By
Iris Bell, M.D. Ph.D.
Photo: cdn.inquisitr.com
Low zinc and diabetes often come together. Zinc is an essential mineral that you can get from the diet and supplements. Better zinc levels in the blood are associated not only with sometimes better wound healing in diabetics, but also in better survival rates after heart attacks. Typical daily doses are around 15 milligrams per day, with an upper limit of around 40 millligrams per day (but individuals vary - talk to your own doctor). Diabetics can lose zinc in the urine with high blood sugars.
People with chronic gastrointestinal problems that impair absorption of nutrition from the gut are at risk of zinc deficiency if they try to rely on just food sources. If you have malabsorption from something like gluten intolerance, you may need a good zinc supplement.
The deficiency itself leads to diarrhea in many people along with worsened eye and skin problems, including acne. Supplements come in a wide variety of types, from lozenges that can help reduce the length of a cold and sore throat to capsules or tablets that include some form of zinc.
Be very careful not to use any nasal sprays that contain zinc. There is no blood brain barrier in the nose, and the zinc can get into the olfactory nerves and bulb of the brain, destroying cells needed for your sense of smell.
In supplements, this mineral will be combined with something else to make the final product. One better absorbed supplement might include zinc orotate or picolinate. However, it also comes in forms such as an acetate, gluconate, sulfate, or oxide (the oxide forms are often used externally in zinc containing ointments on the skin to foster faster healing of a cut or sore).
But this is one of a number of supplements for which more is not always better. That is, taking too much zinc can put your copper and even iron stores in the body out of balance. Excess zinc can knock down levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and even lead to a crawly sensation in your legs similar to a condition known as restless legs syndrome.
Still, you need just the right amount of zinc intake every day. Where can you get this vital nutrient? Most good multivitamin/multimineral supplements will have the full recommended daily allowance of zinc in them. In addition, you can find zinc in foods such as red meat, chicken, and oysters as well as cooked green vegetables, mushrooms, legumes (beans), nuts, tofu, and dairy items.
Adequate zinc is important for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It may serve as one of several antioxidants to protect cells from damage from high blood sugar levels. While taking any single supplement will not be enough to prevent diabetes, the evidence suggests that this particular mineral is definitely important to optimize if you do develop high blood sugar problems.
Photo: cdn.inquisitr.com
Low zinc and diabetes often come together. Zinc is an essential mineral that you can get from the diet and supplements. Better zinc levels in the blood are associated not only with sometimes better wound healing in diabetics, but also in better survival rates after heart attacks. Typical daily doses are around 15 milligrams per day, with an upper limit of around 40 millligrams per day (but individuals vary - talk to your own doctor). Diabetics can lose zinc in the urine with high blood sugars.
People with chronic gastrointestinal problems that impair absorption of nutrition from the gut are at risk of zinc deficiency if they try to rely on just food sources. If you have malabsorption from something like gluten intolerance, you may need a good zinc supplement.
The deficiency itself leads to diarrhea in many people along with worsened eye and skin problems, including acne. Supplements come in a wide variety of types, from lozenges that can help reduce the length of a cold and sore throat to capsules or tablets that include some form of zinc.
Be very careful not to use any nasal sprays that contain zinc. There is no blood brain barrier in the nose, and the zinc can get into the olfactory nerves and bulb of the brain, destroying cells needed for your sense of smell.
In supplements, this mineral will be combined with something else to make the final product. One better absorbed supplement might include zinc orotate or picolinate. However, it also comes in forms such as an acetate, gluconate, sulfate, or oxide (the oxide forms are often used externally in zinc containing ointments on the skin to foster faster healing of a cut or sore).
But this is one of a number of supplements for which more is not always better. That is, taking too much zinc can put your copper and even iron stores in the body out of balance. Excess zinc can knock down levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and even lead to a crawly sensation in your legs similar to a condition known as restless legs syndrome.
Still, you need just the right amount of zinc intake every day. Where can you get this vital nutrient? Most good multivitamin/multimineral supplements will have the full recommended daily allowance of zinc in them. In addition, you can find zinc in foods such as red meat, chicken, and oysters as well as cooked green vegetables, mushrooms, legumes (beans), nuts, tofu, and dairy items.
Adequate zinc is important for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It may serve as one of several antioxidants to protect cells from damage from high blood sugar levels. While taking any single supplement will not be enough to prevent diabetes, the evidence suggests that this particular mineral is definitely important to optimize if you do develop high blood sugar problems.
Taking enough zinc is part of a total program for reversing
diabetes and reducing your risk of diabetic complications. If you want
to know even more about natural ways to lower blood sugar in diabetes or
pre-diabetes and prevent more health problems, claim your simple
10-step natural supplements checklist and glycemic index food list for
reversing diabetes at High Blood Sugar Solution. Visit http://CanDiabetesBeReversed.org today to claim your copy.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Iris_Bell,_M.D._Ph.D.
No comments:
Post a Comment