Posted on 10/12/2012 4:34:27 PM PDT by neverdem
A new study has outlined for the first time a biological mechanism by which zinc deficiency can develop with age, leading to a decline of the immune system and increased inflammation associated with many health problems, including cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disease and diabetes.
The research was done by scientists in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University and the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences. It suggests that it's especially important for elderly people to get adequate dietary intake of zinc, since they may need more of it at this life stage when their ability to absorb it is declining.
About 40 percent of elderly Americans and as many as two billion people around the world have diets that are deficient in this important, but often underappreciated micronutrient, experts say.
The study was published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, based on findings with laboratory animals. It found that zinc transporters were significantly dysregulated in old animals. They showed signs of zinc deficiency and had an enhanced inflammatory response even though their diet supposedly contained adequate amounts of zinc.
When the animals were given about 10 times their dietary requirement for zinc, the biomarkers of inflammation were restored to those of young animals.
"The elderly are the fastest growing population in the U.S. and are highly vulnerable to zinc deficiency," said Emily Ho, an LPI principal investigator. "They don't consume enough of this nutrient and don't absorb it very well."
"We've previously shown in both animal and human studies that zinc deficiency can cause DNA damage, and this new work shows how it can help lead to systemic inflammation," Ho said.
"Some inflammation is normal, a part of immune defense, wound healing and other functions," she said. "But in excess, it's been associated with almost every degenerative disease you can think of, including cancer and heart disease. It appears to be a significant factor in the diseases that most people die from."
As a result of this and what is now know about zinc absorption in the elderly, Ho said that she would recommend all senior citizens take a dietary supplement that includes the full RDA for zinc, which is 11 milligrams a day for men and 8 milligrams for women. Zinc can be obtained in the diet from seafood and meats, but it's more difficult to absorb from grains and vegetables – a particular concern for vegetarians.
"We found that the mechanisms to transport zinc are disrupted by age-related epigenetic changes," said Carmen Wong, an OSU research associate and co-author of this study. "This can cause an increase in DNA methylation and histone modifications that are related to disease processes, especially cancer. Immune system cells are also particularly vulnerable to zinc deficiency."
Research at OSU and elsewhere has shown that zinc is essential to protect against oxidative stress and help repair DNA damage. In zinc deficiency, the risk of which has been shown to increase with age, the body's ability to repair genetic damage may be decreasing even as the amount of damage is going up.
Medical tests to determine zinc deficiency are rarely done, scientists say, and are not particularly accurate even if they are done. The best approach is to assure adequate intake of the nutrient through diet or supplements, they said, especially in the elderly.
Even though elderly people have less success in absorbing zinc, the official RDA for them is the same as in younger adults. That issue should be examined more closely, Ho said.
Levels of zinc intake above 40 milligrams per day should be avoided, researchers said, because at very high levels they can interfere with absorption of other necessary nutrients, including iron and copper. Source : Oregon State University
LOL!
That sounds as crazy as sunshine giving you vitamin D.
Wait. What?
thanks so much for the post. :-D
Eat a spoon of mustard before bedtime.
Thanks for posting.
Here’s some additional, interesting info on zinc as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease:
“A relatively ‘old’ study allows finding indication of the
potential benefit of a zinc therapy in AD [Alzheimer’s Disease], even though its design raised many concerns... Constantinidis (1992)... started an original study using zinc compounds for the treatment of AD. Ten patients were treated, all of them receiving 50 mg of oral Zinc bis-(DLhydrogenaspartate) TID (three times daily). Improvement of memory, understanding, communication, and social contact were evident in eight patients. In one patient, aged 79, relatively less demented and who received both oral and intravenous ZINC ASPARTATE, the improvement of memory was qualified as ‘unbelievable both by the medical staff and the family.’ The discontinuation of the treatment decreased and even reversed the improvement, in all patients. However, the small size of the patients’ sample, the design of the study neither blind nor placebo-controlled, makes these results at least concerning. Even though those conclusions have to be taken very cautiously, it seems surprising that nobody tried to replicate them in larger samples and using proper study design.”
http://www.benthamscience.com/rpcn/samples/rpcn4-3/0005.pdf
Alzheimer’s memory loss linked to zinc
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2012/03/29/Alzheimers-memory-loss-linked-to-zinc/UPI-32741333058775/
Copper excess, zinc deficiency, and cognition loss in Alzheimer’s disease
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/biof.1005/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false
Issues Raised Involving the Copper Hypotheses in the Causation of Alzheimer’s Disease
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijad/2011/537528/
Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease by Zinc Compounds
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ddr.430270102/abstract
Does Zinc Help the Brain With Memory? http://www.livestrong.com/article/390781-does-zinc-help-the-brain-with-memory/
Pauling got it wrong about massive doses of vitamin C. Why should we trust him with zinc?
Doctor can we chat?
Neither list was specified so I added you to my health and science ping list.
They also get pinged for noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO. Here’s an example:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2943650/posts?page=6#6
Some topics go there, e.g. Obamacare, global warming, ocean acidification, etc.
bfl
That’s the one I try to make sure my wife and mom take
I take CS for men,they seem to work well for us
Expensive,but we’re worth as the old commercial went
You can OD on zinc to where you get nausea. Inspecting zinc lined ballast tanks made myself and my crew sick. An old welders trick of drinking milk quickly cured us.
I now get my zinc from home grown pumpkin seeds. I can tell the difference when I don’t get enough.
bookmark
Thanks Cold Heart.
It’s all good. Thanks.
Ping... (Thanks, neverdem!)
I try to keep up on my minerals... magnesium, Potassium, calcium, etc.
Zinc is the one I have the hardest time with. I take a zinc tab and man, my stomach feels like I swallowed skunk scat or something. Few things make me nauseous, but zinc is at the top of the list!
Once, just once, I found these cherry flavored zinc tabs that were great! I coulda popped them like M&M’s.
Was never able to find them again after I ran out...
cold eze?
Nah, it was a regular supplement like Natures Bounty or one of the other manufacturers.
Must have been something to do with the buffers or the fillers they use.
Trouble is, for men, esp. older type dudes like me, zinc is critical. Reproductive health in men is totally dependent on zinc. I think I read more than 50% of the zinc in men is in their prostates.
“taking: Lugol’s (liquid) and Iodoral (pill form)”
Actually the best iodine to get is Nascent Iodine. It is pure atomic iodine. It works best for maintenance taken orally, but is also excellent topically.
I get fulvic acid from a few different Internet sources. I’m not sure about it but i think you can use the stuff from the garden center.
Also, I suggest magnesium chloride topically rather than a pill. It is much better absorbed and will never cause bowel issues. The best MgCl out there is from ancient-minerals.com.
This study was done by scientists at the Linus Pauling Institute, not by Linus Pauling, who is dead.
Magnesium is easy.
Milk of Magnesia.
Distilled vinegar.
About 3 tbsps of vinegar, add about 1/2 tsp of milk of magnesia, stir briskly.
After a minute or less, it should reach totally clarify. Drink. It has a vinegary but oddly sweet taste.
It’s now magnesium acetate. 100% absorbable. Never has it given me loose stools.
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