Foodstuff containing zinc (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is very important with all forms of depression, especially post-natal depression.
Low zinc levels result in a lowered production of neurotransmitters and a lower number of receptor sites on the nerve cells where the neurotransmitters do their work.
The problem with very low levels of zinc is that zinc is a critical component of the process that allows us to absorb our essential minerals. The lower the zinc levels, the poorer is the absorption rate. In fact it can so low that you can’t absorb a zinc supplement properly. It is a catch 22 situation – you need zinc, but you can’t absorb zinc because your zinc levels are too low. Liquid zinc supplementation can help here, as it is much easier to absorb than a solid zinc supplement.
How can zinc levels be easily asessed? Your Naturopath can do a ‘taste test’, generally the worse the taste the better are your zinc levels.
Of course zinc is very important for many other body functions, for instance tissue healing.
Have a wonderful week 
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Can zinc levels be determined by blood tests?
Yes they can be however, this is not always an accurate meassure, as zinc is not so easily defined as a single compound. I think you might be interested in the following link http://www.drkaslow.com/html/zinc.html
by the way I love your name, it’s clever and made me grin – thank you
Thanks for the link. Aren’t humans complicated organisms!! Vinny’s cool… whereas me, not so much – thanks! He’s written a book for kids on healthy eating, using stories to tempt them into the kitchen (no preachy preachy stuff). Nutrition basics in a fun format.
They sure are, so it pays to treat everyone as the unique creature they are
, i’m not big on run of the mill prescriptions for this reason. Looking forward to checking your link out, I really like the idea of kids in the kitchen to practise some healthy creativity.
I didn’t know how important zinc is. My husband has malabsorption disorder. Perhaps giving him zinc would make a difference. This was very insightful. I always look forward to what new things I can learn from you.
Good post
Yisraela
Thank you Yisraela, it takes a lot of doing to keep the body in balance and our food sources are often not the best
i just posted a link that explains zinc and testing for it very beautifully, http://www.drkaslow.com/html/zinc.html
I’m glad I can share some of what I know and I really loved the quote about knowledge on your new post. I always like to strive for wisdom rather then knowledge – wisdom to me is ripened, integrated knowledge, not just a piece of information. Best of luck to your husband and if he does opt for a zinc supplement make sure he does not take it on an empty tummy, it can make you feel a bit queeze otherwise
Thank you for the advice. I had read or heard that too much zinc is harmful. At least I think it was zinc.
What is the normal so to speak standard dosage
without taking too much.
If it is on that website I will look there.
Thanks friend
Yisraela
Dear Yisraela, here are the details. For adult men, the Recommended Dietary Allowance for zinc is 11 mg daily. Data from a recent national health and nutrition analysis revealed that more than 35 percent of U.S. men age 60 and older don’t get enough zinc in their daily diets. Of course if there is a deficiency one would take extra, especially if absorption is a problem – here it would pay to acertain the actual amount of deficiency. Hope this helps
Hi again
I read the article and it was amazingly informative. It mentioned that we typically take in 10mg zinc/daily which is one third I think less that what we need. So I will go from there. I don’t want to overdo anything. Isn’t worth the problems it can cause
Thanks
Yisraela
whoops sorry, just answered your earlier comment before i’ve seen this one, sorry
Thank you for sharing this. I think I may be deficient in zinc after reading the article you posted via the link in an earlier reply. Very informative. I will try a zinc supplement since I had many of the problems mentioned-including eczema, acne, frequent infections, etc.
Zinc deficiency is also due to the soil where fruit and vegetables are grown – for instance western australian soils have next to no zinc. It makes sense that if the plant can not get it from the ground it grows in, it will not be in the plant. Best of luck and stay with the recommended dosages!
Thanks! I’m not sure what levels of zinc are in the soil where I live. I’ll be sure not to take too much zinc though
Reblogged this on My Journey to Recovery After Stroke and Mental Illness and commented:
Great post about the role zinc plays in our health-including mental health.
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