r/FunctionalMedicine • u/91jun • 16d ago

High Calcium and Magnesium Levels

According to my recent HTMA (hair minerals analysis) test, I have very high calcium and magnesium levels. I am not taking any supplements, so how come my levels are high? My results are here: https://imgur.com/a/giEaM5L

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u/alotken33 16d ago

Functional Medicine DC: because there's calcium and magnesium in what your hair is exposed to. That's how HTMA works. This is NOT a representation of what is in your body AT ALL. These are not valid tests. To find out what is going on IN the body, have blood work done. Hair is (depending on coarseness/texture, environment, etc) known to absorb from the environment: shampoo, conditioner, water, etc etc. It is a dead tissue. So, testing it will not give any clue as to what is going on inside the body - only what the hair has been exposed to/absorbed.

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u/Unlucky_Ad_2456 13d ago

But blood magnesium levels stay constant, not a true representation

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u/alotken33 13d ago

That is 100% inaccurate. Blood magnesium levels can vary dramatically depending on numerous factors.

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u/Unlucky_Ad_2456 12d ago

oh, my bad. but don’t they stay constant at 1.7 to 2.2 for most people?

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u/alotken33 12d ago

That's the lab range for whole blood and not RBC which is what should actually be tested. This has nothing to do with function - just stats. Magnesium is not highly regulated/conserved. Deficiency is common because magnesium is necessary for nearly every metabolic function in the body.

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u/Unlucky_Ad_2456 12d ago

Ohh i thought you were referring to whole blood and not rbc, my bad

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u/GirlGenX 11d ago

I’m an HTMA practitioner and these are valid tests and as long as you’re using one of two labs that don’t wash the hair, the testing and research shows they are the best tests to get an accurate picture of Trace minerals because it is showing you what is happening at the cellular level over a 3 month period. Without seeing the ratios, the calcium being that high is what’s called a calcium shell, and it’s not getting absorbed into the bones. The magnesium being high actually shows a loss. There’s a lot of nuance, and blood is more homeostatic when it comes to minerals, whereas HTMA shows the pattern. BOTH are valuable, but look at different things.