Gary’s Daily Health News - Vol. 2

The good herb: buckwheat extract helps cells clean house

Researchers find that quercetin, a component of buckwheat extract, promotes the degradation of harmful protein aggregates in cells

Osaka University (Japan), August 16, 2021

Seeds like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat that have been used for centuries in traditional cuisine are having a trendy moment in culinary circles as alternatives to wheat and other grains. Now, researchers from Japan have found that a traditional liquor made from buckwheat could even be used medicinally.

In a study published last month in Antioxidants, researchers from Osaka University revealed that an ingredient in Chinese buckwheat liquor, which contains various herbal medicine extracts, can induce autophagy, a process that cells use to clean up proteins that are damaged or no longer needed.

Autophagy plays an important role in diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, so finding a way to encourage this process is a topic of considerable interest. Herbal substances are an intriguing potential source of compounds that could be used in this type of treatment.

“We already knew that tartary buckwheat liquor, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine, can decrease antioxidants in mice, and that it has some antibacterial effects,” explains lead author of the study Sumiko Ikari. “What we wanted to find out in this study is whether it also affects autophagy.”

To explore this possibility, the researchers treated epithelial (skin) cells and liver cells with tartary buckwheat extract and looked at how different fluorescent markers of autophagy responded.

“The results clearly showed that tartary buckwheat induces autophagy in epithelial cells,” states Takeshi Noda, senior author. “We found that treating cells with the extract stimulated the formation of autophagasomes, specialized cellular structures that carry out autophagy, and altered the location of proteins involved in regulating autophagy.”

When the researchers looked more closely at specific components of tartary buckwheat extract, they found that one component, quercetin, had the same effects as the extract. What’s more, both tartary buckwheat extract and quercetin prompted liver cells to clean up protein aggregates through a process known as aggrephagy.

“Our findings suggest that tartary buckwheat extract and quercetin induce not only autophagy, but also aggrephagy,” says Ikari.

Given that protein aggregates in liver cells are closely linked to alcoholic liver disease, these findings suggest that quercetin could be a useful treatment for patients with this condition. It may also hold promise for treatment of other diseases associated with protein aggregation, such as Alzheimer’s.

 

 

Greater vitamin K intake associated with lower risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease

University of Western Australia, August 12, 2021

 

A new research has found that eating a diet rich in vitamin K can lower the risk of atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular disease (conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels).

The findings of the study were published in the 'Journal of the American Heart Association'.

Researchers examined data from more than 50,000 people taking part in the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health study over a 23-year period.

They investigated whether people who ate more foods containing vitamin K had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related to atherosclerosis (plaque build-up in the arteries).

There are two types of vitamin K found in foods we eat: vitamin K1 comes primarily from green leafy vegetables and vegetable oils while vitamin K2 is found in meat, eggs and fermented foods such as cheese.

The study found that people with the highest intakes of vitamin K1 were 21 per cent less likely to be hospitalised with cardiovascular disease related to atherosclerosis.

For vitamin K2, the risk of being hospitalised was 14 per cent lower.

This lower risk was seen for all types of heart disease related to atherosclerosis, particularly for peripheral artery disease at 34 per cent.

ECU researcher and senior author on the study Dr Nicola Bondonno said the findings suggested that consuming more vitamin K may be important for protection against atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular disease.

"Current dietary guidelines for the consumption of vitamin K are generally only based on the amount of vitamin K1 a person should consume to ensure that their blood can coagulate," Dr Bondonno said.

"However, there is growing evidence that intakes of vitamin K above the current guidelines can afford further protection against the development of other diseases, such as atherosclerosis," Dr Bondonno added.

"Although more research is needed to fully understand the process, we believe that vitamin K works by protecting against the calcium build-up in the major arteries of the body leading to vascular calcification," Dr Bondonnoexplained.

University of Western Australia researcher Dr Jamie Bellinge, the first author on the study, said the role of vitamin K in cardiovascular health and particularly in vascular calcification is an area of research offering promising hope for the future.

"Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death in Australia and there's still a limited understanding of the importance of different vitamins found in food and their effect on heart attacks, strokes and peripheral artery disease," Dr Bellinge said.

"These findings shed light on the potentially important effect that vitamin K has on the killer disease and reinforces the importance of a healthy diet in preventing it," Dr Bellinge concluded.

Next steps in the research

Dr Bondonno said that while databases on the vitamin K1 content of foods are very comprehensive, there is currently much less data on the vitamin K2 content of foods.

Furthermore, there are 10 forms of vitamin K2 found in our diet and each of these may be absorbed and act differently within our bodies.

"The next phase of the research will involve developing and improving databases on the vitamin K2 content of foods. More research into the different dietary sources and effects of different types of vitamin K2 is a priority," Dr Bondonnosaid.

Additionally, there is a need for an Australian database on the vitamin K content of Australian foods (e.g. vegemite and kangaroo).

To address this need, Dr Marc Sim, a collaborator on the study, has just finished developing an Australian database on the vitamin K content of foods which will be published soon.

The research is part of ECU's Institute of Nutrition Research. It was a collaboration with researchers from the University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital, Herlev and Gentofte University Hospital in Denmark and the Danish Cancer Society Research Centre.

 

Burnt out? Rhodiola rosea supplements may help, says new study

Wein University Medical School (Austria), August 17, 2021

Daily supplements containing Rhodiola rosea extract may improve the symptoms of burnout, suggests data from the first trial to examine the effects of the botanical extract on this modern day condition.

Results of the open-label, multicenter, single-arm trial provide “an encouraging basis” for future clinical trials to study if R. rosea extract can indeed help people suffering from burnout, which is reported to be an increasing burden to people and economies in the Western world.

“Most of the outcome variables assessed in this trial demonstrated relevant improvement over time with considerable changes already being detectable after the first week of R. rosea administration,” wrote Siegfried Kasper from the Medical University of Vienna in Austria and Angelika Dienel from Dr Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. in Germany in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment .

Despite being the first to specifically examine the effects of R. rosea in burnout, the results are in-line with previously reported benefits of the root extract, which is primary used for stress, mental and physical fatigue, depression, and to boost energy. For the new study, Kasper and Dienel recruited 118 men and women aged between 30 and 60 suffering from symptoms of burnout. The participants were asked to consume 400 mg per day of a R. rosea extract (WS 1375, Rosalin, which is the active ingredient in Dr Willmar Schwabe’s Vitango product) for 12 weeks.

The majority of symptoms improved during the course of the study, with some improvements measurable as early as the first week, said the researchers.  Specifically, improvements in symptoms such as “emotional exhaustion”, “fatigue”, “exhaustion”, “lack of joy”, “loss of zest for life”, and “depersonalization” were all recorded during the study.

In addition, the participants reported increased sexual interest and functioning, which supports the potential activity of R. rosea to ameliorate burnout’s impairment on sexual functio

2015. roseais a high altitude and arctic regions plant native to Europe, North America, and Asia. According to the American Botanical Council, “Scientists have identified about 140 chemical compounds in the roots of rhodiola, including phenols, rosavin, rosin, rosarin, organic acids, terpenoids, phenolcarbonic acids and derivatives thereof, and flavonoids.” Rhodiola is in the top 40 for herbal dietary supplements sales in both mass and natural channels. Combined sales totaled almost $13 million in 2015.

“Despite the observed quick and distinct improvement of most of the outcome parameters during the first week of intervention, which might at first glance not seem to be in accordance with what is known about the usually rather slow process of burnout therapy, it is still in line with what is known about the gradual development of burnout,” wrote Kasper and Dienel.

“In this context, the outcomes of the [Perceived Stress Questionnaire] and [Numerical Analogue Scales of subjective stress symptoms] assessment suggest that the reduction of core values such as exhaustion, fatigue, and subjective stress perception during the treatment with R. rosea extract might be an important first step toward a continuous alleviation of burnout symptoms, thus inhibiting the exacerbation of the syndrome and preventing the development of subsequent disorders such as depression or physical illness.”

Importantly, compliance during the study was high with very few adverse events reported, which supports the safety profile of R. rosea in this population.

“The results presented provide an encouraging basis for clinical trials further investigating the clinical outcomes of R. rosea extract in patients with the burnout syndrome,” concluded Kasper and Dienel.

 

 

Regular exercise, even in polluted areas, can lower risk of death

Chinese University of Hong Kong, August 16, 2021

Regular exercise, even performed in areas with air pollution, can reduce the risk of death from natural causes, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) 

“Habitual exercise reduces the risk of death regardless of exposure to air pollution, and air pollution generally increases the risk of death regardless of habitual exercise. Thus, habitual exercise should be promoted as a health improvement strategy, even for people residing in relatively polluted areas,” writes Dr. Xiang Qian Lao, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China, with coauthors.

They conducted a large study, over 15 years from 2001 to 2016, with 384 130 adults in Taiwan, seeking to understand the effects of regular exercise and long-term exposure to fine particle matter on the risk of death from natural causes. The researchers found that a higher level of regular exercise compared with inactivity was beneficial, even in polluted areas, although less exposure to pollution was better.

“We found that a high level of habitual exercise and a low level of exposure to air pollution was associated with lower risk of death from natural causes, whereas a low level of habitual exercise and a high level of exposure was associated with higher risk of death,” write the authors.

This study adds to several other smaller studies conducted in the United States, Denmark and Hong Kong that found that regular exercise, even in polluted areas, is beneficial.

The authors say that “further studies in areas with more severe air pollution are required to examine the applicability of our findings. Our study reinforces the importance of air pollution mitigation, such as to reduce the harmful effects of air pollution and maximize the beneficial effects of regular exercise.“

In a related commentary https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.211282, authors from the Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia, argue that physical inactivity and air pollution should be considered as “syndemics” as together they influence behaviour and health outcomes. Recommendations for safe exercise in polluted areas, such as indoor exercise, and avoiding walking and biking on congested roads, can contribute to inequalities as people of lower socioeconomic status often lack these options.

“[R]isk reduction approaches that do not address the root causes of noncommunicable diseases could exacerbate health inequalities,” write Drs. Ding and Elbarbary. “People should not be forced to choose between physical activity and air pollution.”

“Both physical inactivity and air pollution have detrimental effects on health. Staying active should not be at the cost of compromised health from air pollution. Addressing both major public health issues through synergistic, upstream, system-level approaches would lead to long-term health benefits for humans and the planet,” write the commentary authors.

 

 

Resveratrol supplementation improves arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetics

Toho University (Japan), August 17 2021 

A randomized, double-blind study reported in the International Heart journal found improvements in arterial stiffness and oxidative stress among type 2 diabetics who were supplemented with resveratrol.

The trial included 50 diabetic men and women who received 100 milligrams resveratrol or a placebo daily for 12 weeks. Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI, a novel diagnostic measure of arterial stiffness that is a marker of atherosclerosis) and blood pressure were assessed at the beginning and end of the study, in addition to blood assessments of oxidative stress and other factors.

At the end of the study, subjects who received resveratrol had significantly lower blood pressure, less oxidative stress and decreased arterial stiffness in comparison with values obtained at the beginning of the study.  Participants who received a placebo experienced no significant changes in these areas.

“The primary finding in the present study was that oral supplementation of resveratrol for 12 weeks decreased CAVI in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus,” authors Haruki Imamura, MD, and colleagues at Toho University Sakura Medical Center in Japan write. “Many previous studies have demonstrated increased CAVI in atherosclerotic diseases such as acute coronary syndrome and stroke, and these reports indicate that CAVI reflects organic atherosclerosis.”

They suggest that a reduction in oxidative stress may be one mechanism involved in the improvement in arterial stiffness observed in this study among participants who received resveratrol. Improved endothelial function via increased nitric oxide production may be another mechanism.

“Resveratrol may be beneficial in preventing the development of atherosclerosis induced by diabetes,” the authors conclude. “However, a large-scale cohort study is required to validate the present findings.”

 

 

Zinc: Growing larger than a cough and sore throat remedy

Summary of Zinc's many benefits

Life Extension, August 16, 2021

 

At meal times everyday, I do not easily lose sight of two important food supplements on the dining-table. One of them is Potato leaf powder. The other is Pumpkin leaf powder. Like Spinach powder, Jute Mallow Ewedu, (Yoruba) powder and some other leaf powders, they are power houses of nutrition in a country such as Nigeria where there is a prevalence of carbohydrate on the dining-table and a harvest of diseases such as diabetes, elevated blood cholesterol, calcified and plaque blocked blood vessels, heart challenges, osteoporosis, easily fractured bones, young boys and girls with genitalia too small for their ages, reproductive age men and women beset with fertility and a lot more health headaches.

Where we are heading are not this trouble. But they are important ports of call on the way. Many Nigerians do not eat potato leaves as a vegetable such as Pumpkin leaves. We are still unlike Asians, Pacific Ocean Islanders and some Africans who recognise that even Banana peel and Plantain peel are more nutritious than banana and plantain and eat them! What got me into taking potato leaf powder as a food supplement?

Potato leaf

Goats eat potato leaves. Out of ignorance, many humans do not. Yet, potato leaves are one of the sources of plant nutrients which not only build and maintain radiance but can prevent cancer and kill health cancer cells as well. Isn't this good news for people who are challenged with all sorts of cancers? The cancer fighting ability of plant nutrients such as potato are now recognised due to their Polyphenolic compounds. If you ask Mr Olajuwon Okubena, whose Nigerian plant product Jobelyn is the only plant medicine product in this country listed on the United States National Cancer Institute Drug Dictionary of plant medicines worldwide recommended for cancer therapies, he would gladly and quickly reply that Jobelyn made it to this enviable list only because the rare specie of Soghum Bicolour which is the major ingredient, has a high rating of Polypheolic contents.

In his opinion, these compounds may even have outstaged antioxidants in the onward march of medicine, even though they themselves are antioxidants. Science and medicine are ever on the march, expanding the understanding of our bodies and of our environment as well. Only about a hundred years ago, Louis Pasteur ushered in the Pasteurisation Age. Today, I would not touch Pasteurised food because they are devitalised foods. The Germ Theory of Diseases lost its hold on researchers because of several persons exposed to the same germ in the same environment, a few may succumb to diseases which the germ may cause while other persons may be unaffected. The difference is all about individual differences which, in this case, boils down to Immunity. From immunity, we have journeyed to Stem Cell medicine using plant stem cells to regenerate dying organs. And from there, Stem Cell Surgery has come about in which stem cells are surgically taken from a patients bone marrow and transfered to the help-requering organ. Now, it is being whispered that Polyphenolic compounds are those materials which activate all those processes in the body, be they antioxidants or the immune systems, to do their work and make us disease free and energetic. Thus, a plant and its materials are rated high or low in terms of the rating of phenolic or polyphenolic compounds they parade.

Potato leaves are not only rich sources of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants but also of Phenolic and Polyphenolic compounds. Although they are not the concern of this column, they are, nevertheless, important bus-stops or sign posts on the way to the go. So, in the interim, what are some of the health benefits to derive from eating potato leaves as vegetable?

Benefits

We grow potato in the flowerbeds at home for its leaves. Eaten raw or lightly cooked, it provides lots of Vitamin A which is good for vision, immunity, healthy skin, hair, nails and bones. It is a good manager of elevated blood sugar, stress inflammation, ulcer, heart and blood vessel diseases. It is a builder of immunity, is antimicrobial, and a promoter of digestion. Most of these attributes come from a high presence of Vitamin K in the leaves. The high amount of Vitamin K in that leaves helps to prevent excessive bleeding, as it also prevents the calcification of the arteries, a cause of elevated blood pressure and heart attacks. It does not permit plaque formation in blood vessels, a healthy support for friendly blood pressure. Calcium needs Vitamin K to settle properly in the bones, prevent and heal fractures and prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin K is a friend of the menstruating woman with a tendency to overbleed and succumb to the pains of cramping uterine muscles.

Sufferers from gum disease and teeth decay should appreciate potato leaf. It is fortified with Vitamins A, C, D and K. These fat soluble vitamins help to prevent teeth and gum decay by eliminating bacteria in the mouth and teeth which cause them. Vitamin K works with these vitamins to eradicate these bacteria.

Pumpkin leaf

Many Nigerians eat pumpkin leaves. Some drink the juice to improve blood count because of the high iron content. Pumpkin leaves are as endowed as potato leaves in vitamins and minerals which confer several health benefits. In the 1980s, I wondered if pumpkin leaves would not be rich sources of Zinc, which is plentiful in pumpkin fruits. That was when pumpkin seeds became popular as dietary sources of Zinc for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia(BPH) and inflammation of the prostate gland. If the fruit can be a Zinc provider, why not the leaves?, I wondered. I was right on the mark. Every 100grams of pumpkin seed hold about 7.99mg of Zinc, whereas every 100grams of pumpkin leaf stocks about 22.3mg of Zinc. Many people who eat pumpkin leaves do not know what good they do themselves because the human body requires Zinc for more than 250 of its activities. The potato obliges 0.35mg in every 100grams. Potato leaf gives 0.3mg of Zinc or three per cent of daily requirement. While potato leaf may not rank high as pumpkin leaf in terms of Zinc supply, it makes up with seven phenolic compounds just as pumpkin leaf. Additionally, potato leaf provides five Chlorogenic acids. Chlorogenic acids lower blood concentrations of glucose, which means they help the burning of blood sugar and, thereby, check diabetes. This is why potato leaf may be combined with pumpkin leaf in a potato tuber diet or any carbohydrates-laden diet. Potato leaf powder is, therefore, recommended for diabetics and people who wish to lower their blood glucose levels either as a tea or a food supplements. This is good news as we pick out nutrients everyday from various food sources. Although from Zinc, I need to mention that potato leaf offers 30mg of Calcium(or 3% of daily value), 25mg of Magnesium(7%), 47mg of Phosphorus(7%), 37mg of Potassium(7%) and 55mg of Sodium(5%).

Google tells us we can obtain a higher Zinc value for potato leaves harvested from Zinc enriched soils. The only problems with that will be that the Vitamin C content will be high, Tyrosine and Phenolic levels in the tuber will reduce. Just as humans exhibit Zinc deficiency in various ways, potato leaves also do. The leaves grow smaller and stunted, deformed with inward folds. In the middle, the leaves may spot greyish brown to bronze blotches and all over, later on. Since researchers have been suggesting that Polyphenols are like the enrichers and activators of plant nutrients and their antioxidants, including Zinc, in the case of potato leaf, it is heart warming to note that several experiments have shown no fewer than seven Polyphenolic compounds and five Chlorogenic acids are present in potato leaves.

Zinc in leaves

Here is where we are heading……Zinc, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Phosphorus, all very important for health, but more specific for today, Zinc. With Zinc presence in potato and pumpkin leaves…..what makes the powders of these leaves regular features on my dinning table.

Zinc

This macromineral which the average adult human requires at about 15mg everyday is wonderful for radiant health in many respects. Matted hair is a sign of Zinc deficiency. In other words, Zinc promotes heathy hair. Zinc plays a crucial role in functions of the central nervous system. A flood of Zinc during epilepsy or seizures, for example may upset this system as a deficiency of the mineral, causing neurodegenerative conditions. Zinc deficiency in the brain have been linked as well to such mental disorders as Schizophrenia, a condition in which the challenged person does not think straight, always fearful, misbehave due to faulty perceptions and withdraws from relationships.

Night blindness……may be a sign of Zinc deficiency. In other words, Zinc promotes healthy vision. If we didn't realise that Vitamin A promotes healthy vision, we should not at least guess when we see babies taken to hospital till they are about five years old for periodic sublingual dosing with Vitamin A to avert vision challenges. But of what value is the Vitamin A in the eyes of everyone if the eyes can hardly use it in the absence of Zinc? Zinc is highly concentrated in the eye. It has been suggested that Zinc deficiences in the eye, along with other nutrient deficiences, causes cataract of the eye lens and changes at the back of the eye where images are registered on the optic nerve. My generation of children and young adults enjoyed Zinc Lozenges which we chewed and let slowly trickle down the throat to offset cough and sore-throat. We also knew about Calamine Lotion which our mothers draped our bodies with at the slightest sing of measles or other dangerous skin eruptions. Zinc is one of the dominants ingredients in Calamine Lotion.

Zinc is important for growth and fertility…….Zinc deficiency causes stunted growth. It may make the ovaries and the testes under-function. It helps to maintain the lining of reproduction tracks. Being alkaline and antioxidants, it protects the sperm against acidosis and free radical attacks. Adequate Zinc blood levels support the production of healthy cells. There is evidence of testicular degeneration in Zinc deficient in male. Rexadams reports in his Miracle Medicine Foods that, in a popular Egyptian study, boys and girls who came to puberty with underdeveloped male organs and breasts were given Zinc food supplements for three months. At the end of the study, they not only grew taller, they achieved as well big and longer organs and bigger breasts. They also grew taller. Alone or along with such herbs of Vitex, Dong Qual, Black Cohosh, Peruvian Macca and Ashwa Ghandah, Zinc has helped many women correct hormone imbalances which may cause conception delays or sustenance of pregnancy or period pains and premenstrual syndrome. For men, Zinc diet supplement has helped to increase sperm count, improve sperm morphology and motility and overcome acidic passages in a woman's reproductive channels which may kill off the sperm.

Prostate gland…

Men who face prostate gland challenges may be helped with Zinc supplements. The Prostate gland is believed to be the largest store house of Zinc in the body. Zinc must accompany the sperm with an alkaline and antioxidants semen environment. It also checks an enzyme in the prostate gland called 5-Alpha Reductase, from becoming too garulous as it were in its own functions there. Overactivity of this enzyme may overstimulate prostatic cells to overgrow and cause prostate gland enlargement. Zinc stocks in the gland may reduce for various reasons and pay the way for this misnomer. If the body is becoming acidic due to acidic diet, stress, negative emotions or umbrilled sexual engagements and consequent Zinc losses through ejaculations, Zinc levels in the prostate gland may reduce. This is if the diet does not bring more into the pantry. In such a situation, 5-Alpha Reductase may have a free rein in the conversion of Testosterone, the male hormone, into DihydrotestosteroneIHYDRO TESTOSTERONE(DHT) a powerful agent. This is why in cases of hormone fuelled prostate gland, doctors prefer to surgically removed the testes to reduce the amount of testosterone in the system. Happily, nowadays, the knowledge of the place of Zinc in these matters is growing.

It is in the activity of the immune system that Zinc again reveals its value. Many people do not know they have a gland called the Thymus and of its role in the defence of their bodies. The Thymus is behind the breast bone. It produces a Zinc dependent nonapeptide enzyme called Thymulin. The job of Thymulin is to complete the development and maturation of T-cells and Natural killer cells(NK) of the immune system. In many Zinc deficient middle-aged persons, the Thymus gland, located behind in the sternum, between the lungs, may have shruken to about a quarter of its natural size. That means restrained capacity in the maturation of T-Lymphocytes, and, immune responses in a way. The good cheer is that two months of Zinc supplementation often regularises Thymus gland size and capacity.

Other uses

Zinc deficiency causes poor wound healing. Thus, Zinc supplementation before and after surgery is advisable. Ulcers may accompany use of anti-inflammatory drugs and anti-histamines. Thus, Zinc as a part of the protocols is not out of place for healing ulcerations. Dr. F. Bathmanghelidy showed the importance of Zinc to the immune system when he used it to kill the once feared Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) in test tubes. He believed there was no HIV but cells which lack Zinc and the amino acid cysteine. So when he added both to cultured so-called HIV cells, and they reverted to normal cells, Zinc and cysteine, like Selenium, joined HIV therapy protocol. Diabetics and sufferers from Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) and urinary excrete the pancreas requires a lot of Zinc and make Insulin replenishment and lower high blood cholesterol. Zinc improves libido in men and women. A deficiency in pregnant women may cause low birth weight, pregnancy related problems such as spontaneous abortions or low progesterone levels, an invitation to cravings for sweet and salty foods. Diminished taste and smell acuity also goes back to Zinc. People with low stomach acids who cannot easily digest Zinc, such as old people, may profit from Chelated Zinc. This type of Zinc is attached to another substance which makes Zinc easily soluble and which also attaches to other minerals, including heavy metals. Chelated Zinc is known for removing heavy metals from the organs and the cells to prevent damage to them by this metals.

I would like to wrap it up with the voice of Dr Robert Atkins, who lived ahead of his time as I always say, because his prescriptions as far back as when he documented some of them in one of his books, Dr. Atkins Vital-Nutrient Solution, are being validated everywhere on the globe today, after much detours from nutritional medicines. His books are well recommended by this column for the health libraries of serious health seekers. Hear Dr. Atkins, for example, in respect of Zinc and Neurological Illnesses:

'As part of my introduction to nutritional medicine, Dr. Carl Pfeiffer taught me that Zinc (along with its supporting mineral, Manganese) is the essential treatment for such serious psychiatric disorders as schizophrenia and clinical depression. He saw schizophrenia as a 'dysperception syndrome' caused by biochemical imbalances. Hearing voices, for example, was simply a flawed perception that often could be eliminated by giving Zinc, Manganese and B-vitamins. A Zinc deficiency, we now recognise, can be implicated in a whole range of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's disease, dyslexia, acute psychosis, dementia, anorexia nervosa, attention deficit disorder and depression.

Zinc supplements may help to prevent Alzheimer's disease. The presence of the Zinc-dependent thymus hormone, thymulin, is almost undetectable in people with Alzheimer's, implying that a Zinc deficiency plays a role in the disease's onset'.

Conclusion

How else can I conclude all of this but to say (1) our knowledge of Zinc has grown beyond the use of Zinc Lozenges for cough and sore-throat (2) Zinc has also gone beyond use in Calamine Lotion for skin challenges (3)Zinc is that multipurpose mineral which we must seek from foods, from soil that has not been depleted of it and, if we suspect Zinc is gone from the soil, from Zinc supplements of salts.