Zinc for Mental and Brain Health
The Real Life Story
A couple of years ago, a college student came to our clinic for a mental health consultation. The 18-year-old youth was bright, knowledgeable, and intelligent. However, he constantly had issues with homework.
He spent many hours doing the research and won’t let it go even though he exhausted his source of information. He was often late for handing in his assignments.
He tried many management techniques but could not help researching compulsively. As a result, he lost many hours of sleep, was frustrated with his imperfect work, fearful of failure, and had doubts about his ability.
In addition, he has a low tolerance for stress and gets overwhelmed easily. He once felt so gloomy that he began to question the value of being alive.
His blood work and urine tests indicated that this young man suffered from biochemical imbalances that prevented his brain from producing enough neurotransmitters, serotonin in particular. He had also lost zinc and B6 through the urine due to Kryptopyrrole, the body’s inability to metabolize hemoglobin.
Instead of prescribing medications, he was treated with Advanced Nutrient Therapy, developed by Dr. William Walsh.
Within three months, he improved quickly with his mood instability and ability to tolerate stress. In 12 months, there was a significant reduction in his compulsive behaviors. He is now a proud graduate of a well-known university with a major in computer science.
The Health Role of Zinc
Zinc is an essential nutrient for our body. It is present in every cell and serves an important function that affects our immune system, growth and aging, and synthesis of protein and DNA. Zinc is actually the second-most-abundant trace mineral in the human body after iron.
Research shows that zinc has numerous health benefits, including:
Reducing inflammation
Boosting immune function
Aiding growth and development
Reducing risk of age-related diseases, like vision loss
Repairing the wound and speeding healing and recovery
Helping improve skin and acne symptoms.
The synthesis of protein and DNA also requires a large amount of zinc.
Zinc Helps Immune Function
Various biochemical reactions in cells require the participation of zinc. Zinc plays a critical role in immune function. Deficiency in zinc may cause various immune defects in our body and make us get infected easily and frequently. That is why that zinc is added to some nasal sprays, lozenges and other natural cold treatments. For the current COVID 19 pandemic, Zinc is known to block the coronavirus duplications in the cell.
Zinc Promotes Mental & Brain Health
Zinc has a big impact on our brain function and emotions. Zinc plays an important role in neurotransmission, metabolism of brain cells and integrity of brain cell membranes. Lack of Zinc impairs DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis during brain development. A deficiency in zinc may make one feel emotionally unstable and make it difficult to handle stress.
Obtain Zinc through Food and Supplements
One important thing to understand is that our body does not naturally produce zinc. One must obtain it through food or supplements.
Luckily, Zinc can be naturally found in a wide variety of food.
Oyster and Shellfish
Oyster has the highest content of zinc among other food sources.
The research found that 6 medium oysters can provide around 32mg of zinc. Shellfish like crab, shrimp, and mussels are also good sources for our daily zinc needs.
Meat
Meat, especially red meat of beef, lamb, and pork, is an excellent source of zinc.
Beans and Seeds
Chickpeas, lentils, and beans contain substantial amounts of zinc.
Seeds such as hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame are also great sources of zinc.
Supplements
In addition to food, taking zinc supplements, or multi-nutrient supplements that provide zinc is another solution. It is better to be guided and monitored by a professional for the right dosages.
The Major Causes of Zinc Deficiency
Unbalanced Diet
Not eating food that provides sufficient zinc.
Poor Absorption
Poor absorption may contribute to zinc loss.
Chronic illness
Some chronic conditions may also cause excessive amounts of zinc loss through urine, such as Pyrrole disorder.
Advanced Nutrient Therapy at Yang Institute
Yang Institute offers Advanced Nutrient Therapy for mental and physical conditions by correcting biochemical imbalances caused by genetic predisposition and environmental stressors.
Advanced Nutrient Therapy is one of the natural therapies, often combined with Neurofeedback, TMS, naturopathic remedies, and acupuncture. Yang Institute has successfully helped many patients diagnosed with depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, ADHD, chronic pain, insomnia, autoimmune disease, and other chronic disorders.
Disclaimer:
The information here should not be used as medical advice. We encourage you to talk to your healthcare providers about your use of dietary supplements and what may be best for your overall health.