What You Need To Know About Zinc And Your Health

Many people associate zinc with zinc lozenges which are generally used to reduce the impact of the flu and cold. But how much do you really know about this essential mineral? As you may have guessed it is important for a healthy immune system. Specifically, zinc can help you get sick less often or get well quicker.

Why The Elderly Should Be Concerned About Zinc

Roughly one to three million serious infections occur every year in nursing home facilities. These infections include pneumonia and respiratory tract infections. According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a simple solution to reducing the rates of infection may be administering zinc supplementation to the elderly in nursing homes who need it.

Your Ability to Smell May Say A Lot About Your Health

We have five basic senses: sight, taste, touch, hear and smell. If you are fortunate enough to never have experienced the loss of one of these senses, it’s likely that you often take them for granted or neglect the fact that we need to be proactive about maintaining their health. For example, many Americans fail to get their ears examined in order to prevent hearing loss.

Have a UTI? You May Want to Consider Zinc!

If you’ve never had a urinary tract infection (UTI), consider yourself very lucky. In most cases, UTIs are nothing serious. They are just extremely uncomfortable, to say the least. A urinary tract infection occurs when certain bacteria enter the bladder (which is part of the urinary tract). This is why UTIs are also called bladder infections.

Have High Blood Pressure? You Might Want to Check Your Zinc Level

There is certainly no shortage of medications to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Just to name a few, there are several classes of blood pressure medications, including:

Advancements in Autism Prevention That Every Parent Should Know

I recently came across a new study about zinc and autism. This study really resonates with me because it reinforces my firm belief that getting adequate amounts of nutrients, including minerals, even in the very early stages of development, may be critical to reduce the likelihood of diseases like autism.

Copper vs. Zinc. Striking a Healthy Balance

Many people equate copper with pennies, plumbing or bracelets to help cure arthritis (spoiler alert – they don’t!) than with good health. But copper is a trace mineral - along with iron, chromium, zinc, iodine, manganese and selenium.

Zinc May Help in the Fight Against Esophageal Cancer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year in the United States about 15,000 people are diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The CDC also reports that less than 15% of esophageal cancer cases occur in people under the age of 55. This type of cancer is also reportedly more common in men.

Baby Teeth May Provide Insight Into Autism!

The proof is in the pudding, and in this case the pudding may be baby teeth! A study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) discovered that baby teeth from children with autism contained higher levels of toxic lead and lower levels of the essential minerals zinc and manganese, compared to baby teeth from children who did not have autism.

When Minerals Go Low, Diseases Go High!

Research has shown some of your foods may be losing mineral value, possibly increasing the risk of developing certain illnesses including heart disease. In other words, when minerals go low diseases go high.

Be Aware and Be Proactive for Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month, and April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. Autism is a developmental disorder that usually becomes apparent in children between the ages of 2 and 3 (sometimes as early as 18 months) It is also referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in order to reflect the differences or variation in challenges and strengths possessed by each person with autism. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, (NIH), “[s]ome people are mildly impaired by their symptoms, while others are severely disabled.” This disorder may continue throughout the whole life of the person affected.

Ask your doctor: 'Are supplements safe to take with my Rx?'

Many of you can probably recall that questionnaire you received at your doctor’s office inquiring whether you take any dietary supplements. If you are like most people, you do not include all the supplements or vitamins you take, and might jot down a few easy ones like vitamin C even if you take others.