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Zinc Deficiency
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It
has been estimated that the daily minimum requirement of man is approximately
15mg. Scientists say that in the past, good nutrition supplied just that much,
mainly because soil was richer in zinc and people made use of galvanized (zinc
coated) cooking utensils and water pipes.
Modern man has depleted what was once essentially fertile soil,
and modern fertilizing generally provides minerals inadequately.
Dr. Pfeiffer states that
soil depletion is more severe than generally
recognized. "Many factors decrease the effective zinc in food
and water in modern society. If the plant, grain, fruit or nut has enough zinc
from the soil, then we will have a normal zinc level."
Modern food processing also removes zinc. Milling reduces the
zinc level of wheat flour by 80 percent, cornstarch contains considerably less
zinc than corn meal and frozen vegetables such as frozen peas, broccoli or spinach
have been treated with the chelating agent EDTA, which not only makes the vegetables
look bright green, but also removes zinc as well as calcium and manganese. Whatever
trace of these essential minerals is left after commercial food processing, we
often discard after cooking and pour down the drain, for much of it remains in
the cooking water.
To make matters worse, copper antagonizes zinc, and since
much of our water is known to be high in copper (thanks to
copper plumbing), the already inadequate zinc intake will be
counteracted and decreased even more. This explains why people
generally have a high copper level and a zinc deficiency at
the same time.
It has also been found that meals served in cafeterias, hospitals
and other institutions have extremely low zinc contents and eating such diets,
over a period of time, most likely results in a more severe zinc deficiency.
Zinc deficiency symptoms such as white spots on fingernails
are not only the result of an inadequate diet, however. An increased estrogen
ingestion, as is the case when taking contraceptive pills, raises serum copper
and consequently lowers serum zinc. As Dr. Pfeiffer points out, the hormone level
is closely related to a woman's nail condition and when men take estrogen, for
instance, their nails soon become weak and brittle.
Menstrual periods, which indicate a change in hormone levels,
cause a drop in serum zinc and a rise in serum copper, which results in a rhythmic
pattern of white spots as can be seen in the illustration.
Serious colds, virus infections, or other severe stresses also
cause a loss of zinc, resulting in nail abnormalities such as white spots and
furrows.
Fasting contributes to and exaggerates a zinc deficiency. Only
a day or two of fasting has been known to cause white spots on nails.
An adult's nail growth is 0.104mm to 0.108mm per day; it takes
approximately four weeks to notice the white spot that has been caused by today's
zinc deficiency or injury and 51/2 to 6 months pass before an adult's nail is
completely replaced. Considering this, it is quite possible to determine whether
the white spot patterns follow the regular monthly cycle, or are the result of
irregularities, such as occasional fastings, health problems or a perpetual zinc
deficiency.
Again, improving your diet should take care of the problem.
The best sources of zinc are milk, oysters, herrings and clams; pork and beef
liver contain considerable amounts, and so does lamb and beef. Chicken is also
rich in zinc. The plant foods highest in zinc are: wheat bran, whole grains, nuts
and green leafy vegetables. Many fruits contain zinc, but again, the actual level
depends on the soil in which they were grown and that goes for all foods.
Animals that are fed a poor diet will also be
poor mineral sources and especially in the case of a zinc deficiency. The obvious
answer is mineral supplementation. Improve your diet and, by the end of summer,
your nails should be healthy and beautiful.
Sources
Bestways - June 1979, page 97
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Available in Lozenges
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