Vitamin C and now Zinc

6 posts / 0 new

Wed, 2011-02-16 13:16

Caissa

Zinc supplements can reduce the severity of the common cold and help people recover faster, say the authors of a new review.

A review on the ability of zinc to prevent and treat colds published in 1999 was inconclusive. This new paper, published in The Cochrane Library - a key resource for evidence-based medicine - includes an additional eight studies, bringing the total number of analyzed trials to 15 and number of participants to 1360.

Thu, 2011-02-17 15:02

Noah_Scape

That is very interesting. I have been a fan of Vit. C for a long time, but never zinc.

Vit C is not produced by humans, we have to get it in our diet [unlike any other living creature on earth, which all produce it themselves];

I wonder why we have a dietary shortage of Zinc?

Thu, 2011-02-17 15:10

Lard Tunderin Jeezus Lard Tunderin Jeezus's picture

That sounded wrong when I read it.

From wikipedia:

Quote:
Ascorbate (an ion of ascorbic acid) is required for a range of essential metabolic reactions in all animals and plants. It is made internally by almost all organisms; notable mammalian group exceptions are most or all of the order chiroptera (bats), guinea pigs, capybaras, and one of the two major primate suborders, the Anthropoidea (Haplorrhini) (tarsiers, monkeys and apes, including human beings). Ascorbic acid is also not synthesized by some species of birds and fish. All species that do not synthesize ascorbate require it in the diet.

Fri, 2011-02-18 10:16

Caissa

I was wondering if Sineed had any thoughts on this topic?

Thu, 2013-01-10 20:12

Goggles Pissano

For those wondering, zinc is leached from the farming soil from years of planting crops.

The glaciers have removed large amounts of zinc and iodine and selenium from the soil. There are glacier travelled zones around the world where zinc, iodine, and selenium levels are low. They are called the goiter belts. Thyroid problems are much higher in these regions. They are also the regions of the world where Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease are very high. The thyroid gland needs zinc, selenium, and vitamin c to manufacture T3.

Of interesting note...your body needs prolactin to make oligodendrocytes, the rod shaped cells which make up the myelin sheath. When prolactin levels are low, the body is argued by some to be unable to manufacture oligodendrocytes. There is an inverse relationship between prolactin and dopamine. When dopamine levels are high, the prolactin levels are low, and conversely. People with hypothyroidism have extra dopamine receptors in the brain, and they therefore have to produce higher levels of dopamine to satisfy the dopamine receptors. This would drive the prolactin levels down.

This cannot explain why all people with thyroid problems do not have nor get multiple sclerosis, but it sure makes you wonder if mainstream medicine is looking in all the wrong places for a cure to MS.

There is also an inverse relationship between copper and zinc. When copper levels are high, zinc levels tend to be low. So, if you have copper pipes and drink water from these pipes, over time, your copper levels will rise, and your zinc levels will drop.

Thu, 2013-01-10 21:04

6079_Smith_W

According to this it is good. Click on the bubble to see the studies:

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/play/snake-oil-supplements/

And this compliation is, if anything, overly cautious. Notice that ginger is below the "worth it" line for nausea.