The mineralogram is a laboratory test that aims to identify the amount of essential and toxic minerals in the body, such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, lead, mercury, aluminum, among others. Therefore, this exam is capable of helping to diagnose and determine the treatment of people with suspected poisoning, degenerative, inflammatory diseases or diseases related to excess or deficiency of minerals in the body.
The mineralogram can be done with any biological material, such as saliva, blood, urine and even hair, the latter being the main biological material used in the mineralogram, as it is capable of providing results related to long-term intoxication depending on the length of the hair, while urine or blood, for example, indicate the concentration of minerals in the body at the time the material was collected.
What is the mineralogram for?
The mineralogram serves to identify the concentration of minerals present in the organism, whether they are essential, that is, which are important for the proper functioning of the body, or toxic, which are those that should not be in the organism and, depending on their concentration, can cause harm to health.
The mineralogram exam is capable of identifying more than 30 minerals, the main ones being:
- Phosphor;
- Calcium;
- Sodium;
- Potassium;
- Ferro;
- Magnesium;
- Zinc;
- Copper;
- Selenium;
- Manganese;
- Sulfur;
- Lead;
- Beryllium;
- Mercury;
- Barium;
- Aluminum.
The presence of lead, beryllium, mercury, barium or aluminum in the sample collected is indicative of poisoning, as they are minerals that are not normally found in the body and have no health benefits. When the presence of any of these minerals is identified, the doctor usually recommends carrying out other tests to confirm the diagnosis and indicate the most appropriate treatment.
Learn more about the body’s main minerals.
How is done
The mineralogram can be done with any biological material, the method of collection of which varies according to the material and the laboratory. The hair mineralogram, for example, is done with around 30 to 50g of hair that must be removed from the back of the neck, at the root, and sent to the laboratory, where tests will be carried out with the aim of measuring the concentration of toxic minerals in the hair and , consequently, in the body, thus indicating possible intoxication.
Some factors can influence the test result, such as coloring, use of anti-dandruff shampoo and frequent swimming in the pool. Therefore, before carrying out the hair mineralogram, it is important to avoid washing your head with anti-dandruff shampoo and coloring your hair 2 weeks before taking the exam.
The mineralogram is not capable of diagnosing diseases, but according to the results of the examination it is possible to check the amount of minerals present in the body and, thus, the doctor can draw up a treatment plan, for example, so that the person feels better and have a better quality of life.
The mineralogram made from the hair sample allows checking the concentration of minerals in the last 60 days, while the blood test provides results for the last 30 days, in addition to providing faster results. For the mineralogram test to be carried out using blood, it is recommended that the person fast for around 12 hours.
Bibliography
- SILVA, Heliane S. Study of the blood and hair mineralogram in the body of alcoholic people. Master’s thesis, 2012. Federal University of Uberlândia.
