How to Test on Intracellular Trace Mineral Levels

That trace minerals comprise 4 percent of your total body weight speaks to their importance. These minerals, such as magnesium and zinc, work inside cells, defining them as "intracellular." They also play roles in water balance, muscle contraction and other bodily functions. Testing your levels of intracellular trace minerals can potentially reveal information about deficiencies or toxicity in your body. Myriad companies perform such analysis for a fee. But the testing is controversial, and some professional medical corners dismiss it.

Instructions

• 1

  Use a sample of your hair. Cut the first 1.5 inches of growth nearest to the scalp, at your neck's nape. Hair's sensitivity to many factors, including your genetics, environment, and hormones, makes it ideal for intracellular trace mineral analysis.

• 2

  Avoid blood testing to analyze levels of trace minerals. Blood tests provide information on your cells' immediate state, not their long-term history. Eating a banana, for instance, could spike a test's reading of your potassium levels, potentially masking a deficiency in the mineral.

• 3

  Scrutinize trace mineral analysis companies with thorough, careful research. You must send your hair to such a company in order to formally analyze your intracellular trace mineral levels. Nevertheless, the American Medical Association discourages using such analyses to diagnose or treat conditions.