Magnesium Tests

[Guest guest]

Dr Mark Sircus wrote a book called Transdermal Magnesium Therapy.

_http://magnesiumforlife.com/the-book/_ (http://magnesiumforlife.com/the-book/)

I have loaned my book out & it has not been returned yet, so yesterday

borrowed my doctor's book to check some things out - chapter 22 is called

" Testing and Estimating Magnesium Levels " .

 

Excerpts --

 

Page 289 -- " Since magnesium is mainly an intracellular ion, measurement of

serum total magnesuim is an inaccurate index of intracellular or total

magnesium stores. Thiis means that although your serum levels may be

maintained within normal limits, there could be a deficiency in tissues that is

not

being detected. Blood serum tests will almost always show normal no matter

what the magnesium levels are in the cells because the body tightly

controls the level of magnesium in the blood because if that level falls, a

heart

attack is never that far away. "

 

Page 290 -- " Serum levels of magnesium must be kept within a tight range,

or the heart stops. Therefore serum levels are maintained at the expense of

levels inside cells " Dr Sarah Mayhill.

 

" When it comes to magnesium it is foolish to place all our faith in

tests, especially the blood serum test. Less then 1% of our body's total

magnesium can be measured in our blood; the rest is found in the cells and

tissues of the body where it is needed for crucial cell processes. It's

impossible to make a diagnosis about magnesium levels this way, for magnesium

in

the blood does not correlate with magnesium levels in the rest of the body.

In fact, when we are under stress, our body dumps magnesium into the blood

giving the mistaken appearance of normal levels even when the rest of the

body is terribly deficient. This is just one more reason to be wary of

doctors, clinics and hospitals that continue to rely on a virtually

irrelevant magnesium test. "

 

 

There are a couple of pages about why a person should not rely on

blood serum tests and what Dr Sircus thinks about some medical practices.

 

 

Now here is information about various tests on pages 293 and 294

 

" TOTAL RED CELL MAGNESIUM

The results of this test are less variable then serum measurements, but it

may still not adequately reflect total body magnesium status in health and

disease. This test measures the amount of mineral magnesium inside the red

blood cells. However, total red blood cell magnesium levels are not as

accurate a measurement of tissue levels as the ionized magnesium test.

 

SERUM IONIZED MAGNESIUM

The blood ionized magnesium test correlates well with intracellular free

magnesium levels. Dr Carolyn Dean favors the blood ionized magnesium test

saying it is a very refined procedure backed by results on many thousands of

patients and information about it has been published in prestigious journals.

 

INTRACELLULAR FREE MAGNESIUM

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is another way to treat for

magnesium, but it is impractical because of the cost and the lack of

routine availability.

 

SUBLINGUAL MAGNESIUM ASSAY

The Buccal cell smear test of " Exatest " is a safe, non-invasive test that

accurately measures the minerals inside cells. This is a test used, for

example, during cardiac surgery to determine cellular magnesium levels. A

doctor painlessly collects a sample from under your tongue and affixes it

to a slide. The slide is then sent to IntraCellular Diagnostics, Inc. for

analysis.

 

MAGNESIUM LOADING TEST

This test meansures urinary magnesium excretion in response to a loading

dose of magnesium. Although inconvenient to perform, this test has

successfully identified individuals with even a mild degrees of magnesium

deficiency. It has been considered an accurate test when renal function is

normal.

 

The ultimate and most dependable indicator of magnesium deficiency is

your health. If your body and mind are functioning perfectly; if you have

the desire, will, and energy to pursue your life dreams; if you are not

saddled by aches and pains of the head , heart , or mind, then you are most

likely not magnesium deficient. "

 

 

 

blessings

Shan