Day 299 - Zinc

“Along with calcium and iron, zinc is probably the most important mineral to the human body. Zinc plays a crucial role in growth and cell division where it is required for protein and DNA synthesis, in insulin activity, in the metabolism of the ovaries and testes, and in liver function. It is particularly important for healthy skin and is essential for a healthy immune system and resistance to infection, as it helps with the healing of wounds. As a component of many enzymes, zinc is involved in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and energy.

Our body contains about 2-3g of zinc. There are no specific storage sites known for zinc and so a regular supply in the diet is required. Zinc is found in all parts of our body, 60% is found in muscle, 30% in bone and about 5% in our skin. Particularly high concentrations are in the prostate gland and semen. Men need more zinc than women because male semen contains 100 times more zinc than is found in the blood. The more sexually active a man the more zinc he will require.

The first signs of zinc deficiency are impairment of taste, a poor immune response and skin problems. Other symptoms of zinc deficiency can include hair loss, diarrhoea, fatigue, delayed wound healing, and decreased growth rate and mental development in infants. It is thought that zinc supplementation can help skin conditions such as acne and eczema, prostate problems, anorexia nervosa, alcoholics and those suffering from trauma or post-surgery.

Zinc is contained in a wide range of foods but the richest sources are meat (lamb in particular), oats, eggs, nuts and oysters. Only 20% of the zinc present in the diet is actually absorbed by the body. Dietary fibre and phytic acid, found in bran, wholegrain cereals, pulses and nuts, inhibit zinc absorption. Phytic acid forms a highly insoluble complex with zinc which the body cannot absorb. Cooking processes can reduce the adverse effects of both phytic acid and dietary fibre on zinc absorption. Baking can destroy over half the phytic acid in wholemeal bread.

Zinc deficiency occurs where a large part of the diet consists of unleavened bread, such as Iran and other Middle East countries. High levels of the toxic mineral cadmium can also prevent zinc absorption because these two minerals compete for absorption. Conversely high levels of zinc in the diet can prevent the absorption of cadmium. Various chemicals added to many processed foods can also reduce zinc absorption eg phosphates, EDTA. Zinc is lost via the faeces, urine, hair, skin, sweat, semen and also menstruation.”*

*http://www.womenrepublic.co.uk/diet_fitness/zinc/
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/zinc.html

I have been off the blogging radar for a few weeks - I have managed to start working again! What excitement at the age of 25. The headache seems to have stabilized itself to about 3 to 4/10 (when standing) which is great. When lying down it continues to be worse, about 6/10.

I have been seeing the kinesiologist on a regular basis, who has been looking at a number of headache causes from cranial faults to vitamin deficiencies. I am now taking zinc supplements. I recently learned that a zinc deficiency can cause, or certainly exacerbate, everything from acne to diabetes. This is because zinc is needed by the body to make insulin (the hormone that regulates glucose levels in the blood), eliminate harmful toxins, and to maintain a healthy immune system.

Yesterday I also went to see one of the top neurologists at Queen’s Square in London, reputedly the place to go when you’ve given up with everyone else. I was surprised the doctor was glad to hear I was not taking any medication; he encouraged me to continue without, given my progress in the past few months.

“There are a number of patients in the ward upstairs who have had a headache for twenty years” he told me. “They have all been on heavy medication for all that time, and you have no idea how much worse their headache is now as a result of that”. He did, however, give me some suggestions as to what to take should the headache get worse again and should I decide to start taking some medicines. It was certainly refreshing to hear a doctor of western medicine encourage me to “see where your natural path takes you”.

He also explained that given my family’s history of migraines, he believes it is perfectly normal to have started suffering from a headache/migraine at my age, in particular given that I am female. He explained that sometimes these bizarre constant headaches go away by themselves, while other times they stay... for a long, long time.