From the library of

Frank Barnhill M.D.
 

Zinc is often the forgotten essential mineral type nutrient found in whole grains, brans, meat and oysters. It’s necessary for normal body cell growth, including bone and hair texture formation, as well as wound healing. Obviously, since zinc is intimately involved in almost all aspects of a person’s physical and mental growth, it’s particularly necessary for the sudden changes we experience during puberty and adolescence.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, at a maximum, only 32% of us are getting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 20 to 50 milligrams per day in our diets. In some studies, women only ingested as little as 17% of the Zinc RDA in natural dietary forms. These numbers suggest a high likelihood of zinc deficiency in all age groups of the general population. You can imagine kids deficient in zinc tend to keep sore throats longer and don’t heal cuts and abrasions as fast as you’d expect.

Deficiency can occur during periods of extreme emotional or physical stress, the starvation of anorexia nervosa or bulimia, and poor dietary habits. Persons deficient in Zinc may develop:
·        Excessive skin stretch marks (striae) as the body has a hard time repairing skin tears and maintaining elasticity
·        Dry patches or skin rashes called acrodermatitis
·        Brittle hair shafts and hair that won’t take or keep a shape
·        Acne resistant to treatment
·        Foul body odor that anti-deodorants won’t touch
·        Excessive sweating not responsive to anti-perspirants
·        Decreased sense of smell and taste
·        Abnormal white spots on fingernails (found in up to 45% of all kids under age 16 years)
·        ADHD like symptoms such as poor concentration and problem solving difficulties
·        Depression and anxiety that responds poorly to medications
·        Wounds that heal poorly or very slowly
·        Skin, mouth, or stomach ulcers that don’t heal well

Specific uses for zinc preparations include:
·        Use in speeding recovery from sore throats
·        Promoting leg ulcer healing and other wounds to the skin, including those obtained during surgery.
·        In eye preparations to prevent macular degeneration
·        Treating vitamin A deficiency night blindness

Unlike some other minerals and vitamins, you can get too much zinc and possibly cause more problems than you solve. Ingestion of more than 50 milligrams of zinc per day can lead to reduced absorption of copper and copper deficiency. Copper is necessary for normal blood cell function and a deficiency could cause fatigue as well as a multitude of other vague symptoms.

Extra zinc may be taken as chelated zinc or the chemical zinc orotate in over the counter preparations. All zinc supplements should be taken with food to prevent nausea, the most common side effect. A word of caution: not all preparations are absorbed the same and not everyone absorbs zinc well. Your doctor can draw blood to check zinc levels, but these levels will need to be compared to blood copper levels in order to maintain a blood level ratio of one to one. This ratio is considered the healthiest for you.
To a healthier you!

Dr. Frank