Zinc - often overlooked

Thursday 11th March 2010 9:09am

zinc

When most people think of Zinc they think of old fashioned fences and old gutters in need of a paint but did you know that  Zinc is one of those humble trace elements that we should never be without.

Zinc is found in every cell of the body and is essential for health and well being.

The Australian RDI for Zinc is:

A wide variety of foods contain zinc. Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food, but red meat and poultry provide the majority of zinc in the diet. Other good food sources include beans, nuts, certain types of seafood (such as crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products.

Phytates—which are present in whole-grain breads, cereals, legumes, and other foods—bind zinc and inhibit its absorption. Thus, the bioavailability of zinc from grains and plant foods is lower than that from animal foods, although many grain- and plant-based foods are still good sources of zinc

…

Regularly irregular?

Monday 1st March 2010 9:14am

fibreThere are many reasons why people may find that their bowel motions become irregular, some temporary and some not. It is important to realise too that what is regular for one person may not be for another.

As a rule the transit time between eating something and the waste products from that meal being excreted is roughly 24 hours so it stands to reason that the “average” person will have one to two motions every day.

This assumes that the “average” person eats a balanced diet complete with adequate fibre. Many people, typically the elderly, eat diets that are very low in fibre consequently there isn’t much left over from their diet that isn’t absorbed. This means that their motions are often smaller, less well formed and often irregular.

Apart from the effect of advancing years and changing diet on regularity there are a variety of temporary causes of constipation including :

…

Magnesium - an often overlooked mineral

Thursday 18th February 2010 2:33pm

magnesiumMagnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health yet, we often pay it very little attention.

Every organ in the body - especially the heart, muscles, and kidneys - needs the mineral magnesium. It also contributes to the makeup of teeth and bones. Most important, it activates enzymes, contributes to energy production, and helps regulate calcium levels as well as copper, zinc, potassium, vitamin D, and other important nutrients in the body.

Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps:

The Australian RDI for adults is:

Men

Women

Food sources of magnesium include:

…

Pass the salt please?

Thursday 28th January 2010 2:46pm

saltIt used to be the conventional wisdom that salt was ‘bad’ for you and for some people excess salt should certainly be avoided but not for everyone.

People with unstable blood pressure problems usually are asked by their doctors to try and reduce salt intake because it tends to make people retain fluid and hence puts upward stress on your blood pressure.

Still others with poor renal function are advised to limit salt intake for the same reason because the kidneys are the body’s main organ for regulating fluid balance so if they are already struggling to cope reducing salt can give them a bit of a break.

What about the rest of us?

Well like most things in life ‘all things in moderation’.

It is generally agreed that salt in cooking, for example when boiling rice or pasta, is acceptable but we should try and avoid adding extra salt when at the dinner table. For most people this is an acceptable compromise where they get the flavour enhancement of some salt wit

…

Elemental my dear Watson

Thursday 28th January 2010 2:20pm

bowl of foodTrace elements are something that many people think about too much. Most people have heard about things like iodine and chromium but often associate one with a skin antiseptic and the other with the shiny bits on cars and taps!

Well that’s true but there are much more important uses of most trace elements that are much closer to home. Although they are only present in trace amounts (hence their name) in the body they really do punch above their weight when it comes to helping control important body systems.

Often they work closely with much more complex chemicals and structures with the body’s cells to bring about significant biological changes. Take iodine for example. It is incorporated into every molecule of thyroid hormone that circulates within your body so without it the hormone can’t function resulting in sluggish metabolism which can manifest as chronic tiredness, poor exercise tolerance and weight gain.

Likewise chromium plays a number of important roles in t

…

Naturally it must be safe - but you should check all the same

Thursday 28th January 2010 2:11pm

adviceIt is increasingly common for people to be treated with both prescription and complimentary medicines, often for the same condition.

Take for example arthritic pain. At some stage most people who use glucosamine or fish oil would also need to resort to paracetamol or an anti-inflammatory for those ‘bad days’ to help manage the pain.

It’s common for people to ask their healthcare practitioner about mixing prescribed medications but it often doesn’t occur to them that interactions can occur between seemingly safe complimentary medicines and other drugs. Just because they are safe doesn’t mean that they are nor with any risk at all.

The most commonly prescribed blood pressure lowering drugs in Australia usually come with a warning against taking potassium supplements at the same time. This can lead to dangerous potassium levels and arrhythmias. Potassium supplementation is not all that common in Australia but did you know that many glucosamine preparations so

…

Going cold turkey

Monday 11th January 2010 4:05pm

cigsThe New Year is a time when many people set themselves the task of giving up cigarettes as part of their resolution to live a healthier life.

Giving up smoking is the single most important thing that people can do to improve their health. Unlike, say, alcohol there is no safe level of smoking.

The health problems that are attributable to smoking are legion but by giving it up your risk profile changes dramatically. In 12 months your risk of heart related problems drops by half and by 5 years your cardiovascular risk profile will be the same as the general population.

The likelihood of lung disease and cancer rates also fall dramatically as well meaning that the chances of succumbing to these is much less likely.

So what should I expect?

Depending on how you approach quitting your journey will differ. Using nicotine replacement therapies help many people because it helps separate giving up the nicotine addiction from the social habit.

People who go cold turkey and try and give up both a

…

Go on - live a little!

Monday 11th January 2010 2:20pm

coffeeToday’s lifestyle means that we have access to a much greater variety of foods than ever before in our history. Unfortunately some of these Have a reputation for being “bad for us” but is this necessarily true?

Three of the most maligned foods in a modern diet are alcohol, chocolate and coffee.

Alcohol

There is evidence to suggest that consuming alcohol increases “good” HDL cholesterol, reduces factors in blood that make it more likely to clot, and may directly affect blood vessels, keeping the linings smooth and pliable and thus less vulnerable to atherosclerosis.

There may even be a connection between alcohol intake and higher blood levels of omega-3 fats.

Moderate intake has even been associated with everything from greater bone density to less risk for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, as well as protection against heart disease and stroke.

Like most things in life though it can’t all be good news! We need to beware of consuming to

…

The glycemic index

Wednesday 23rd December 2009 3:03pm

giWe have all heard and read a lot about the glycemic index (GI) and the effects it might have on our diet but what is it really all about?

The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the effect carbohydrates in food has on blood sugar levels.

Put simply this is a measure of how quickly carbohydrates break down during digestion and as a consequence release glucose into our bloodstream. The faster they break down the quicker glucose is released into the bloodstream.

In most cases the slower the release of glucose from carbohydrate in food the lower is the insulin response required by the body to move blood glucose into muscle and liver storage sites.

A low GI food will release glucose more slowly and steadily meaning more prolonged feeling of fullness and helping to stabilise blood sugar levels. High GI food causes a more rapid rise in blood glucose levels and are more suitable for energy recovery after endurance exercise or for a person experiencing hypoglycaemia. However in general lower GI

…

Spot the missing nutrients

Monday 14th December 2009 11:10am

skinAcne can occur at any age and is almost always related to a hormonal imbalance. It’s important to remember though that the occasional spot is not regarded as acne. Acne is the persistent appearance of lesions over a more generalised area.

Although hormonal in nature there is emerging evidence that sufferers also tend to have lower serum levels of a couple of important vitamins and minerals. It is uncertain if the lower levels are a cause of the problem or a symptom of the condition itself. Either way supplementation to redress the imbalance appears to have positive effects in many sufferers.

Zinc has long been associated with improved healing of skins conditions and wounds so it is no surprise that some evidence points to acne sufferers having lower Zinc levels in their bodies. Thankfully this is a readily available, safe and inexpensive supplement. Zinc in the chelate form, like Herb Valley’s, is a readily absorbable preparation that can be of benefit in these situations.

…