For Those Of You Who Are Wild About Zinc

[winger]

Is this a sure indicator of zinc deficiency ? I have a low sex drive and white spots on ALL of my fingers

Theyre called leukonychia and are very common. Most of the time the white spots simply are a sign of some past injury to the matrix (base) of your nails. By the time the white spot shows up (about six weeks after the injury) youve probably forgotten all about banging or knocking your fingers.

 

[SWALE]

Dang, you guys are smart! Why didn't you teach me this sooner? Just a few weeks ago I began to add 50mg of zinc QD after developing these unsightly leukonychia for years.

 

[SPE]

On the other hand, I've always had them. In an effort to suppress e2, I added 50mg zinc at bedtime about 2 months ago and guess what? Not a single white spot on ANY of my nails! And my e2 is lower.

 

[Axl]

On the other hand, I've always had them. In an effort to suppress e2, I added 50mg zinc at bedtime about 2 months ago and guess what? Not a single white spot on ANY of my nails! And my e2 is lower.

I love it when I hear you liked my tips!
SWALE: my doc checks for white spots on fingernails as a simple test to check if the patient has a ZINC shortage. (Of course, the other cause these white spots will be an injury to the nailbed.)

 

[pmgamer18]

On the other hand, I've always had them. In an effort to suppress e2, I added 50mg zinc at bedtime about 2 months ago and guess what? Not a single white spot on ANY of my nails! And my e2 is lower.

I take Zinc/Copper you need for every 50 mgs. of Zinc 2 mgs. of Copper Zinc lowers your Copper. Also when I tried taking it at bedtime it kept me up try mornings.
http://www.myvitanet.com/zincop100cnt.html

 

[SPE]

No offense PM, but why would I try mornings when I've had success with at bedtime?

 

[pmgamer18]

I was just saying it can keep one up if you don't have a problem sleeping stay with what your doing. I have heard that taking Zink at night will keep one up. So it is for the guys that are doing it and have a problem sleeping.

 

[winger]

They use it with ZMA. Zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6.

 

[chip douglas]

I'd really like to know whether the white spots on fingernails *can also* be caused by a shortage of zinc. Thanks to the posted who wrote that it can be leukonykia btw.

See, I have low test, and have white spots on All of my fingernails.

 

[pmgamer18]

Any man or women in the U.S. should take some Zinc we just don't get it in are diet. Corn fed meat has no Zinc or Omega 3's.

 

[Vforcer2]

Any man or women in the U.S. should take some Zinc we just don't get it in are diet. Corn fed meat has no Zinc or Omega 3's.

Phil, you are absolutely correct. I think the meats we eat causes a cascade of detrimental effects to our health, that lead to diseases like hypogodanism. Think about all those estrogens and hormones we injest from meat and milk, and then throw in the fact that all those animals are grain feed which causes our Lipid levels to crank thru the roof.

I am trying something new. I live on a farm in the country, and I have decided to start harvesting whitetail deer for meat. They are as natural as it gets, and what they eat is as well. My son and I have put two in the freezer since Thanksgiving, and the meat is delicious, and super high in protein. A 7 ounce steak has a whopping 60 grams of protein and only about 300 calories.

So you know what my post work out meal now consists of Venison steak with shitake mushrooms and a organic yam or sweet potato! Beats the heck out of a protein shake!

I am getting ready to go get some more of this "free" meat this Saturday

Uh....did I get off topic?

 

[Vforcer2]

BTW, zinc did keep me up when taken before bed. I had to switch to taking at least 4-5 hours before bed.

 

[pmgamer18]

You are lucky you can do this I love Venison. Hell you just cant get good meat with out paying an arm an a leg for it. I like fish I was a died in the wool river rat fisherman. That is hand line fishing for Walleyes in the Detroit River. We would pull in 5+ pounders. And I used to do a lot of Salmon fishing here in MI. But I did so much of it I burned out from it and today Salmon Fishing is not good. You can't even buy go fish today you need to ask if it is pond raised. The Food ind. in the States is killing us.

I take my Zinc first thing after breakfast.

 

[marianco]

I currently am wary about excessive zinc intake. It is easy to do so if you take multiple supplements since many supplements at their 15 mg of zinc to the mix. Additively, they can give you excessive zinc.

As far as I know:
1. Zinc is necessary for testosterone production. Supplementation improves testosterone production - only if - a zinc deficiency exists.
2. Zinc inhibits the aromatase enzyme - preventing conversion of testosterone to estrogens
3. Zinc inhibits the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme - preventing the conversion of testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone)
4. Zinc impairs absorption of copper
5. And now: excessive zinc may increase the risk for prostate cancer.

Since DHT is the primary androgen except in muscle, since estrogen is necessary for sex drive and muscle growth (among other functions), excessive zinc may backfire on you - causing impaired function rather than enhanced.

 

[SWALE]

Good points. That is the purpose of this thread.

 

[1cc]

2. Zinc inhibits the aromatase enzyme - preventing conversion of testosterone to estrogens
3. Zinc inhibits the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme - preventing the conversion of testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone)
Since DHT is the primary androgen except in muscle, since estrogen is necessary for sex drive and muscle growth (among other functions), excessive zinc may backfire on you - causing impaired function rather than enhanced.

Interestingly, just about anything that one would take to inhibit the aromatase enzyme also inhibits the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme. These would include Zinc, Chrysin, DIM, Nettle. The only one I believe that does not inhibit the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme is Arimidex (or am I mistaken?).

 

[pmgamer18]

So is this so bad.

 

[marianco]

So is this so bad.

I do not think Zinc is bad. It is necessary.

But it has to be taken while keeping in mind the balance it creates with other components of the body (e.g. copper, estrogen, testosterone, DHT), in order to maintain optimum functioning. Too much of something can be just as bad as too little.

Since taking too much Zinc can have significant downside, it argues for measuring your zinc level prior to supplementation to see if you need it in the first place, and possibly monitoring it with follow up labs.

 

[SWALE]

I did not know DIM inhibits 5-AR, or chrysin.

 

[pmgamer18]

I did not know DIM inhibits 5-AR, or chrysin.

Here is a link I just found.
http://www.newswithviews.com/Howenstine/james9.htm