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Home » Health Articles » The 200 Essential Enzymes That Prove Zinc Is Vital For Health

The 200 Essential Enzymes That Prove Zinc Is Vital For Health

Zinc is one of the many trace minerals required by the body, but the fact that it's required in relatively small amounts should not be allowed to obscure its significance. It's required by the body for the production of more than 200 essential enzymes, one of the most crucial of these being superoxide dismutase, a vital anti-oxidant.

The particular importance of superoxide dismutase lies in its role in mopping up the superoxide free radicals which are released upon the metabolism of oxygen within cells, literally with every breath we take. Superoxide free radicals react with other by-products of energy production to form hydroxyl, the most damaging free radical of all, and to attack the mitochondria of the cells themselves.

Since it is the mitochondria which ultimately produce the energy for all the body's vital reactions, mitochondrial damage due to free radicals can only mean the production of less and less energy and the gradual deterioration and degeneration of the entire organism.

As well as being vital for the body's manufacture of anti-oxidants, zinc also helps the immune system to regulate the process by which defective or worn out cells are killed off by the body before they have chance to multiply themselves and perhaps ultimately become cancerous. These functions alone would make it one of the key micronutrients which are vital to the body's long-term health.

But there's much more to zinc than this, because it's now known to be necessary for the production of the white blood cells which are one of the body's first lines of defence against infection, and for the proper functioning of the thymus gland which is heavily involved in the regulation of the immune system. So zinc is crucial not just in staving off long-term degeneration, but in fighting off acute infections.

And this well documented value as an immune system booster has given zinc great popularity as a cold and flu remedy, although the effectiveness of the many lozenges sold for this purpose once illness is established remains open to question. But the importance of a healthy immune system in preventing infection in the first place is not in doubt. And it's here that an adequate supply of zinc is essential.

Although the typical requirement for zinc is only 15 mg a day, it is surprisingly easy to fall below this. Indeed some estimates suggest that typical dietary intakes may be as low as 9 mg for women and 13 mg for men, and even this may be poorly absorbed so some nutritionists recommend aiming for an intake of around 25 mg to ensure an adequate supply.

It also needs to be remembered that certain groups of people with depressed immune systems, such as HIV sufferers, diabetics and alcoholics may have an increased requirement for zinc. But by far the largest such group is comprised of the over 65s. And it should be realised that the consequence of a zinc deficiency may be much more serious for these older individuals, given that their immune systems are likely in any case to be less effective than those of healthy young adults.

So the conclusion appears to be straightforward: ensuring that the diet is adequate in zinc is vital to the efficiency of the immune system, and therefore to long-term health and well being. But as always with the human body, the full story isn't quite so simple. The body functions holistically, and an excess of any one nutrient may well lead to a deficiency in another. Taking in too much iron, for example, may in itself lead to a deficiency in zinc. But in the case of an excess of zinc (defined by the US Food and Nutrition Board as more than 40 mg a day), the associated deficiency is of copper.

Deficiency in copper is rarely severe enough to produce clinical symptoms, but this should not obscure the important functions of this trace mineral. As with zinc, adequate supplies of copper are vital for the production of anti-oxidant enzymes and energy within the body's cells. Sub-clinical deficiencies have also been implicated in cases of mild anaemia and depression of the immune system.

The best way to counter these risks is, of course, to consume a diet rich in both zinc and copper. Red meat, particularly beef, and shellfish are known as good animal sources, whilst nuts and beans offer a useful source for vegetarians. Whole grains are a useful additional plant source of copper. Plant sources of zinc, however, are less well absorbed by the body than those derived from animal sources, and so this is a nutrient which may require particular attention for those following a vegetarian diet.

But given the poverty of modern Western diets in both vitamins and minerals, supplementation may in any case be necessary to ensure the health of the immune system, particularly, as discussed above, for the over 65s. Various forms of specific zinc supplement are readily available, but it is probably wiser to ensure that any supplementation of zinc is taken in a properly balanced multi-mineral formulation also containing an appropriate amount of copper.

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

7 Tips for Business Success

Many executives and other business managers often forget that they really have 2 jobs â€" the first is to do what they get paid for (and do it better than others). The other is to manage their career path and do what is required to ensure their upward mobility isn't dependent on others who may or may not be working in their best interest.

The following "secrets", amassed through my extensive background as both a corporate executive and business consultant, will help professionals better manage their success path:

1. Understand the "circle of success". A common piece of advice given to managers is for them to spend a great deal of time getting to know, and working side-by-side, with their staff to ensure each employee has what (s)he needs to be productive. While that idea is well intentioned, it's does not provide maximum benefit to all involved. Rather, it is more important that managers spend time helping their boss look good at every opportunity. When (s)he understands that you are able to help her/him succeed, you and your team will get more time, attention and resources facilitating maximum productivity.

2. Results = Rewards. Companies spend a great deal of money on new systems to help automate and, hopefully, increase efficiency for the whole company. After these big investments, managers are told to become "experts" with the systems and procedures to ensure the intended benefits are realized. This often creates an environment where many managers think that the most important task at hand is to learn the in's and out's of these systems and takes their eye off the real task at hand for which their ultimately accountable. To ensure upward mobility, remember to put the primary focus on your department's core objective in the context of the company's overall objective.

3. Avoid stagnation. Far too many workers throughout our nation are bored and disinterested, which is adversely impacting their productivity and creativity. Consequently, many U.S. industries are falling behind in the global marketplace. It's time for our nation's corporate leaders to re-engage and spend more time acting as leaders rather than bureaucrats. People respond best to positive feedback, emotion and enthusiasm â€" not e-mail communications, inexplicable charts and fear management. Effective leadership ensures that everyone is focused on, and vested in, getting to the goal lines. This is the most critical issue impacting an organization's productivity.

4. Understand that outsourcing threatens everyone. Very few professionals actually understand that their position can be outsourced. They get complacent in this false sense of security. While most people realize outsourcing has affected the service industries, they fail to grasp that other professionals, including accountants, lawyers, engineers, etc., can be readily outsourced as well. Virtually no line of work is bulletproof, and knowing this will keep you one step ahead of the game. At this time, those involved in creative enterprises, which high technology has yet to automate, look to be the safest career choices over the long term.

5. "Presence" pays. One's "presence" plays a big part in who gets promoted and who doesn't. In a nutshell, presence is a combination of how we look, how we carry ourselves, and our communication skills. Because many of us still associate one's appearance, demeanor and speaking ability with their overall ability, this remains a formidable challenge for those who have physical or other bias-based attributes that are difficult, if not impossible to change, such as height or weight. This subjectivity is even worse for women as society is generally more able to accept men with what's considered to be shortfalls rather than women. Irrespective of these barriers, condition yourself to carry yourself with best posture and to wear attire that imparts your success.

6. Pace your boss. To really stand out from the others and get the all important promotion, ensure you are in the office whenever your boss is in the office. Let her or him see that you share the same work ethic. Right, wrong or indifferent, these are new rules of time management. Simply put, if your boss is at work, you should be as well. If (s)he has decided that it's necessary to be there after hours, on weekends, or early in the morning, it is entirely to your advantage to be there at the same time. In this day in age, one must take advantage of all opportunities to distinguish themselves in the workplace.

7. Step up self promotion. This issue primarily impacts women, but applies to both genders. It is important that those who are in the position to benefit your career in any way know who you are and what you've accomplished. Successful business people understand the importance of letting others know about their successes, and go about it in the appropriate way. If done properly, it will not be construed as bragging or conceit.