Today we highlight zinc and its importance in your functional wellbeing and mental health. When we discuss zinc in clinic we almost always mention copper, so make sure you also visit our blog on copper at www.nadura.ie . This will give a detailed overview on zinc/copper imbalance in terms of mental health.
Beginning with general health almost 47% of the population are at risk of zinc deficiency. Ninety percent of zinc is stored in muscle and bone and is mainly absorbed in duodenum
, ileum and jejunum (small intestine). In the absence of biochemical imbalance 41% of ingested zinc is absorbed however phytate, a natural component of plants, severely decreases intestinal zinc bioavailability and is regarded as the main nutritional inhibitor of zinc absorption.
Other factors that inhibit absorption are
- Excess sugar intake
- Insufficient HCL (hypochlorhydria) & pancreatic enzyme insufficiency
- Gut inflammation
- Allergy
- High fibre diet increases the demand for zinc as does alcohol
- Excess iron
Drugs that effect zinc
- Beta blockers
- Penicillin
- Glucocorticoids
- OCP
- Oestrogen & progesterone
- Tetracycline
- Steroids
We often see low zinc individuals in clinic with digestive issues due to “hypochlorhydria”
(low stomach acid as zinc is an integral part of stomach acid production. This is another reason why our digestive re-set programme at The Nadura Clinic and our FEBS programme are so intertwined.
Zinc & Mental Health
Zinc is a fundamental component of your mental health and neurotransmitter metabolism. This is why adequate zinc levels are critical in our FEBS bloods panel at The Nadura Clinic. Lower levels of zinc are implicated in
- Anxiety
- High stress
- Overthinking
- Negative thought process
- Poor immune function
Important – It is paramount that you have a health professional test your zinc levels before treatment and not to just add high dose zinc to your supplement protocol.
Zinc is with involved with adequate cell growth and repair in the body. Our immune system is very much involved with neurotransmitter production and NMDA receptor activity. This again involves the metabolism of neurotransmitters at the synapse of the nerves in the brain. Adequate zinc levels mean adequate GABA levels. This in turn means reduced anxiety, more calmness, more contentment, better immunity and digestive function.
Zinc levels, zinc may test normal in the blood but can be functionally low and may not be available for the body to use. Supplementation with zinc (and vitamin B6 also depleted in this situation) relieves symptoms. In our clinical experience, once we have tested accurate levels supplementation for the right individual brings relief to many of the above symptoms within 2-3 weeks! Zinc supplementation is essential for immunity as many are zinc deficient. Zinc balances many functions in the body including immune resistance. Without it, the body is at a critical disadvantage fighting infections and maintaining an optimum mental health state.
FEBS At The Nadura Clinic
For more information on our FEBS programme for anxiety and depression visit the programmes section of our website. Alternatively you can email your query to hello@nadura.ie or call the clinic and your call will be answered by Lisa Tobin Leech our clinic manager 087 3492991
