Thanks for your post. I'm really not familiar with the companies that do these tests but did read one should get a lab that doesn't wash the hair, is that why you're recommending Trace Elements, Inc.? And what is this about needing a sponsor? Don't know what you mean... I'd also like to know where you got the information about calcium being higher when there's a thyroid issue as I had never heard that, what I'd heard is of a possible difficulty with magnesium and potassium, which I've had but I also may have overdone the magnesium at times. In answer to your question about magnesium, the best for me for several years was "magnesium oil", but last October I kind of accidentally realized I'd overloaded on chloride so I stopped using it for several months and just used magnesium oxide (taken on an empty stomach as recommended to me by I guess I could say a holistic doctor for better absorption) or a capsule filled with magnesium sulphate at bedtime, probably because I couldn't decide what form of magnesium to try next, but I think someone here at Curezone suggested magnesium maleate... or was it something else? Oops, need to find that post!