases, cardiovascular issues and irregular heart rhythms.
How to test for magnesium deficiency accurately?
How to test for magnesium deficiency is best addressed by looking beyond standard serum (blood) tests. Because the body tightly regulates blood magnesium, a blood test may appear normal even if tissue levels are low. Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is considered a more accurate screening tool as it measures the mineral content stored in the tissue over several months, providing a better long-term picture of your true status.
What is the main benefit of using HTMA over a blood test for magnesium?
The main benefit of using HTMA is that it assesses the mineral levels in the hair tissue, which acts as a storage archive of mineral status over time. This provides a clear reflection of total body mineral reserves and metabolic trends, whereas a blood test (serum magnesium) only shows the amount circulating in the blood at that exact moment, which is typically less than 1% of the body's total magnesium.
What does a high Calcium/Magnesium ratio in a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis report indicate?
A high Calcium/Magnesium ratio in an alue="hair-tissue-mineral-analysis--htma" type="page" href="/hair-tissue-mineral-analysis--htma" data-runtime-url="/hair-tissue-mineral-analysis--htma">HTMA report often suggests a metabolic imbalance where calcium is being deposited inappropriately into soft tissues, potentially leading to issues like coronary calcification (as noted in the blog post), joint stiffness, or blood sugar dysregulation. It generally indicates a relative magnesium deficiency at the cellular level necessary to keep calcium properly in solution and stored in bones.
Why is magnesium so critical for cardiovascular health?
Magnesium plays a vital role in cardiovascular health by regulating muscle contraction, including the heart muscle, and maintaining proper blood pressure. As discussed in the article, low tissue magnesium is associated with increased ventricular wall thickness and a disturbed calcium-to-magnesium ratio is linked to coronary artery calcification, highlighting magnesium's protective role against chronic heart disease.
Dr. Michael Rudulph Maxon, AKA Johnny Delirious, Laboratory Naturopathic Doctor, gives expert advice rooted in holistic healing principles, drawing on 40 years of professional experience in the health industry. He helps his patients recover and heal using food and Ancient Greek therapies, utilizing organic remedies that are all backed by modern laboratory science. He is unquestionably the only TRUE Addiction & Hepatitis A, B, and C Recovery Pioneer. Free of mood-altering substances (cocaine) since 1991, with no viral load or antibodies of hepatitis since 1994, and no cirrhosis since 1995. Nobody in his life—including doctors, friends, and family—thought he would live past 1992; they all said he was going to die. But, Johnny chose life, not death, and learned how to heal his body, mind, and spirit by developing new protocols with natural therapies, including the thoughtful application of homeopathic remedies where appropriate. For over 20 years, he has helped many others recover, including professionals like doctors, dentists, and lawyers, who prefer alternative medicine over chemical drugs or surgery to address the same conditions that everyone said were hopeless.
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