Zinc

Many metals are necessary for our body and our enzymes for function. Many (6.5%) require iron, as well as copper, manganese, magnesium, and molybdenum. So we need various metals in our body to function in various specific amounts. But these levels are often hard to get. This has become increasingly true as the soils are being depleted of natural mineral levels through the practice of modern agriculture. Many other minerals are also needed by the body for other reasons, such as calcium, iodine, lithium, sodium, potassium, and so on. But today we want to focus on zinc.

So what do you think of when I say zinc? My first thought is zinc lozenges for when I get a sore throat. This is because zinc is vital for immune cell development and function. It helps maintain the integrity of skin and mucous membranes, which serve as barriers against pathogens, and supports the production and activation of T-cells and other immune cells.To reiterate, zinc is essential for the development of immune cells that safeguard against diseases. Without zinc, the common cold would be deadly to you. Along those same lines, zinc is needed to heal any wounds because it is essential for collagen synthesis, cell division, and protein synthesis. You need the collagen to form the extracellular matrix in which you grow new cells to replace the damaged ones that are in the wound. And you need to form many different proteins as the raw material with which new cells are made.

The same processes that are involved in wound repair are necessary for growth and development from the moment we are conceived. Specific zinc-dependent enzymes are used to manufacture the DNA and RNA that exist as the coded instructions for how everything is built in the body. Every protein the body uses to build everything is coded first as DNA, then transcribed as RNA, which is then used as a template for building each different protein. Zinc is intimately involved in all this. Let’s look at some specific examples of this. Zinc participates in the production of testosterone, the main masculinizing hormone. Zinc is required for the formation and functioning of taste receptors and smell receptors. One of the signs of low zinc is the loss of taste and smell.

Zinc is necessary for the proper formation of our skin. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and supports the skin’s barrier function. There is research that says zinc is needed to form certain neurotransmitters for proper cognitive functioning. Zinc is also critical for the production of the enzymes we use to digest our food. That bloated feeling an hour or two after eating might just be low digestive enzymes because of low levels of zinc in the body. Unlike certain minerals such as calcium or iron, the body does not accumulate zinc reserves; therefore, a consistent daily intake of zinc is essential. However, which foods are particularly rich in zinc?

I always found the “what foods have zinc in them” question somewhat funny because my first thought was “who eats those every day?” The food highest in zinc is oysters. Six medium oysters provide 76 mg of zinc. One oyster would provide you more than enough zinc for the day, but who does that? How much zinc do we need?

Men – 11mg per day

Women – 8mg per day

Pregnant/breast feeding – 11/12mg per day

The next highest source of zinc is red meat, providing 7mg from a 3oz serving. Lobster and crab come in at 7 to 5 mg per 3-oz serving. Things go downhill from here with a cup of sardines only having 2 mg, and most other fish as less than that. Beans and legumes are the same as sardines at 2 mg per cup, while a cup of milk is only 1 mg per cup, about the same as 1 ounce of almonds or 3 ounces of poultry. Eggs are way down there at 0.5 mg per egg. As you can see, getting your daily zinc needs requires a varied diet. Vegetable sources of zinc are very limited because of the phytic acid in vegetables, which binds up the zinc so it cannot be absorbed. If you are vegan or vegetarian, you need to employ specific strategies to reduce the phytic acid in your foods, such as soaking beans and grains very well before cooking them.

In the office, we use a simple taste test to check your zinc levels. I have a big bottle of zinc solution, which I use to check you with. We put about an ounce of this solution in a cup for you to swish around in your mouth for a few seconds to see how it tastes. You can then swallow it as it is good for you. It is amazing the differences between people when they try this. Some folks taste nothing at all or even slightly sweet, while others will find the solution somewhat astringent – that cottony feeling on the tongue – while a few will think that this stuff is the worst thing they have ever tasted. When your body has all the zinc it needs, it tastes the zinc solution really well, and it tastes foul. If your zinc levels are low, your taste buds won’t even register the taste. Some folks even like the taste. It is like your body is saying “give me more”. It is similar to the iodine test we use, where we simply put a daub of iodine on the skin of your wrist and then have you notice how long it takes your body to suck up all the iodine so that you can no longer see where we put the iodine. If that iodine is gone in a few hours, then we know your body is desperate for it and sucks it up quickly. If you have enough iodine, it usually takes 18 to 24 hours for the iodine to disappear. Of course, if you take a shower and wash it away, then you have invalidated the test.

Zinc deficiency is a subtle thing. Zinc is involved in so many different processes in the body. The most obvious sign is loss of smell or taste and poor resistance to colds and flu. But all kinds of systems fail to function properly as our zinc levels drop. Zinc deficiency is not something any doctor is going to think of when he or she is asking you questions about your symptoms. This is one you are going to have to check up on yourself. We have the zinc solution in the office in the event you would like to take a taste test. You just have to embrace the possibility that your personal zinc levels might be good, meaning that the zinc solution will taste horrible. Self-testing is fun. It’s an adventure!

Take care,

David

Ellen

We had to go to Quest lab to get a little blood draw on Ellen last Wednesday. The waiting room was so full we ended up wandering around outside for over an hour. That is how backed up they were. Lately Ellen’s veins have been stingy about giving up any blood. The lab tech ended up having to draw blood from Ellen’s hand. Since those vessels are so close to the surface, it naturally left a good sized hematoma.