zinc

Doctors often misdiagnose zinc deficiency, unaware of impact of excess zinc

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Doctors often misdiagnose zinc deficiency, and seem to be unaware of the impact of excess zinc on the body, shows a small audit of clinical practice. Zinc is an essential trace element that is required in daily quantities of 5.5 to 9.5 mg for men, and 4 to 7 mg for women. But zinc supplements are usually only available in formulations of 45 or 50 mg. Too much zinc, taken in the form of dietary supplements, may disrupt copper uptake, leading to neurological problems and anemia, the evidence indicates.

While there is no evidence to suggest that taking zinc supplements in the short term is harmful, this may not be the case for longer term use, say the researchers. They analysed the case notes of patients prescribed zinc supplements at hospitals between 2000 and 2010. In particular, they looked at the reasons for advising this treatment, whether the patients’ family doctors (GPs) had been warned about the potential impact of high doses of zinc, the duration of treatment, and the development of anemia or neurological symptoms.

The data included lab test results, where available, for levels of zinc, copper, and albumin — one of the main proteins found in blood — plus C reactive protein (CRP). Low levels of albumin (below 25 mg/l) are linked to low zinc levels as are high (above 20 mg/l) levels of CRP.

Zinc supplementation was prescribed for skin healing of conditions, such as pressure sores or leg ulcers in a further 19 cases (38 %), for poor nutrition in 4 cases (8 %), to support alcohol withdrawal in one, and for hair loss (alopecia) in another. Zinc levels were measured before prescribing in over half of all 70 cases (43; 61%). This was low in 37 patients, and thought to have been caused by low albumin or high CRP in 28 (76 %).

In most case notes (94 %) no further information on zinc was recorded, so it was hard to assess how long the supplement had been prescribed for. Thirteen patients developed anemia, a low white cell count (neutropenia), and/or neurological symptoms, all of which are typically associated with zinc induced copper deficiency, say the researchers. In six, these diagnoses pre-dated zinc prescription. Of the remaining nine, five patients variously had peripheral nerve pain (neuropathy), tingling in their fingers (paraesthesia), difficulties with balance and coordination (ataxia), and leg nerve pain.

‘These findings underline the lack of awareness of zinc induced copper deficiency,’ write the researchers, who caution: ‘zinc is an essential trace element, and so clinicians may consider it a safe nutrient rather than a drug carrying potential risk.’

Zinc ‘starves’ deadly bacteria.

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Australian researchers have found that zinc can ‘starve’ one of the world’s most deadly bacteria by preventing its uptake of an essential metal.

The finding, by infectious disease researchers at the University of Adelaide and The University of Queensland, opens the way for further work to design antibacterial agents in the fight against Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for more than one million deaths a year, killing children, the elderly and other vulnerable people by causing pneumonia, meningitis, and other serious infectious diseases.

Published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, the researchers describe how zinc “jams shut” a protein transporter in the bacteria so that it cannot take up manganese, an essential metal that Streptococcus pneumoniae needs to be able to invade and cause disease in humans.

“It’s long been known that zinc plays an important role in the body’s ability to protect against bacterial infection, but this is the first time anyone has been able to show how zinc actually blocks an essential pathway causing the bacteria to starve,” says project leader Dr Christopher McDevitt, Research Fellow in the University of Adelaide’s Research Centre for Infectious Diseases.

“This work spans fields from chemistry and biochemistry to microbiology and immunology to see, at an atomic level of detail, how this transport protein is responsible for keeping the bacteria alive by scavenging one essential metal (manganese), but at the same time also makes the bacteria vulnerable to being killed by another metal (zinc),” says Professor Bostjan Kobe, Professor of Structural Biology at The University of Queensland.

The study reveals that the bacterial transporter (PsaBCA) uses a ‘spring-hammer’ mechanism to bind the metals. The difference in size between the two metals, manganese and zinc, causes the transporter to bind them in different ways. The smaller size of zinc means that when it binds to the transporter, the mechanism closes too tightly around the zinc, causing an essential spring in the protein to unwind too far, jamming it shut and blocking the transporter from being able to take up manganese.

“Without manganese, these bacteria can easily be cleared by the immune system,” says Dr McDevitt. “For the first time, we understand how these types of transporters function. With this new information we can start to design the next generation of antibacterial agents to target and block these essential transporters.”

Top 9 Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds.

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If you’re in the mood for a chewy snack that doubles as a phenomenal health food, look no further than pumpkin seeds.

 

With a wide variety of nutrients ranging from magnesium and manganese to copper, protein and zinc, pumpkin seeds are nutritional powerhouses wrapped up in a very small package. They also contain plant compounds known as phytosterols and free-radical scavenging antioxidants, which can give your health an added boost.

 

Best of all, because pumpkin seeds are highly portable and require no refrigeration, they make an excellent snack to keep with you whenever you’re on the go, or they can be used as a quick anytime snack at home, too.

 

9 Top Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds

 

1.  Heart Healthy Magnesium

 

One-quarter cup of pumpkin seeds contains nearly half of the recommended daily amount of magnesium, which participates in a wide range of vitally important physiological functions, including the creation of ATP (adenosine triphospate, the energy molecules of your body), the synthesis of RNA and DNA, the pumping of your heart, proper bone and tooth formation, relaxation of your blood vessels, and proper bowel function.

Magnesium has been shown to benefit your blood pressure and help prevent sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack, and stroke, yet an estimated 80 percent of Americans are deficient in this important mineral.

 

2.  Zinc for Immune Support

 

Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of zinc (one ounce contains more than 2 mg of this beneficial mineral). Zinc is important to your body in many ways, including immunity, cell growth and division, sleep, mood, your senses of taste and smell, eye and skin health, insulin regulation, and male sexual function.

 

Many are deficient in zinc due to mineral-depleted soils, drug effects, plant-based diets, and other diets high in grain. This deficiency is associated with increased colds and flu, chronic fatigue, depression, acne, low birth weight babies, learning problems and poor school performance in children, among others.

 

3.  Plant-Based Omega-3 Fats

 

Raw nuts and seeds, including pumpkin seeds, are one of the best sources of plant-based omega-3s (alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)). We all need ALA, however, ALA has to be converted by your body into the far more essential omega-3 fats EPA and DHA — by an enzyme in which the vast majority of us have impaired by high insulin levels. So, while pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of ALA, I believe it is essential to get some of your omega-3 fats from animal sources, such as krill oil, as well.

 

4.  Prostate Health

 

Pumpkin seeds have long been valued as an important natural food for men’s health. This is in part because of their high zinc content, which is important for prostate health (where it is found in the highest concentrations in the body), and also because pumpkin seed extracts and oils may play a role in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, or enlarged prostate). Research suggests that both pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin seed oil used in combination with saw palmetto may be particularly beneficial in supporting prostate health.

 

5.  Anti-Diabetic Effects

 

Animal studies suggest that pumpkin seeds may help improve insulin regulation and help prevent diabetic complications by decreasing oxidative stress.

 

6.  Benefits for Postmenopausal Women

 

Pumpkin seed oil is rich in natural phytoestrogens and studies suggest it may lead to a significant increase in good “HDL” cholesterol along with decreases in blood pressure, hot flashes, headaches, joint pains and other menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women.

 

7.  Heart and Liver Health

 

Pumpkin seeds, rich in healthy fats, antioxidants and fibers, may provide benefits for heart and liver health, particularly when mixed with flax seeds.

 

8.  Tryptophan for Restful Sleep

 

Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of tryptophan, an amino acid (protein building block) that your body converts into serotonin, which in turn is converted into melatonin, the “sleep hormone.” Eating pumpkin seeds a few hours before bed, along with a carbohydrate like a small piece of fruit, may be especially beneficial for providing your body the tryptophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production to help promote a restful night’s sleep.

 

9.  Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

 

Pumpkin seed oil has been found to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects. One animal study even found it worked as well as the anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin in treating arthritis, but without the side effects.

 

What’s the Best Way to Consume Pumpkin Seeds?

 

In order to preserve the healthy fats present in the seeds, pumpkin seeds should be eaten raw. If you choose to purchase seeds from a bulk bin, make sure they smell fresh – not musty, spoiled or stale, which could indicate rancidity or the presence of fungal mycotoxins. Organic pumpkin seeds are preferred, as they will not be contaminated with pesticides or other harmful chemicals.

 

Source: realfarmacy.com & mercola.com

Study Links Zinc Nose Sprays, Loss of Smell

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July 19, 2010 — Just over a year ago, the FDA warned that zinc-containing intranasal cold remedies might cause loss of sense of smell.

Now a researcher who has long argued that the sprays were harmful says he has scientific evidence to back up the claim.

Last summer, the FDA warned consumers to stop using three zinc-containing Zicam products: Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs for kids. The federal regulators cited 130 reports of loss of sense of smell among users of the products.

Zicam manufacturer Matrixx Initiatives pulled the three products from the shelves, but the company maintains that there is no link between their use and loss of smell.

In the newly reported analysis, researchers applied a statistical method used to establish a cause-and-effect link between an environmental exposure and development of a disease in an effort to confirm that zinc-containing nasal products can cause loss of sense of smell, known medically as anosmia.

University of California, San Diego professor Terence M. Davidson, MD, says the analysis supports the hypothesis.

He adds that the effectiveness of zinc-containing products for preventing or shortening the duration of colds has never been proven.

“Given that they do absolutely no good for colds and given that there is potential for harm, I see no point in putting any zinc gluconate products in the nose,” Davidson tells WebMD.

Zinc Sprays and Smell Loss

The analysis included 25 patients treated at the University of California, San Diego Nasal Dysfunction Clinic, which Davidson directs, who experienced loss of smell after using zinc nasal sprays or swabs to prevent or treat colds.

Along with colleague Wendy M. Smith, MD, Davidson applied the nine-point Bradford Hill causation environmental exposure statistical measure to assess the probability that the cold-remedy use caused the loss of sense of smell.

In lawsuits brought by Zicam users, Matrixx has maintained that loss of smell resulted from colds or sinus conditions and not use of the zinc-based nasal products.

Upper respiratory infections and nasal and sinus disease are major causes of both temporary and permanent loss of smell and diminished sense of smell.

Davidson says many of his patients and others with suspected zinc-induced smell loss reported intensely painful burning in the nose when they used the products. This was followed by loss of smell within several hours.

“This is a pain that brings people to their knees,” he says. “And soon after they get over the pain, they realize they can’t smell their coffee. This is very different from viral-induced anosmia.”

Courts Find Evidence Lacking

In an interview with WebMD, Matrixx CEO Bill Hemelt said there is no proven correlation between stinging and burning in people who used zinc nasal products and  loss of sense of smell.

He notes that Matrixx’s own studies showed both zinc nasal spray and placebo sprays containing no zinc can cause occasional burning.

In 2006, Matrixx settled a lawsuit brought by 340 zinc-containing Zicam users for $12 million, and Hemelt says the company has settled other cases over the years.

But he adds that 10 judges in 10 cases have found little scientific evidence to support the claim that zinc-containing Zicam nasal products caused loss of smell.

In one such case, Davidson was rejected as an expert witness when the judge ruled his opinions on specific causation to be “seriously flawed.”

More than a dozen Zicam products remain on the market, including several oral zinc-based lozenges.

But none of the company’s nasal products still contain zinc gluconate.

“The products at issue were removed voluntarily more than a year ago,” Hemelt says. “There is absolutely no new scientific information in this analysis.”

Neurologist Robert I. Henkin, MD who directs the Taste and Smell Clinic in Washington, D.C., believes zinc-based nasal remedies can cause loss of sense of smell.

But he agrees that little scientific evidence exists to prove it.

“The most frequent cause of smell loss is the common cold,” he tells WebMD. “The role these zinc-based products play in initiating or exacerbating this condition remains very difficult to ascertain.”