ZINC OXIDE AUGMENTS THE PRODUCTION OF TISSUE GRANULATION

A few years ago I wrote about a condition called capirillitis, a skin condition in which the surface of the skin gets spotted with red and brown clusters.  This condition is the result of months or years of capillary blood bursts that stain the skin.  There are two formulations of zinc that can beused for wound management: zinc oxide and zinc sulfate.  For best results, use zinc oxide.  

And the NCBI explains in its typically restrained and cautioned tone how zinc oxide heals the skin

Re-epithelialization, an important mechanism in the closure of leg ulcers, was enhanced with zinc oxide applied topically on partial-thickness wounds in pigs with normal zinc status. Zinc sulfate at three different concentrations did not, however, result in this beneficial effect on the resurfacing of wounds. The inflammatory reaction was diminished in zinc treated wounds except when a high zinc sulfate concentration was applied. Bacterial growth and concomitant diseases such as diabetes can complicate wound healing.

The abstract concluded with this

In conclusion, topical zinc may stimulate leg ulcer healing by enhancing re-epithelialization, decreasing inflammation and bacterial growth. When zinc is applied on wounds it not only corrects a local zinc deficit but also acts pharmacologically.

So what this tells us is that the zinc oxide helps with wound healing.  Where have I been all these years? 

Dr. Axe highlights the skin benefits to zinc oxide. 

Has Anti-Aging Effects & Improves Healing of Tissue Damage 

Not only does zinc oxide help prevent future sun damage, wrinkles and dark spots− it also helps to improve synthesis of new skin tissue and collagen, a key substance needed to maintain skin’s youthful appearance. The body requires zinc and other trace minerals for the synthesis of collagen that helps to build and repair connective tissue.

Studies have found that treating damaged, dry or wounded skin with zinc oxide products for just 48-hours (including during post-operative treatment) helps skin to heal better, inflammation/redness to be lowered, pigment to be restored, and interstitial fluid and sebum (oil) to be better regulated. Zinc can also help increase the amount of other active ingredients that are absorbed into the skin when its used in conjunction with other anti-aging products.

More on zinc oxide when compared to topical zinc sulfate.  

Lansdown et al. looked at various studies using different formulations of topical zinc oxide on wound healing. The study concluded that the many different formulations of topical zinc oxide were effective in speeding up the time it took a wound to heal. However, all of the studies had a different duration of treatment; therefore, making a recommendation for the duration of treatment difficult. Since the side effect profile of zinc oxide is mild, it would be safe to use zinc oxide many times a day for the time is takes the wound to heal.  

How zinc oxide helps with wound healing from Skin Site.  

Zinc oxide is the only substance known to block all three forms of UV rays. It does so by creating a protective barrier on the surface of the skin and reflecting the rays, which prevent them from penetrating the skin and doing damage.

Aside from sun protection, zinc oxide also has the ability help speed the healing of wounds. This is because zinc is known to synthesize collagen and promote the proper functioning of enzymes, both of which are required for wounds to heal properly.

That sounds good.  Then there’s this.

When applied to wound sites, zinc can reduce overall healing time as well as providing a clean and moist environment which promotes healing. It also has astringent properties, which means it can help to shrink skin cells and reduce inflammation.

zinc should be used within a year of purchase. After that time it will begin to lose its effectiveness.

Zinc is a trace element very abundant in the body. While it is known that zinc deficiency can cause delayed wound healing, the actual role of zinc in wound healing was not known. A number of experimental studies and clinical trials have been conducted using zinc. Results showed that topical zinc oxide had increased wound healing, increased reepithelialization, decreased rates of infection and decreased rates of deterioration of ulcers. Topical zinc oxide has shown to improve the rate of wound healing in patients, regardless of their zinc status. Oral zinc supplementation in zinc deficient patients did not have the same effect.

http://www.woundsource.com/blog/topical-zinc-oxide-and-wound-healing.

The animal studies reviewed showed that zinc sulfate did not enhance wound healing, but delayed it. One of the major roles for zinc in wound healing was found that zinc oxide enhances the ability of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) to enzymatically break down collagen fragments. There are few clinical studies, but they have all shown a positive benefit for topical zinc oxide, and of interest, especially when used for debridement in burns.

Okay, we’re starting to get somewhere.  There's this from Podiatry Today:  

 What has been clearly demonstrated, however, is that zinc oxide does have a positive impact on the wound. In a 1991 study, researchers found that using zinc oxide increased the degradation of collagen in necrotic wounds.⁵ In another recent study, zinc oxide was found to promote epithelialization of full thickness skin wounds by the activation of zinc-dependent MMPs, which facilitate keratinocyte migration. The study also demonstrated that zinc oxide augmented endogenous expression of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), which is fundamental in the production of granulation tissue.¹ In a randomized, double-blind study of the efficacy of locally applied zinc oxide on the healing of leg ulcers, 37 geriatric patients (19 with arterial and 18 with venous leg ulcers) were treated with either a gauze compress medicated with zinc oxide or an identical compress without zinc oxide. The treatment was assessed from ulcer size measurements and the presence or absence of granulation, and ulcer debridement over a period of eight weeks. The zinc-treated patients (83% success rate) responded significantly better than the placebo-treated patients. Researchers found that infections and the deterioration of ulcers were less common in zinc oxide treated patients.⁶ In another animal study, reepithelialization was enhanced when zinc oxide was applied topically on partial-thickness wound in pigs with normal zinc status. The inflammatory reaction was diminished in zinc-treated wounds except when researchers applied a high zinc sulfate concentration.⁷ Researchers also assessed bacterial growth in full-thickness wounds and demonstrated a reduced rate of growth with topical zinc oxide but not in hyperglycemic diabetic rats. The antibacterial mechanism of zinc oxide was described to be more indirect (mediated via local defense systems) rather than being directly toxic to the bacteria.⁸ When one applies zinc on wounds, it not only corrects a local zinc deficit but also acts pharmacologically. Getting Results With Zinc Oxide: A Few Case Studies A 47-year-old type 2 diabetic patient presented to the office with a chronic grade 1-A (University of Texas Wound Classification System) ulceration that had been present on and off for over two years. After providing effective pressure relief and debridement, the patient was treated in the office and at home with zinc oxide. Within 14 days, the wound completely closed.  

Use this vitamin C liquid first as an astringent on your skin before applying the zinc oxide.

SUPPLEMENTAL ZINC HELPS RESTORE HEALTHY HEART PUMPING AFTER A HEART ATTACK

Bill Sardi has a March 19, 2019 article on the value of zinc supplementation posted at Martie Whittekin's site, Healthy By Nature.  

Sardi alerts us to a serious health condition: zinc depletion or zinc deficiency.  It's not that we're all born deficient, but certain environmental exposures puts some of us at greater risk of becoming zinc deficient.  And given the importance of zinc in regulating our immunity, in development, and in its role in certain intellectual abilities, like reading, and composing one's emotions, zinc deficiency becomes quite a serious social health issue.  So how do we know if we're deficient in zinc?  If you've had a serious illness or if you're chronically ill, chances are you're zinc deficient.  There are, however, signs of zinc deficiency.  See the list of symptoms below.  There are so many things in our lives that can make us deficient in zinc.  Sardi points out a major culprit: arsenic.  So somehow too many of us are getting exposed to arsenic, but how?  Through our food.  More specifically, from Glyphosate: i.e., RoundUp.  

The first culprit that comes to mind is arsenic as blood concentrations of zinc and selenium, two essential trace minerals, drastically decline with exposure to arsenic.  The widespread use of glyphosate weedkillers [e.g. Roundup] in crops may be the hidden source of arsenic [or for some other reason glyphosate lowers zinc].

Dr. Derrick Lonsdale made a similar point, citing the pathology that arises from consuming non-organic foods that are sprayed with RoundUp.  He said if your food is not organic, then it has glyphosate in and on it.  Which means that we're all susceptible to zinc deficiency.  Sardi presents it thus:

Something has happened in America.  In retrospect, it appears zinc in the American diet has vanished or is not getting absorbed.  Either way, too many Americans exhibit overt symptoms of zinc deficiency.  A blood test is notoriously inaccurate as zinc may be locked up with a binding protein and be biologically unavailable.  Here are some signs and symptoms of zinc deficiency that may help you determine if you are zinc deficient [you don’t have all or even many of these]. 

Here are the symptoms.   

·         [new study about zinc for diabetes prevention and management]

·         Are you losing your sense of smell?

·         Are you losing your sense of taste?

·         Do you crave salt and habitually to add salt to your foods?

·         Do you have adult-onset acne?

·         Is your hair prematurely turning grey?

·         Does your nail bed show white flecks?

·         Do you heal slowly from cuts?

·         Do you have a low sperm count?

·         Do you frequently experience cold sores on your lips?

·         Do you have an upset stomach, air, and gas, after meals?

·         Do you have skin problems like fungal infections (Athlete’s foot), yellow toenails?

·         Do you have chronic diarrhea?

·         Do you have thin or sparse hair, vanishing eyebrows?

·         Do you have moles on your skin?

·         Do you experience eczema (atopic dermatitis; red, itchy skin)?

·         Are you lethargic or irritable for no apparent reason?

·         Is your testosterone level low?

·         Do you experience a rash around your genitalia or mouth?

·         Do you regularly consume alcohol?

·         Do you take an ACE inhibitor blood pressure pill (lisinopril)?

·         Do you have stomach ulcers?

·         Do you or your children have difficulty reading due to dyslexia (letters are backwards)?

Who exactly is at greatest risk of zinc deficiency?  No one is immune.  

Food alone either takes too long to restore sufficiency or it lacks the ability altogether.  So supplements are required.  Sardi poses the questions, "How do we correct the shortage of zinc?"  Oysters is the food with the highest concentration of zinc.  You'll have to eat quite a bit.  Sardi explains, 

Aside from oysters, there is no single food that provides enough zinc to correct a deficiency.  Typical zinc intake levels are 10 milligrams/day but maybe only 1-2 milligrams are actually absorbed.  Older adults with low stomach acid levels typically have difficulty absorbing zinc.  And wouldn’t you know, zinc is an important co-factor in the internal synthesis of hydrochloric acid in the gastric tract. 

It was important for me to hear that "very high concentrations of zinc are found in the liver, muscle, brain, and testes."  Men, take heed.  "it is no wonder that zinc sufficiency has something to do with brain function, testosterone synthesis, and liver health."

Sardi explains that "There are ~2000 milligrams of zinc stored in body tissues."  Yes, but what happens if you get seriously ill, like say you contract measles or scarlet fever or chickenpox.  These drain your zinc stores.  For older folks, it's low stomach acid that keeps us from getting enough zinc.  So if it's not environmental issues, like Glyphosate, then it's low stomach acid due to age or some kind of illness, maybe diabetes, that depletes us of adequate zinc.  Sardi points out that "The trace mineral selenium helps to release zinc so it is biologically available."  What this means is that for zinc to be more absorbent, you'll need to take selenium with it.  

Zinc shortages cause loss of smell and taste, including mental decline.  

Zinc is responsible for a strong immune system.  It regulates the size of your master immune gland, called the Thymus gland.  Sardi says that "Zinc is required to activate T-cells, those memory white blood cells that confer life-long immunity via memory T-cells that produce antibodies against various pathogenic germs."

I wrote recently how OptiZinc reduces the incidence of acne by 50%.  There are different forms of zinc that seem to provide different kinds of protection.  Zinc Carnosine heals the lower intestine.  Sardi points out other parts of the body that are aided by supplementation of zinc carnosine.

Fortunately, there is a form of zinc that protects the nervous system, promotes the health of the digestive tract, aids in wound healing, normalizes gut bacteria, promotes liver health and helps restore the sense of smell and taste to individuals with these symptoms.  It is called zinc carnosine.

Zinc Carnosine is also important for the heart.

And no one would have guessed that supplemental zinc would help restore healthy heart pumping after a heart attack.  The amount of blood pumped (ejection fraction) after a heart attack improves with the provision of zinc carnosine.

Zinc is a great wound healer. And it helps diabetics.  I cannot get diabetics to listen to me.  

Zinc is known to promote wound healing.  And the preferred form of zinc to heal up gastric ulcers is zinc carnosine.   Zinc carnosine is the form of zinc commonly used to protect and heal tissues following cancer radiation treatment or to aid antibiotics in the kill off of H. pylori, the bacterium that causes gastric ulcers.  Zinc carnosine is the trace mineral of choice for nutritional support of hepatitis (liver inflammation). 

Helps fight aging. 

Zinc carnosine has also been demonstrated to stabilize genes that become fragile with advancing age. 

A typical two-week course of zinc carnosine, taken as directed on the label, may help you become zinc sufficient. 

ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

"Zinc supplementation is absolutely vital for pregnant women."

By Sarah C. Corriher

"According to many pharmacists, zinc is the single greatest dietary supplement. Chemists, pharmacists and doctors alike glorify zinc supplementation. Some of them maintain that zinc will ward off all sickness. While this is not entirely true, zinc does nonetheless fight the rhinovirus, which is responsible for about a third of the common colds in adults, along with many other illnesses which exhibit flu-like symptoms. Zinc boosts the overall immune system to fight infections and speed recovery times. It is, therefore, a useful supplement for almost everyone. Deficiencies of zinc have been shown in studies to lead to decreased thyroid hormone levels, and hypothyroidism. Zinc supplementation is absolutely vital for pregnant women. If zinc was given to every mother-to-be, then a large portion of birth abnormalities, pre-eclampsia occurrences, and deformations could be avoided. Give zinc the same respect that you would give to folate (the superior version of folic acid) and calcium during pregnancy."

Okay, so zinc is excellent for the immune system.  But which is the best form of zinc to take?

BEST FORM OF ZINC
"Zinc sulfate and zinc oxide are among the most popular types of zinc [. . . ], but they are definitely not the best . . . . Zinc orotate is a chelated form of zinc that is more readily absorbed by the body than any other zinc supplement available. Manufacturers of it will usually boast about having this type, because they have good reason to. Zinc orotate passes through the membranes of cells easily, and it pulls the highest amounts of accompanying minerals into the cells, which leads to higher tissue concentrations of zinc and other beneficial nutrients." 

BEST FOOD SOURCES OF ZINC  

"Excellent food sources of zinc include cashews, almonds, kidney beans, flounder, and eggs." 

ZINC'S CONNECTION TO COPPER
Corriher explains that zinc works best in the presence of copper.  But avoid straight copper supplements she says.  Instead, use chlorophyll.
  

ChlorOxygen, recommended by Sarah
Corriher.

"The human body needs copper to properly utilize zinc, so zinc supplementation will yield poor results during a time of copper deficiency. Unfortunately, it is unsafe to supplement with copper directly. It is far too easy to overdose and to cause serious liver problems with direct copper consumption. There are unscrupulous individuals who sell colloidal copper for internal consumption on the Internet, but we warn you to beware of such scoundrels. You will find them astroturfing Internet forums with miraculous stories, and stories are just what they are. The safe way to supplement with copper is to get it indirectly through chlorophyll supplements. Chlorophyll contains enough copper to make a huge difference, and it includes compounds that work with the copper for its best utilization. It is virtually impossible to get an overdose through chlorophyll, and it helps health in many other ways."

ZINC OROTATE: IN WHAT DOSES?
Healthwyze recommends just using zinc orotate. Around 50mg each day should be an ideal amount. Be sure to get plenty of iron from dietary sources too.  

I recommend Optizinc.  Be sure to read the real benefits of zinc here.  You'll need supplementation.  

UPDATE . . . Monday, July 9, 2018.  When using the word "best" to describe any vitamin supplement what that refers to is absorbability.  For that IS the very reason for taking vitamins in the first place.  We take vitamins because we don't get enough or therapeutic levels of a certain nutrient to repair and restore, that, in fact, we are operating on low-level nutritional status.  What nutritional journalists refer to as deficiencies.  For zinc, there are two great forms: Zinc Acetate, which usually comes in those cold lozenges, and OptiZinc, which is methionine-bound zinc.  iHerb explains that " L-OptiZinc is a form of methionine-bound zinc that increases the bioavailability of zinc."

L-OptiZinc is the only high-potency zinc supplement FDA approved safe for human nutrition. L-OptiZinc is also an approved form of zinc for use in the EU in food supplements. In general, zinc is an essential mineral involved in regulating a large [number] of enzymes in the body. It is known as an antioxidant and immune boosting supplement and is most commonly supplemented to reduce the frequency of sickness and to support optimal testosterone levels. Zinc is highly involved in many enzyme systems in the body. Keeping normal zinc levels helps with the maintenance of these enzyme systems and acts as a hormonal and immune system aid. High dose zinc in response to the common cold (not taken preventatively, but only at the onset of sickness) appears to be effective in reducing the duration and severity of sickness. Zinc is also known to be circulating at lower levels in persons with acne relative to those without, and it is thought to be therapeutic by reducing the migration of immune cells to the skin and possibly reducing the effects of androgens on the skin. A number of trials using zinc for acne control note that standard to high supplemental dosages have a modest protective effect. L-OptiZinc is a form of methionine-bound zinc that increases the bioavailability of zinc. Methionine is the amino acid best absorbed by the body. L-OptiZinc is standardized to 20% zinc, consists of zinc bound to the more bioavailable "L" form of methionine. Some preclinical studies show that L-OptiZinc is absorbed better, retained longer and are more effective than other zinc supplements tested. Taking everything into account, I highly recommend this high-quality product manufactured by Now Foods with the reasonable price offered by iHerb. A single dose per day is what you need. I hope you'll find my review helpful to you. I am a strong advocate for scientific medical research and evidence-based information, and constantly want to differentiate between marketing hyperbole and real-world effects. If you like my review, please kindly click ‘Yes’. And also, please feel free to check out my page for more reviews by clicking my name 3827GreenWood at the top of this review. Best wishes and good health to everyone!  

Just make sure that OptiZinc is part of your daily multivitamin.

"ZINC IN OLD MICE FACILITATED A COMPLETE RECOVERY OF THYMUS GLAND FUNCTION AND REGROWTH OF THE ORGAN WITH GREATER IMMUNE EFFICIENCY

". . . zinc [in old mice] facilitated a complete recovery of thymus gland function and regrowth of the organ with greater immune efficiency."

Spinach has a high zinc content.

Maybe there isn't a master mineral.  Maybe all essential minerals are masters of health.  I recently wrote about the magic of magnesium.  But why are minerals in general so important?  Is it just general, good maintenance?  Maybe.  Or is it that minerals are essential in digestion, like breaking down proteins?  Maybe it's not the class of nutrients that's so important as how well any single nutrient interacts with our biology to produce desired outcomes.  

For example, I recently read Bill Sardi's "Reassessment of Vitamin C Therapy and Cancer," published at his site and picked up by Lew Rockwell.  What astonished me wasn't actually the benefits of Vitamin C or the benefits of Vitamin C therapy on cancer.  What struck me was the study by Abram Hoffer.  

Enter a forgotten investigator in the war against cancer — Abram Hoffer MD, a nutrition-minded psychiatrist based in Canada who was known for his use of high-dose niacin therapy to treat schizophrenia.  Vitamin C therapy for cancer could easily be dismissed except for Dr. Hoffer’s strikingly successful use of oral vitamin C (12,000 mgs/day) to achieve prolonged survival times.

So Hoffer produced astounding results in his cancer therapy, but no third party ever tested or examined his results to find out why he was successful.  And to show you just how successful he was, check out this chart:

Here is Dr. Hoffer’s 5-year survival data:

Oral Antioxidant Therapy & End-Stage Cancer

Abram Hoffer MD, Journal Orthomolecular Medicine, Volume 15, 2000

No. of patients treated/vitamin C: 441

No. of patients in control group (chemo, radiation): 54

SURVIVAL CONVENTIONAL CANCER TREATMENT [i.e., chemo-therapy]
Year 1: 28%

Year 2: 15%

Year 3: 15%

Year 4: 13%

Year 5: 11%

VITAMIN C TREATMENT*

Year 1: 73%

Year 2: 56%

Year 3: 48%

Year 4: 44%

Year 5: 39%*

Consisted of 12,000 mg oral vitamin C as ascorbic acid, mega-dose niacinamide, beta carotene, zinc.

What is equally astounding is that no one checked his work.

Steven Hickey and Hilary Roberts, researchers from Manchester, England, also report on Abram Hoffer’s exceptional results with oral vitamin C in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine. [Journal Orthomolecular Medicine 2013]  Reasons for the astounding effect of oral vitamin C were not explored, however.

Sardi found that in addition to the oral Vitamin C, that Hoffer also administered Zinc.  But which kind.  There are different kinds of zinc, 7 different zinc supplements in all [actually, there are more]:

• 
  

1.  Chelated Zinc.

2.  Zinc Orotate (some claim that this is the best form)

3.  Zinc Picolinate.

4.  Zinc Gluconate.

5.  Zinc Acetate.

6.  Zinc Oxide.

7.  Zinc Sulfate.

So at least from Sardi's article it's not clear which zinc was used.  And though the benefits of zinc are reported almost everywhere, take a look at very specific, very important organ that responds nicely to zinc.  That organ?  Your Thymus gland.

Dr. Hoffer treated his patients with an array of other nutrients including zinc.  Zinc is the key nutrient that primes T-cells in the thymus gland that shrinks with advancing age.

Shrinkage of the thymus gland, located below the chest plate (sternum) is progressive with advancing age.  The thymus gland is responsible for activating T-cells that are essential for immune system maintenance.   The thymus gland shrinks at a rate of about 3% per year till middle age and then 1% per year thereafter.  [Frontiers Immunology 2013]  There are no present therapies offered by physicians to regenerate the thymus gland even though they are widely documented and available.

This information should spike everyone's radar.  More on the thymus gland and zinc. 

Remarkably, zinc supplied to old mice facilitated a complete recovery of thymus gland function and regrowth of the organ with greater immune efficiency.  Researchers conclude that age-related thymus gland shrinkage and immune system dysfunction are not intrinsic and irreversible and largely depend upon zinc adequacy.  [International Journal Immunopharmacology 1995]

Imagine folks who've suffered childhood diseases and have had to endure chronic conditions their whole life.  If only they'd known about the combination of zinc and Vitamin C. So there's that.  Then there's this. 

A recent study is instructive.  Vitamin C, aspirin, and zinc were administered to laboratory rats given a chemical to induce colon cancer.  Aspirin and vitamin C maintained normal colon cells in 87.5% of the animals whereas zinc showed a 100% reduction in tumor incidence. [Asian Pacific Journal Cancer Prevention 2013]

All this to prove that Vitamin C as a cancer therapy works but works mainly because of the pair.  When used alone Vitamin C didn't always perform.  It still did better than chemo, or conventional therapies, but it performed off the charts in the presence of zinc.  One more note on cancer therapy.  Check this out.

When vitamin K3 is combined with vitamin C therapy, cancer cells die by autoschizis – that is they are split and utterly destroyed. [Ultrastructural Pathology 2010]

The synergistic use of vitamin E as alpha tocopherol succinate and synthetically made vitamin K3 plus ascorbic acid is also proposed as a further enhancement of vitamin C cancer therapy. [PLoS One 2012]

Not surprisingly, the addition of quercetin to vitamin C + vitamin K was more effective in killing cancer cells than the two vitamins alone in a lab dish study. [Alternative Medicine Reviews 2010; British Journal Cancer 2010]

This is hopeful stuff.  It was upon this recommendation that I tried Zinc Orotate. 

Zinc orotate is a chelated form of zinc that is more readily absorbed by the body than any other zinc supplement available. Manufacturers of it will usually boast about having this type, because they have good reason to. Zinc orotate passes through the membranes of cells easily, and it pulls the highest amounts of accompanying minerals into the cells, which leads to higher tissue concentrations of zinc and other beneficial nutrients

But I felt nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  Was that nothing feeling the result of that powerful absorption?  Who knows? Then I read this article by Sardi on zinc acetate.  I could not believe what an energetic rush I got.  And it centered around the heart and the spine.  I thought "Wow! This stuff is potent."  Turns out that the zinc acetate was waking up my thymus gland.  

Given what I read on the internet, Sardi outstrips most in his details and exhaustive research, that exhaustive work to compare stories, and find out what was missed and why.  Talk about dedication.  

The other form of zinc I have taken is Chelated Zinc.  See, the nice thing about Sardi is that he explains which organ responds so well to a specific nutrient.  In the case of zinc it is the thymus gland.  Then he does background study on it and finds out that with age people's thymus gland shrinks.  And when that shrinks, you're going to have lowered immunity. All the other articles on the web tell you that zinc is good for immunity, which sounds good but is no where near the specificity of Bill Sardi.  Amazing, really. 

There are essential minerals for health, then there are trace minerals.  Both equally important, one more than the next? FitDay sums it up:  

Five percent of your diet typically includes macro minerals and trace minerals. Macro minerals are minerals that you need in quantities greater than 100mg/day and make up about 1 percent of your total body weight. These include sodium, chloride, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium. Trace minerals are elements that are needed is smaller amounts, 1-100mg/day by adults and are less than .01 percent of totalbody weight. These include Copper, Chromium, Fluoride, Iodine, Iron, Molybdenum, Manganese, Selenium, and Zinc. Trace Minerals are inorganic matter that cannot be destroyed by cooking or heat and are essential to the body for a variety of processes.

Macro Minerals

1.  Sodium.

2.  Chloride.

3.  Potassium.

4.  Phosphorus.  [despite this being a macro mineral, people's teeth are a mess today.  What's causing that?  Lifestyle?]

5.  Magnesium.

6.  Calcium: good for teeth and bones.  You know where to get it--milk and meat products.

Trace Minerals

1.  Copper.

2.  Chromium.

3.  Fluoride. 

4.  Iodine.

5.  Iron.

6.  Molydenum.

7.  Manganese.

8.  Selenium. 

9.  Zinc.

10.  Cobalt.

Together, I count 16 minerals in all.  But the lists that I have found range from 11 to 17 to 19 as in the list I compiled below, so there seems to be some debate as to which minerals are trace or macro or necessary for health.  And here I thought I was going to add or organize information into bite-sized, manageable tidbits.

1.   Lithium orotate.

2.   Reacted calcium

3.   Calcium-Magnesium

4.   Chromium

5.   Iron

6.   Magnesium

7.   Magnesium-Potasium

8.   Selenium.

9.   Phosphoros.

10.  Zinc.

11.  Stromium.

12.  Sodium

13.  Copper

14.  Manganese

15.  Molybdenum

16.  Iodine.

17.  Sulfur

18.  Fluoride. 

19.  Cobalt

Also, almost all the articles I read at sites like NCBI, KnowledgeofHealth, Natural News, and others point out deficiencies.  Why are Americans deficient in these nutrients?  Isn't this knowledge built in the local culture, local wisdom of its people?  You would think.  But one reason that Americans are deficient is precised because of what we consume, like alcohol, or people turning Vegan to for lifestyle or eating too many nuts or vegetables.  There are nutrients in daily foods called anti-nutrients that actually block minerals from getting absorbed into our system.  Is it entropy?  

My guess is that if you eat beef, cheese, milk, yogurt, eggs, and green leafy vegetables that you're getting the best multivitamin known to man.  Some folks recommend nuts for Vitamin E, but nuts contain an anti-nutrient called phytic acid, which blocks the absorption of calcium, zinc, magnesium, and others.  If a population is experience a deficiency in these minerals, it doesn't seem like a good idea to eat foods that block their absorption.  And why are nuts so prevalent in our stores and diets?  Is it because of the Mediterranean Diet craze?  Who knows?  But definitely pasteurized nuts have grown in popularity since I was a kid.  And the only packaged nuts we ate were sunflower seeds, peanuts, and corn nuts.  Stores used to have a bin of assorted nuts in shells.  Yeah.  At Christmas time my dad would buy bags of walnuts that we'd shell on the dining room table and pick from.  It was never the kind of thing where we open a bag and start eating them like, well, peanuts.

The latest mineral on my Top 5 List is zinc.  Wow!  This stuff is restorative.  I mean if you're in to taking supplements and all, I would definitely make zinc a priority.  You can find zinc in foods, of course, with oysters having the highest level of zinc than any other food.  So you want lots of zinc through food, eat your oysters. But if you're shell fish averse, you'll want to supplement.  

So I go to the internet not so much to prove as much as I do to corroborate my claims and findings.  We all know that zinc is good for us, but how good?  Where is it best served and what organs are best served by adequate zinc or zinc supplementation?  

John Phillip reports at Natural News that . . . 

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center and chemists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology collaborated to study the effects of zinc on brain function. Scientists experimenting with mice used a chemical that binds with zinc to eliminate it from the brain of the test animals. They found that in the absence of the mineral, communications between neurons was significantly diminished and that zinc is vital for controlling the efficiency between nerve cells in the hippocampus.

For more than a half century, scientists have understood that high concentrations of zinc are deposited within nerve cells; called vesicles, they package the transmitters which enable the nerve cells to communicate. The highest concentrations of brain zinc are found among the neurons of the hippocampus that control the high functions of learning and memory.

Clearly, if you're looking for brain support, zinc is the way to go. But we're always hearing about fish oils or gingko biloba and others as brain food.  And they are.  But these lowly minerals tend to take a back seat in the miraculous department until you're deficient in them.  And how does one become deficient in zinc, magnesium, and calcium?  Phytic acid is one way, one of a series of anti-nutrients available to us in our stores that end up in our diet. Nuts are a big one. The phytic acid in nuts blocks the absorption of minerals in our system.  Does the phytic acid deplete the minerals? I don't know, but I would say that blocking is no picnic either. We want magnesium in our bodies.  We need calcium for bones and teeth.  One of the things that phytic acid does is block or deplete phosphorous, which is the essential mineral for our teeth.  You want to keep those bones in your head for a lifetime?  Then consume foods high in phosphorous.

Then the question of which kind of zinc.  And there are several. The first zinc supplement that I took was Zinc Orotate on the recommendation of an online article.  In fact, I went through 2 bottles of them, thinking that this was the best of the zinc forms. I really did not feel anything.  Even overdosing on Zinc Orotate, nothing.  The next zinc I tried was Zinc Acetate on the implied recommendation of Bill Sardi.  

But for best absorption, Sardi recommends Zinc Gluconate and Zinc Methionine:  

SUPERIORLY ABSORBED FORMS OF SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRIENTS: VITAMINS, MINERALS, & TRACE MINERALS

1.  Zinc gluconate: Zinc methionine.

2.  Inorganic selenium as selenite, selenite: Organically bound selenium in a natural full array of protein-bound forms (Seleno Excell®).

3.  Iron as ferrous sulfate: Iron as carbonyl iron (Ferronyl).

4.  Magnesium oxide: Magnesium chloride, carbonate, malate, glycinate, gluconate, threonate, others. 

Further, Sardi lists some conditions that zinc improves

       Zinc deficiency is associated with a low sperm count. 

Zinc deficiency increases the prevalence of dental caries. 

Zinc deficiency in the skin is associated with psoriasis and acne.  Patients with these skin conditions are likely to have normal blood serum levels of zinc.

Zinc supplementation is associated with 14% reduction in preterm birth.  

Zinc is only recently appreciated as an essential nutrient to prevent age-related bone loss, a.k.a, osteoporosis.

A skin rash condition (acrodermatitis enteropathica) which emanates from an inherited disorder of zinc absorption is resolved by zinc supplementation.Zinc carnosine is a remedy for H. pylori infection and gastritis.

Crohn’s disease results in poor zinc absorption.  Researchers successfully used 110 milligrams of zinc sulfate (providing 75 mg of elemental zinc) to quell recurrence of symptoms of Crohn’s disease (10 of 12 patients experienced resolution of their “leaky gut” problem).  

Resolution of a leaky gut!  That is news, incredible news.