With the change of seasons and the winter months every second person has a cold, flu or gastro bug. The mineral zinc, is a super important piece to our immunity puzzle.
In fact, zinc is vital for many of the body’s processes and most people are chronically deficient in this vital mineral.
‘… As many as 2 billion people around the world have diets deficient in zinc, and studies are raising concerns about the health implications this holds for infectious disease, immune function, DNA damage and cancer.’
“Zinc is essential to … helping DNA repair. One new study has found DNA damage in humans caused by only minor zinc deficiency.” ~ Dr Joseph Mercola
In this post I share why it’s critical for a well-being and our personal experience.
Before zooming in on zinc though, lets take a closer look at minerals. Our life force.
Minerals act as co-factors for enzyme reactions in our body. Enzymes are critical as they speed up the chemical reactions in our cells. Enzymes don’t work without minerals! And every cell requires enzymes to work and function. Minerals are our life force.
A few more facts about minerals:
Without a healthy dose of minerals in our diet our bodies fundamentally will not function efficiently, predisposing us to infection, chronic illness and dis-ease. They are our life force.
Zinc.
Personally, I’ve noticed the benefits of adding more zinc into my day, including a welcomed, calmer and happier disposition, a similar benefit that I’ve noticed in the children.
Zinc is second only to iron in its concentration in our body! It’s needed for much more than treating a cold.
More important benefits of zinc:
It’s also important to note, if we are carrying heavy metals, which most of us are – mercury and nickel can compete with zinc and detrimentally displace the small amount we might have in our diets.
Depleted soils, stress, poor diet, chemicals and chronic illness are just a few of the many factors that deplete our zinc exposure and absorption. The body doesn’t store zinc so we need to make sure we get enough in our diet. Here’s how.
Top 10 foods high in zinc.
It’s thought that zinc is better absorbed by our body from animal sources than plant sources.
Other factors that compete for zinc in the body & lead to malabsorption;
How to know if you’re deficient.
It can be difficult to test for zinc levels accurately. Try adding in more of the above foods or if you try a zinc supplement, go for a liquid or colloidal form that is pure zinc and from a brand you trust.
And always discuss any concerns or questions with your health practitioner first.
To learn more about how you can improve your wellbeing and get to the root cause, please contact me for an initial discussion. I’d love to hear from you.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27885880
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3724376/
http://articles.mercola.com
https://www.globalhealingcenter.com
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3575353
In a series of posts I’m sharing healthy, practical tips to glow from the inside out.
Sulfur is the third most abundant mineral in our bodies. It is an important compound for both our skin health and overall wellness. Sulfur amongst many other things, is necessary for producing collagen, which gives skin its structure and strength. The breakdown of collagen or insufficient production of collagen as we age is one of the major contributors to the development of wrinkles.
You may have also heard of glutathione. Glutathione is one of THE most important antioxidants in the body. (Antioxidants help prevent the damaging effect of oxidation on our cells).
‘Sulfur is also required for the formation of glutathione and high levels of glutathione in the body can prevent damage caused by free radicals, which are also thought to be a major cause of cellular aging.’ ~ Dr Chris Kresser
The level of glutathione in the body is greatly impacted by having adequate sulfur.
The best and most ideal way to obtain sulfur is through our diet. Sulfur is derived almost exclusively from protein, such as fish and high-quality (organic and/or grass-fed/pastured) beef and poultry. Meat and fish are considered “complete” as they contain all the sulfur-containing amino acids you need to produce new protein.
Sulfur is also found in some plant foods. Good sources include garlic, onions, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus, and kale. Fermenting these vegetables can make sulfur even more bioavailable in the body.
Supplementation e.g. MSM
You might have come across MSM, Methylsulfonylmethane, an organic form of sulfur that’s naturally found in many plants. Common health complaints can be associated with low concentrations of MSM in the body including:
As with any supplements, if you consider adding it into your diet, just make sure you purchase a good quality brand, with MSM as the only ingredient and only after you’ve added real food in first.
Sulfur is a critical nutrient that can be overlooked. If you’re eating a good diet with loads of real food and you’re absorbing well then you’re in a great place to enjoy youthful skin.
This is so much more important than many of us realise.
If you get 4 to 6 hours of sleep a night, consider going to bed earlier (rather than sleeping in late). When we go to bed soon after sunset or long before 12pm, it does a whole lot of good for our immune system, our hormonal system, and even our digestive health. Keep this in mind if you have children and teenagers too. Getting a good nights sleep helps us in SO many ways. Our skin is a direct reflection of this. What can you do to get the best and most rejuvenating nights sleep?
