LOVE YOURSELF- REASON #3 WHY YOURE NOT ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS? You are not getting enough RESTORATION

LOVE YOURSELF: Reason #3 for you not achieving your goals is adequate RESTORATION.

Are you restoring yourself enough for you to adapt to your training? 

So you have set your goals, you have drawn up a detailed plan of action, and you are definitely actioning accordingly. You are really getting your head down and working hard when you need to,  but after 6 weeks you are still not making any progression towards achieving your goals? is this leaving you flabbergasted as to why this is happening? Are you also getting sick and tired frequently for no apparent reason?

The reason why you may not be achieving the results that you set out to (and you should be given the amount of effort you are making with your training) could be that you are not focussing enough on your RESTORATION sessions within your training plan. You have planned all of your training sessions out effectively and sequentially  but you have forgotten to plan adequate rest and nutrition around your training (part of restoration).  This means that your body is in constantly in fight mode (sympathetically overloaded)  rather than being allowed to recover and adapt to your training (parasympathetically activated) accordingly

RESTORATION is an essential part of your training program, especially if you want to achieve the best results. In fact the more intense your training and life in general, the more you should be focussing on the way that you recover from your training. This is especially true of life dis-stress, when you consider the many other environment and social stressors nowadays which many of us face, (which are more prevalent than ever),  such as  lack of jobs, poor job security, increased workloads and then lack of time, high priced housing,  school fees and GFC etc. All these undue stressors can create huge mental pressure and often we dismiss it,  as we can'tsee it, but unfortunately your body recognises every part any dis-stress within your life. Yes that's right! Because your body is a super dooper survival warrior, it will reflect your thoughts (distresses such as worry anxiety),  back upon it's ability to function and restore optimally.

Kinesiologists recognise that emotional stress is directly linked to pain in different areas of the body. So it's important we manage everything from a 360 degree view to stay injury free and enable a good level of progression from our training and nutrition plan.

Why does this happen? 

Believe it or not,  even worrying about life and worrying often, can force your sympathetic nervous system chronically into over drive,  hindering your ability to recover effectively from your training and thus effecting your overall health and quality of your results. This is because your sympathetic nervous system is not designed to be bashed continuously with dis-stress (continuous thoughts going on in your brain such as … hate my job, I'm running out of time to finish my work as i am trying to complete two peoples, I'm worried about paying my bills etc) . Rather;  your sympathetic nervous system is actually designed to be used in emergencies insert scenario….in the jungle running from the tiger, 'short and sharp thrust of adrenaline required please Mr nervous system' which causes your body to go into fight or flight mode.

As I mentioned above, the problem nowadays is we are subjected to deal much more chronic forms of life stress than any other day and age, making our sympathetic nervous system kick and you can sure bet that kicking it does! But chronically? That spells disaster!

WHY? Quite simply, our body is not designed to deal with this stress for these lengths

of time,  therefore continuing through high levels of dis-tress for lengthy periods means that at one time or another something has to give. Right? 

Yes! Right! Especially so because you are on mission to achieve results from your training,  you are now focussed on recovering from your training allowing you to make significant progressions. So you are going to have to find a way of taming that sympathetic bad boy, otherwise there is no chance on earth your parasympathetic nervous system (which is your body's the recovery/relaxation system) is going to comply with your health and fitness goals.  You guessed it!  Your restorative ability can only occur in parasympathetic mode, which when (and only when) we have got the sympathetic nervous system (part of the nervous system that deals with stress) under control. Also did you know … Your parasympathetic system is where you should be most of the time? So crucial that we now try and reaquaint our poor mind and body with this awesomely chilled dude friend of ours, the parasympathetic system.

How can we therefore nurture our para-sympathetic friend?

THE SOLUTION = FIND A MODALITY WHICH YOU WILL COMPLY WITH THAT HELPS TO IMPROVE YOUR RESTORATION: 

We can restore our body via a number of modalities so its important to find the one that works best for you so that you stick to it which then in turn allows for your lasting results…..

1. Meditation and diaphragmatic breathing

Meditation is a practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself in order to increase awareness of the present moment, reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance personal and spiritual growth.  Lazar et al studiedmeditation and the areas of the brain that were stimulated.

They proved that the practice of meditation indeed does activate neural structures (dorsolateral prefrontal parietal  hippocampus, temporal lobe) involved within attention and control of the ANS. Meditation has been shown to improve sports performance.  Solberg et al (1993) studied 25 elite shooters, whereby competition scores were measured with and without meditation practice. The competition results were better with the meditation intervention. The authors found that when the athletes practiced meditation it lowered their tension resulting in the better performance outcomes. Solberg et al (2000) found that meditative practice in runners improved their recovery times in comparison to a control group. The runners blood lactate concentration was significantly decreased in the runners who practiced meditation. According to Martarelli et al (2009) it may not be as in depth as meditation paractice to create a positive impaction the parasympathetic pathways. The authors found found that athletes who simply practiced breathing through the diaphragm significantly reduced oxidative stress related to exercise and as a result reduced cortisol and increase in melatonin. This lower oxidative stress initiated by breathing through the diaphragm,  could protect athletes from the long term effects of free radicals. 

Try to practice diaphragmatic breathing everyday; once before you get out of bed in the morning and once you get into bed at night. Slow the rhythm of your breathing down so that your in breath matches your out breath (which should ideally be for 4 seconds in Vs four seconds out)  Try to take really big belly breaths where you use your nose to breathe in and mouth to breathe out. Place your hands around your waist, and feel your diaphragm become active, whilst avoiding using your back to breathe.

2. Stretching and rolling 

Yoga:Yoga is a Hindu theistic philosophy a sequence of exercises, teaching the suppression of all activity of body, mind, and for the purposes of dinstiguishing the differences between the body and mind in order to attain liberation, mental control and wellbeing.    Sharma (2015) believes that  Yoga is important for sports performance as it can play a key role in cultivating mind control and concentration which helps a

sportsperson to perform at their peak.  Aside from the improvement of musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion, Yoga is thought to create a stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium with a tendency toward the parasympathetic nervous system dominance rather than the usual stress induced sympathetic nervous

 system dominance. In 2005.  Donohue et al found that a yoga intervention proved beneficial to one mile run performance when matched for a control group with no intervention. Boyle et al (2004) studied the effects of a yoga intervention on muscle soreness after a DOMS inducing step protocol. They found that women within the yoga intervention group improved their recovery times compared to the group with no intervention. In order to move better within our training we require flexibility so that we can move within our entire range. Yoga has been proven to aid ROM . There was an increase in range of motion for these movements, muscular strengths for each side of the leg and chest muscles. In their study of the effect of yoga on bilateral strength and hip range of motion, Pauline and Rintaugu (2011) found that  a12 week yoga training practice created improvements in shoulder flexion, hip flexion, hip extension and abduction range of motion. I recommend starting with a beginners form of yoga which focusses more on breathing before you move to more dynamic versions.

Of course there's my new 30 min myofacial stretch sessions which enable better movement, better performance and better results. Ask me to find out more:

3. Massage 

The mechanical pressure applied to the musculo-skeletal system during a sport massage  may increase blood flow, and can increase or decrease neuro excitability (depending on the specific techniques used by the therapist). For your recovery from

your training sessions, it is interesting to note that there are changes to the paraypathetic activity and hormones during massage and resulting in a relaxation response. (Warping et al 2005). Arroyo-Morales et al (2005) found that Massage may favour recovery in the immune system, after high intensity training sessions, Lee et al (2011) studied the effect  of applied heat and massage on stress markers in the body on 139 subjects. The subjects within this study were measured for heart rate variability, sympathetic skin response, and serum cortisol and norepinephrine levels. All these markers were shown to decrease in subjects after a two week period. the authors concluded that heat and massage applications provide relaxation to the autonomic nervous system without serious adverse effects. in their review on sports massage and sport performance Best et al (2008). found that there were moderate benefits for massage upon sports performance in several randomised controlled trials. My main advise for massage is to find a therapist in your area who has come recommended or you know is good and stick with them as much as possible, due to the fact that there is quite  a lot of variability between therapists.

4 . Sleep

Getting enough sleep and good quality sleep is an essential part of your recovery program. Halson (2014) suggests that sleep has numerous important physiological and cognitive functions, that may be particularly important to elite athletes. The deprivation of sleep has significant effects on performance effects on athletic performance, especially sub-maximal  prolonged exercise. Interestingly compromised sleep may also influence learning, memory, cognition, pain perception, immunity and inflammation.changes in glucose metabolism and neuroendocrine function as a result of chronic. Lack of sleep can influence the metabolism of the foods you eat, such as alterations in carbohydrate metabolism, appetite, food intake and protein synthesis. These factors combined can ultimately have a negative influence on an athlete’s nutritional, metabolic and endocrine status and hence potentially reduce athletic performance, so certainly we can see that making an effort to get enough sleep and good quality sleep should serve as a priority if you would lie to achieve top notch results.

5.Nutrition. 

In order to initiate optimal muscle repair and energy levels from training,  recovery nutrition should be of a paramount for any training program to be successful. The AIS suggest that recovery nutrition encompasses a complex range of processes that include; refueling the muscle and liver glycogen (carbohydrate) stores, replacing the fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat,  manufacturing new muscle protein, red blood cells and other cellular components as part of the repair and adaptation process, and allowing the immune system to handle the damage and challenges caused by the exercise bout. This is a vast topic to cover, so In order to find out how you implement nutrients for your training, download my FREE macronutrient guide.

Conclusion: Aside from sleep and nutrition (which are non negotiable for recovery),  you should choose the modalities that promote recovery that work best for you. If you are feeling tired and not achieving the results from your training which you deserve when considering your intensity of your training, it is highly advisable to review how you are nurturing your parasympathetic system, as a lack of emphasis on your recovery will stump your results significantly as well as put you at increased risk of injury. 

REFERENCES

Arroyo-Morales M1, Olea N, Ruíz C, del Castilo Jde D, Martínez M, Lorenzo C, Díaz-Rodríguez L.(2005) Massage after exercise--responses of immunologic and endocrine markers: a randomized single-blind placebo-controlled study. J Strength Cond Res. 2009. Vol 23(2):Pp 638-44. 

Best TM, Hunter R, Wilcox A, Haq F (2008). Effectiveness of sports massage for recovery of skeletal muscle from strenuous exercise.

Clin J Sport Med. Vol ;18(5): Pp 446-60. 

Boyle, CA.; Sayers SP,; Jenson BE, Headly SA, Manos T M.(2004) The effects of yoga training and a single bout of yoga on delayed onset muscle soreness in the lower extremity.  Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research

Halson S. (2014) .Sleep in Elite Athletes and Nutritional Interventions to Enhance Sleep Sports Med. Vol 44(Suppl 1): Pp 13–23

Lazar SW, George B; Gollub RL, Fricchione GL,; Khalsa G, Gurucharan BH; ( 2000). "Functional brain mapping of the relaxation response and meditation". Neuroreport 11 (7): 1581–5

MacDonald GZ, Penney MD, Mullaley ME, Cuconato AL, Drake CD, Behm DG, Button DC.(2013) An acute bout of self-myofascial release increases range of motion without a subsequent decrease in muscle activation or force. J Strength Cond Res. Vol 27(3): Pp 812-21

Martarelli D,  Cocchioni M  Scuri S and Pompei P. (2011) Diaphragmatic Breathing Reduces Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 

Miller A,  Beisecker M,   Houser D,  Valdez R ,  S Tiller S,  Taymar T (2005).  Effects of brief yoga exercises and motivational preparatory interventions in distance runners: results of a controlled trial. Br J Sports Med. Vol;40(1):Pp 60-3;

Pearcey GE1, Bradbury-Squires DJ, Kawamoto JE, Drinkwater EJ, Behm DG, Button DC.(2015) Foam rolling for delayed-onset muscle soreness and recovery of dynamic performance measures. J Athl Train.Vol. 50(1): Pp 5-13.

Sharma L (2015). Benefits of Yoga in Sports- A Study. International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health 2015; 1(3): Pp 30-32 

Solberg EE, Berglund KA, Engen O, Ekeberg O, and Loeb M (1996) The effect of meditation on shooting performance. Research article. Br J Sports Med. Vol. 30:Pp 342-346 

Solberg EE,   Ingjer F,  A Holen A,  Sundgot-Borgen J,  S Nilsson S,   Holme I (2000) Stress reactivity to and recovery from a standardised exercise bout: a study of 31 runners practising relaxation techniques. Br J Sports Med . Vol (34):Pp 268-272

Weerapong P1, Hume PA, Kolt GS(2005)The mechanisms of massage and effects on performance, muscle recovery and injury prevention. Sports Med. Vol 35(3):Pp 235-56.

Young-Hee Lee, Bit Na Ri Park, and Sung Hoon Kim(2011) The Effects of Heat and Massage Application on Autonomic Nervous SystemYonsei Med J. 2011 Nov 1; 52(6): 982–989.

A new favourite of mine: Zinc 

Zinc (Zn): for HEALTH

ALL micronutrients play an important role in metabolism and the maintenance of tissue function (Shenkin, 2005).  

Although muscles and bones contain 90% of the body's zinc, this essential trace element is also found in all areas of the human body where it plays a crucial role to the function of 300 enzymes. This highlights exactly why we really need this micronutrient regularly within our diet.

Particularly high concentrations of zinc are in the prostate gland and semen. Zinc is absolutely necessary for for many different biological functions including:

1. Growth and cell division

2. Fertility; pregnancy, and lactating women

3. Immune System

4. Skin, Hair Nails (healing wounds)

5. Smell taste, appetite

6. Vision

7. Brain development

Where do we get zinc from?

It is best practice to ingest zinc primarily from food sources.  You can see from the chart below that, the major sources of this essential trace element are (red) meat, poultry, fish and seafood, (MOST) whilst whole cereals and dairy products contain less (LEAST). The bad news for veggies and vegans is that, the bioavailability of plant-based foods (such as legumes and whole-grains) is generally lower due to dietary fibre and phytic acid which actually bind to zinc and in effect inhibit its absorption. 

Vegetarians sometimes require as much as 50% more of the RDA for zinc than non-vegetarians. Interestingly vegetarians may also benefit from using certain food preparation techniques that reduce the binding of zinc by phytates and increase its bioavailability. Techniques to increase zinc bioavailability include soaking beans, grains, and seeds in water for several hours before cooking them and allowing them to sit after soaking until sprouts form.

 Vegetarians can also increase their zinc intake by consuming more leavened grain products (such as bread) than unleavened products (such as crackers) because leavening partially breaks down the phytate; thus, the body absorbs more zinc from leavened grains than unleavened grains.

These are the types of people who might benefit from zinc supplementation under professional medical advice.

It must be noted that Large doses of zinc should not be taken over a prolonged period of time without your physician’s direction.

Average Zinc Content in Dietary sources of zinc 

(mg/100g)

Food Source	Zn (mg/100g)
Oysters	25
Meat (esp red meat)	5.2
Nuts	3
Poultry	1.5
Eggs	1.3
Milk Products	1.2
Cereal	1
Bread	1
Fish	0.8
Green Vegetables	0.4
Potatoes	0.3
Fresh Fruits	0.09

How much zinc do we need?

Our body regularly needs zinc. Recommended Daily Intakes (RDI) are:

Age/status	Zinc mg
Infants	5
Children	10
Women	12
Pregnant Women	15
Lactating Women	16
Men	15

We know that Zinc has vast functioning within the human body, now we will examine it’s main functions in a little further detail:

ZINC FOR FERTILITY

Why is zinc so important for fertility? In males, zinc is to be considered one of the most important trace minerals to date for male fertility; as it protects the prostate gland from infection (prostates) and ultimately from enlargement (prostatic hypertrophy). Zinc also helps maintain sperm count and mobility and normal levels of serum testosterone.

During a double-blind, placebo-controlled interventional study, Wong et al (2002) studied the effects of folic acid and zinc sulfate treatment on semen variables in 108 fertile and 103 subfertile men. Both groups were randomly assigned to receive one of four treatments for 26 weeks: folic acid and placebo, zinc sulfate and placebo, zinc sulfate and folic acid, and two placebos. Folic acid was given at a

daily dose of 5 mg, and zinc sulfate was given at a daily dose of 66 mg.The results from this study showed that, sub-fertile men demonstrated a significant 74% increase in total normal sperm count and a minor increase of 4% abnormal spermatozoa. A similar trend was observed in fertile men. Pre-intervention concentrations of folate and zinc in blood and seminal plasma did not significantly differ between fertile and subfertile men.The authors concluded that total normal sperm count increases after combined zinc sulfate and folic acid treatment in both subfertile and fertile men. Although the beneficial effect on fertility remains to be established.

In women, zinc works with more than 300 different enzymes in the body to keep things working well. Without it, cells do not divide properly; essentially estrogen and progesterone levels become imbalanced as a result the reproductive system may not fully function. According to The Centers for Disease Control’s Assisted Reproductive Technology Repor. Low levels of zinc have been directly linked to miscarriage in the early stages of a pregnancy, this could be due to the role of zinc in cell division and growth. 

ZINC DURING PREGNANCY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD

Zinc, an essential trace element, plays a critical role in normal growth and development, cellular integrity and many biological functions, including protein synthesis and nucleic acid metabolism. Since all these are involved in cell division and growth, zinc is believed to be important for fetal growth and development. The total amount of zinc retained during pregnancy has been estimated to be 1.5 mmol (100 mg). During the third trimester the physiologic requirement of zinc is approximately twice as high as that in women who are not pregnant

Research strongly indicates that there is a beneficial effect of prenatal zinc supplementation trials,  in particular on infant's neurobehavioral development. In the light of the currently available information, zinc supplementation at therapeutic load (30 mg/day) as it is proposed for the treatment of hormonal skin disorders to adolescents, cannot be toxic.

Pregnant women, particularly those starting their pregnancy with marginal zinc status, are at increased risk of becoming zinc insufficient due, in part, to high fetal requirements for zinc. Lactation can also deplete maternal zinc stores. For these reasons, the RDA for zinc is higher for pregnant and lactating women than for other women.

Lactation

Zinc concentrations in human milk are high in early lactation, 2-3 mg/l (31-46 mmol/l) in the first month, and fall to 0.9 mg/l (14 mmol/l) after 3 months. From data on maternal milk volume and zinc content, it was estimated that the daily output of zinc in milk during the first 3 months of lactation could amount to 1.4 mg/day (21.4 mmol/l), which would theoretically triple the physiologic zinc requirements in lactating women compared with non-lactating, non-pregnant women. In setting the estimated requirements for early lactation it was assumed that part of this requirement was covered by postnatal involution of the uterus and from skeletal resorption 

Breast milk provides sufficient zinc (2 mg/day) for the first 4–6 months of life but does not provide recommended amounts of zinc for infants aged 7–12 months, who need 3 mg/day  In addition to breast milk, infants aged 7–12 months should consume age-appropriate foods or formula containing zinc. Zinc supplementation has improved the growth rate in some children who demonstrate mild-to-moderate growth failure and who have a zinc deficiency.

BRAIN FUNCTION AND ZINC

Much science provides evidence which advocates the crucial function which zinc has on healthy and diseased brains. Zinc can be classified as an endogenous modulator of synaptic transmission. According to Takeda (2000)  zinc is found in synaptic vesicles, released upon excitation, and has multiple synaptic targets. Zinc, is supplied to the brain via both the blood–brain and blood–cerebrospinal fluid barriers and is most concentrated in the limbic system, i.e. the hippocampus and amygdala, zinc-containing glutaminergic neuron-rich areas. A large portion of zinc serves the function of zinc metalloproteins in neurons and glial cells. In zinc-containing glutaminergic neurons, vesicular zinc, probably ionic zinc, may serve as an endogenous neuromodulator in synaptic neurotransmission. Vesicular zinc is dynamically coupled to the electrophysiological activity of zinc-containing glutaminergic neurons. 

Dietary zinc deprivation may influence zinc homeostasis in the brain, resulting in brain dysfunction such as learning impairment. Excessive excitation of zinc-containing glutaminergic neurons causes a decrease in vesicular zinc, and the decrease might be associated with the susceptibility to seizure. 

Alteration of zinc levels released into the synaptic cleft may influence neurotransmission in zinc-containing glutaminergic synapses. Therefore, zinc homeostasis in the presynaptic vesicle is important for the function of zinc-containing glutaminergic neurons. 

ZINC AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Among all the vitamins and minerals, zinc shows the strongest effect on our all-important immune system as it forms  a unique role for T-cells in our body. There is substantial evidence that zinc supplementation may well reduce the impact of many of the aforementioned diseases by preventing the dismantling of the immune system (Fraker et al, 2000). Low zinc levels lead to reduced and weakened T-cells, which are not able to recognize and fight off certain infections. On the contrary,  increases of the zinc level has proven effective in fighting  pneumonia and diarrhea and other infections. Zinc can also reduce the duration and severity of a common cold.

In a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study, Mossad (2003) studied the ability of zinc nasal gel to shorten the duration and reduce the severity of the common cold in 80 subjects.

 With administration 24-48hr from the onset of the cold illness, patients received one dose per nostril of a nasal gel spray containing either 33 mmol/l zincum gluconicum, or an identical placebo four times daily until their symptoms resolved, for a maximum of 10 days.

The author found that, median duration of cold symptoms in the zinc group was significantly shorter than in the placebo group (4.3 days vs 6 days). Nasal drainage, nasal congestion, hoarseness, and sore throat were the symptoms most affected. Significant reduction of total symptom scores started from the second day of the study. Adverse effects (mainly nasal stinging) were similar in both groups.

Zincum gluconicum nasal gel shortens duration and reduces symptom severity of the common cold in healthy adults, when started within 24-48 h of the onset of illness.

SKIN HAIR AND NAILS

We all like glowing skin and silky smooth healthy hair, zinc has been shown to be important for both as it accelerates the renewal of skin cells. It has proven effective for the treatment of acne, reduces symptoms of psoriasis and neuro-dermitis, and can be used as an inflammatory agent to help sooth skin tissue for poison ivy, sunburn blisters and gum diseases. 

In industrialised countries cases of mild zinc deficiency can be ob

served. The most common symptoms include dry and rough skin, dull looking hair, brittle finger nails, white spots on nails, reduced taste and smell, loss of appetite, mood swings, reduced adaptation to darkness, frequent infections, delayed wound healing, dermatitis and acne.

During a a randomised controlled trial investigating treatment with supplementary arginine, vitamin C and zinc in patients with pressure ulcer, Desenev et al (2005) concluded that only patients receiving additional arginine, vitamin C and zinc demonstrated a clinically significant improvement in pressure ulcer healing (9.4±1.2 vs. 2.6±0.6; baseline and week 3, respectively)

Zinc is also important for healthy hair, in fact, insufficient levels may result in loss of hair and/ or hair that looks thin and dull and that goes grey early. There are also a number of shampoos which contain zinc to help prevent dandruff.

PREVENTION OF CHRONIC DISEASES

AJCN, (2009) recommended 45 milligrams of zinc gluconate per day as they found that zinc can provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and can protect the heart from damage in elderly patients. Zinc supplements have also shown to be beneficial for infectious and chronic diseases such as malaria and HIV.  Taking zinc specifically with meals can improve the liver function in people with alcoholic liver disease and hepatitis C.

Interestingly,  studies using animal models have shown that Zn supplementation prevents alcohol-induced liver injury under both acute and chronic alcohol exposure conditions. Kang and Zhou (2005) reviewed Zinc in the prevention and treatment of alcoholic liver disease. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is associated with decreases in zinc (Zn) and its major binding protein, metallothionein (MT), in the liver. 

Approximately 30%–50% of alcoholics have low zinc status because ethanol consumption decreases intestinal absorption of zinc and increases urinary zinc excretion. In addition, the variety and amount of food consumed by many alcoholics is limited, leading to inadequate zinc intake.  Zn supplementation attenuates ethanol-induced hepatic Zn depletion and suppresses ethanol-elevated cytochrome activity, but increases the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase in the liver; an action that is likely responsible for Zn suppression of alcohol-induced oxidative stress. 

So what happens if we don’t get enough zinc?

Zinc deficiency is a serious problem in many developing countries. Zinc deficiency is ranked as the 5th leading risk factor in causing disease, especially diarrhea and pneumonia in children, which can lead to high mortality rates in these underdeveloped regions. According to Dardeene (2002) low zinc levels in humans severly hinders cellular immunity. For example,  Acrodermatitis, a genetic disorder of Zn malabsorption, is characterized by mucocutaneous lesions, diarrhoea, failure to thrive, and frequent severe infections with fungi, viruses and bacteria.

Other severe deficiency symptoms include stunted growth and impaired development of infants, children and adolescents. Early zinc deficiency also leads to impaired cognitive function, behavioral problems, memory impairment and problems with spatial learning and neuronal atrophy. Public health programs involving zinc supplementation and food fortification could help overcome these problems.

Mild zinc deficiency symptoms can usually be corrected by supplying the body with the right amount of zinc each day. Supplemental zinc not exceeding the recommended daily allowance might be taken. Therapies involving larger doses of zinc should always be discussed with your physician. Therapeutical doses typically range from 20 mg – 30 mg, in some rare cases doses might be higher.

SUPPLEMENTATION

Disadvantage: Short-Term Side Effects

Zinc supplements can cause nausea in some people. The upper tolerable limit for zinc is 40 milligrams per day, but much lower doses can cause temporary stomach discomfort, especially if taken on an empty stomach. Higher doses of zinc can lead to vomiting, headaches, diarrhea and exhaustion. Zinc may also interfere with many common prescription medications, including antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and immunosuppressant drugs.

Disadvantage: Long-Term Side Effects

Minor or moderate amounts of supplemental zinc can be beneficial to wound healing, immune health and heart health, but according to research excessive doses appear to hinder all three. Long-term, high-dose zinc supplementation can also reduce iron and copper absorption, which can lead to anemia and other disorders associated with low levels of those minerals. Supplementing with 15 milligrams of elemental zinc per day is relatively safe, but long-term doses much higher than that should be limited until more information is available.