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Eight ways zinc affects the human body
Date:
July 18, 2014
Source:
Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
Researchers identified zinc as one of the most important essential trace metals in human nutrition and lifestyle in a new review article in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). Zinc is not only a vital element in various physiological processes; it is also a drug in the prevention of many diseases.—The adult body contains about two to three grams of zinc. It is found in organs, tissues, bones, fluids, and cells. Foods with high protein content, specifically animal protein, are major sources of zinc in the human diet. Zinc can also be used as fortification for other foods as well. Nearly half of the world’s population is at risk for inadequate zinc intake. The article reviewed numerous studies that showed a relationship between zinc and vital human physiological processes such as the following:
Brain: The blood zinc level is less in patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (Brewer, and others 2010).In a rodent study, it was observed that zinc behaves like an antidepressant (Nowak and others, 2005).
Cardiovascular System: Zinc performs a noteworthy role in the regulation of arterial blood pressure. Males and females were reported to metabolize zinc differently when suffering from hypertension (Tubek, 2007).
Liver: Zinc deficiency in the liver occurs not only in those with liver cirrhosis, but also in less advanced alcoholic and nonalcoholic liver disease (Bode and others, 1998).
Pregnancy: A mild deficiency of zinc during a pregnancy can cause increased maternal morbidity, abnormal taste sensation, prolonged gestation, inefficient labor, atonic bleeding, and an increased risk to fetuses (Jameson, 1993).
Diabetes: Zinc is very important in the synthesis, storage, and secretion of insulin (Chausmer 1998). A low level of zinc has been shown to play a role in diabetics with associated disease conditions such as coronary artery disease and several related risk factors including hypertension, and elevated levels of triglycerides (Singh and others, 1998).
Endocrine System: Studies show a correlation between zinc deficiency in geriatric patients and reduced activity of the thymus gland and thymic hormones, decreased response to vaccinations, and reduced immunity (Haase and Rink, 2009).
Healing: Zinc deficiency has been linked with delayed wound healing, and has been found to be crucial to the healing of gastric ulcers especially at the early stage (Kennan and Morris, 1993; Andrews and Gallagher-Allred, 1999; Watanabe, 1995).
Pneumonia: Zinc may shorten the duration of severe pneumonia and time in the hospital (Brooks, 2004).
Story Source-The above story is based on materials provided by Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.-Journal Reference-Kuljeet Kaur, Rajiv Gupta, Shubhini A. Saraf, Shailendra K. Saraf. Zinc: The Metal of Life. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 2014; 13 (4): 358 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12067
Suggestions—zinc citrate—zinc picolinate—zinc cysteine-zinc ascorbate—would be effective for immune response and support and for insulin regulating
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Iodine may alleviate swelling in retinitis pigmentosa patients’ retinas
Date:
July 21, 2014
Source:
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Cystoid macular edema (CME) is a common complication of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a family of retinal diseases in which patients typically lose night and side vision first and then develop impaired central vision. CME can also decrease central vision. Current treatments for CME in RP are not always effective and can lead to adverse results.—Researchers from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, and Boston University School of Medicine tested whether the extent of retinal swelling due to CME was inversely related to dietary iodine intake in patients with RP and found that it was. This finding raises the possibility that an iodine supplement could help limit or reduce central foveal swelling in RP patients with CME. Their results are presented online in the July issue of JAMA Ophthalmology.–Past research performed on a previous population showed an inverse association between the presence of CME and reported iodine supplementation in RP patients. This finding and physiology research by others pointed to iodine as being worth investigating further. In the present experiment, the researchers performed a cross-sectional observational study of 212 nonsmoking patients 18 to 69 years of age who were referred to Mass. Eye and Ear for RP with visual acuity of no worse than 20/200 in at least one eye. They used optical coherence tomography to measure central foveal swelling due to CME in the patients. Total dietary intake of iodine was estimated from multiple (preferably, 10) spot urine samples collected at home.–The investigators found that the magnitude of central foveal swelling due to CME was inversely related to urinary iodine concentration when emphasizing data with more reproducible urinary iodine concentrations (p<.001) — patients with the lowest urinary iodine levels tended to have retinas with the most swelling[F1].–“Additional study is required to determine whether an iodine supplement can limit or reduce the extent of CME in patients with RP,” said Michael A. Sandberg, Ph.D., lead author of the study and senior scientist in the Berman-Gund Laboratory for the Study of Retinal Degenerations at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.–Story Source-The above story is based on materials provided by Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.–Journal Reference–Michael A. Sandberg, Elizabeth N. Pearce, Shyana Harper, Carol Weigel-DiFranco, Lois Hart, Bernard Rosner, Eliot L. Berson. The Relationship of Central Foveal Thickness to Urinary Iodine Concentration in Retinitis Pigmentosa With or Without Cystoid Macular Edema. JAMA Ophthalmology, 2014; DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2014.1726
Suggestion—when using the lugols apply 1-4 drops a day in divided doses and go up to 10 drops daily—you can see if this will be effective—if you find it is suffice at 6-7 drops then that will be all you need and maintain this for several months—cycling off or reducing as needed—this should be an effective method—you can increase or decrease the dose as you see fit—if there should be a issue with the heart as a palpitation then increase the use of magnesium
This is a suggested method and any use of the information is the sole responsibility of the individual applying these or any other method
There should be no issue but anything excessive maybe a issue in imbalancing the body so use this in increments and moderate your results with the use
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Antidiabetic effects of chamomile flowers extract in obese mice through transcriptional stimulation of nutrient sensors of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) family.
PLoS One. 2013;8(11):e80335
Authors: Weidner C, Wowro SJ, Rousseau M, Freiwald A, Kodelja V, Abdel-Aziz H, Kelber O, Sauer S
Abstract
Given the significant increases in the incidence of metabolic diseases, efficient strategies for preventing and treating of these common disorders are urgently needed. This includes the development of phytopharmaceutical products or functional foods to prevent or cure metabolic diseases. Plant extracts from edible biomaterial provide a potential resource of structurally diverse molecules that can synergistically interfere with complex disorders. In this study we describe the safe application of ethanolic chamomile (Matricaria recutita) flowers extract (CFE)[F2] for the treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes and associated disorders. We show in vitro that this extract activates in particular nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and its isotypes. In a cellular context, in human primary adipocytes CFE administration (300 µg/ml) led to specific expression of target genes of PPARγ, whereas in human hepatocytes CFE-induced we detected expression changes of genes that were regulated by PPARα. In vivo[F3] treatment of insulin-resistant high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6 mice with CFE (200 mg/kg/d) for 6 weeks considerably reduced insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, plasma triacylglycerol, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and LDL/VLDL cholesterol. Co-feeding of lean C57BL/6 mice a HFD with 200 mg/kg[F4]/d CFE for 20 weeks showed effective prevention of fatty liver formation and hepatic inflammation, indicating additionally hepatoprotective effects of the extract. Moreover, CFE treatment did not reveal side effects, which have otherwise been associated with strong synthetic PPAR-targeting molecules, such as weight gain, liver disorders, hemodilution or bone cell turnover. Taken together, modulation of PPARs and other factors by chamomile flowers extract has the potential to prevent or treat type 2 diabetes and related disorders.–PMID: 24265809 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
Recipe—make a ethanolic alcohol extract— see the herbal extract video on youtube–
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Adults with eosinophilic esophagitis should consider a diet change