Home Health Therapies.

Zinc.

Zinc is one of those minerals that you need to hold off the onset of dementia or Alzheimer's. Most older people
and those with dementia and other mental disorders have been found to be deficient in zinc. In most studies
zinc has been shown to improve mental capacity in elders.
To get zinc into your blood stream you need to have a specific acid that is excreted by the pancreas. This acid
is called "picolinic acid" When food containing zinc or zinc supplements reache the small intestine, duodenum,
the pancreas excretes picolinic acid. This acid binds with zinc and moves it across your intestinal wall and into
your blood stream.
Picolinic acid is created in the liver and kidneys from the amino acid tryptoph. This amino acid then moves into
the pancreas. If you have diabetes or if your pancreas is overworked or weak, you will not be excreting
enough picolinic acid and will not be providing enough zinc to your brain. You will need to supplement your
diet with zinc.

The type of zinc you need is one that is bound with picolinic acid. This type is called "zinc picolinate." There
are other type of zinc supplements such as zinc citrate and zinc gluconate, but they are not absorb as good as
zinc picolinate. If you cannot get zinc picolinate then the next best is zinc gluconate.
The body has many uses for zinc and this can contribute to a deficiency of zinc in your blood and in your brain.

The body uses zinc to help,

with enzyme chemical reactions
antioxidants prevent arteriosclerosis
DNA prevent dementia or Alzheimer'
with cells activity
kidneys maintain acid base balance
with carbon dioxide removal
make pancreatic enzymes
your liver to detoxify alcohols
and the list goes on and on

Here are some of the foods you should add to your diet to get more zinc.
beef, lamb, cheese, yeasts, oysters, Shrimp, herring, sunflower seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Sesame Seeds, wheat
germ & bran, Mushrooms, Spinach, Squash, Asparagus, Collard Greens, Broccoli ,Chard, Miso, Maple Syrup

Zinc can be toxic in excessive amounts. A safe amount to take is 20 - 25 mg per day. Do not take more than
40 mg per day. Toxic effects are stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea.

Add these foods and zinc picolinate to your diet in an effort to starve off dementia and Alzheimer's. There are
a more special nutrients that you should include in your diet to prevent degradation of your mental thinking.
These Nutrients will be discussed in other other articles.

Signs of deficiency:
Loss of sense of smell and taste, skin problems (such as acne and eczema), wounds that won't heal, frequent
colds and flu, visual problems, irritable bowel, weak muscles, hair loss, disturbed sleep patterns, prostate
problems, infertility (due to low sperm count) and alcoholism. Certain drugs such as laxatives, steroids and
some diuretics, and excessive intake of tea or coffee, can cause a deficiency.

Therapeutic uses: to treat the problems listed above. Recommended for the elderly, those suffering from
anorexia nervosa, alcoholics and those on restricted diets