Vitamins
Lacking energy, always getting sick? Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals? Vitamins such as Vitamin C, Vitamin B and minerals such as calcium and iron are crucial for a healthy life. The vitamins and minerals information pages provide you with crucial information about vitamins and minerals, such as which foods contain them, what they do, deficiency symptoms and more.
What is it:
Zinc is found in all tissues and especially in the eye, kidney, brain, liver, muscle and reproductive organs. It aids the healing of burns, wounds and other minor skin disorders, is useful for bone development and maintaining a healthy resistance to disease and in the reduction of inflammation or body odour.
What does it do:
Zinc is needed for: Functioning of many (over 200) enzymes; Strong immune system; Zinc is an essential element in human beings, necessary for sustaining life. Deficiencies of zinc have marked effects on weight gain in animals. Zinc is found in insulin, zinc finger proteins, and such enzymes as superoxide dismutase. According to some sources, taking zinc tablets may provide some immunity against colds and flu, although this is disputed. Eyesight, taste, smell and memory are also connected with zinc and a deficiency in zinc can cause malfunctions of these organs and functions.
Symptoms of deficiency:
Too little zinc can result in enlarged prostate, impaired sexual functions, dandruff, hair loss, poor sense of taste and smell, and stretch marks that commonly appear after extreme growth spurts such as in pregnancy and adolescence. In males, zinc is important for the production of semen. Up to 5 mg of zinc is lost during an ejaculation. Defiencies in zinc in males can lead to reduced sperm count and sex drive. Frequent ejaculations can lead to zinc defiency.
Overdose/Cautions:
Taking high doses of zinc reduces the amount of copper the body can absorb. This can lead to anaemia and to weakening of the bones.
Natural food sources:
oysters red meat poultry beans nuts whole grains pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Some herbs such as: alfalfa, cayenne, chamomile, dandelion, fennel seed, hops, parsley, rose hips and sage.