Zinc Deficiencies

Zinc deficiency is the inadequate amount of zinc in the body to meet its demands. Zinc is vital to the body functions such as, a healthy immune system and wrongdiagnosis. com states is best known for minimizing the effects of the common cold or upper respiratory infections. It can enhance the functions of the liver, muscles and bones. Other functions of zinc in the body are to wound heals; aid enzyme activity; DNA production and cell division. When there is an insufficient amount of zinc available for metabolic needs the condition is called hypozincemia.

Inadequate quantities of zinc in the daily diet are the main reason why zinc deficiencies occur. Zinc deficiency is uncommon in areas where the diet is high in meat but Solomons, N. W. (2001) concludes that people who diets consist primarily plant based food sources that are low in bioavailable zinc often have zinc deficiencies. People who are vegetarians, elderly and those whom are malnourished can be at risk of the deficiency. Pregnant women or those that are breastfeeding are at risk from zinc deficiency due to the high demands for zinc from a developing infant.

Chronic diseases such as alcoholism, diabetes and cancer are at risk of developing zinc deficiency. Excessive loss of zinc can occur if you have liver disease or after a trauma, burns and protein losing conditions such as enteropathy. In children zinc deficiency can develop as impaired growth and taste as well as a delayed sexual maturation. The symptoms include impaired immunity, night blindness, anemia, lethargy, and impaired wound healing. A deficiency in zinc can cause malfunctions of these organs and functions. Zinc does not get stored in the body; therefore for treatment it is important to eat food high in zinc every day.

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Red meat, shellfish, nuts and beans are examples of suitable food sources for the mineral zinc. Dietary supplements also contain zinc therefore vegetarians whose diet does not include adequate sources of zinc, supplementation may be necessary. Pregnant or breastfeeding woman may also need zinc supplementation due to their required high demand and is a positive effect on growth in premature infants. Nutritional-supplements-health-guide. com states there are two ways of achieving supplements and those are zinc sulfate and zinc gluconate.

According to pediatriconcall. om a dose of 35-40mg daily can be used for treatment of zinc deficiency. In patients with diarrhea, a uniform dose of 20 mg of elemental zinc should be given during the period of diarrhea and for 7 days after cessation of diarrhea in children older than 3 months. To meet the need for absorbed zinc in the human body through our dietary intake, it requires an increase in zinc content or a decrease in the phytate content. Phytate is a phosphate storage compound that chelates zinc and theses two substances affects the bioavailability of zinc.

If diagnosed and treated promptly, zinc deficiency has a good prognosis of a full recovery but because there is no definitive test for zinc deficiency, a delayed or missed diagnosis of the condition is possible. There are multiple diagnostic tests available for zinc deficiency such as zinc taste test. As taste and smell is dependent on there being enough zinc in the body , a simple 10 second test can be done where 1- 2 teaspoons of the solution is sipped and held in the mouth for exactly ten seconds after which is spitting out.

If there is no specific taste sensation it indicates a major deficiency of zinc, a metallic taste similar to baking soda indicates a moderate deficiency exist. Left untreated, a zinc deficiency may lead to complications of an enlargement of the liver and spleen, severe malnutrition, recurrent infections and eventually death. pr-usa. net claims ‘deficiency is a significant public health issue, causing 800,000 deaths overall and putting at risk more than two billion people due to ailments such as diarrhea and pneumonia’ and maternal zinc deficiency may cause fetal malformations and low birth weight.

References

http://www.nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com/zinc-deficiency-symptoms.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_4514397_identify-zinc-deficiency.html#ixzz1CqQF0cNK

http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec01/ch005/ch005j.html

http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Zinc-Deficiency.htm

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