Some of the reasons why one should take zinc supplements

Zinc is one of the few metals that the body needs. Although required only in trace amounts, it plays several important roles in the body, making it a necessity in the daily diet. Here are some of the reasons why one should take zinc supplements.

· Inadequacy in regular diet. Fortunately, zinc is commonly present in foods such as oysters, livers, meat, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, whole grains, nuts and other legumes, as well as dairy products. However, the amounts of zinc that the body acquires from a diet of these food items sometimes do not match nutritional requirement of the body. Zinc supplements augment the amount taken in from food.

· Involvement in enzyme activities. According to recent discoveries, zinc is a vital component of more than a hundred enzymes in the body – substances that catalyze various important biochemical reactions. Without zinc, these enzymes do not work properly, thus affecting necessary functions such as blood clotting, formation of antibodies, growth, healing, and even food absorption.

· Image formation. Scientists have also discovered high concentrations of zinc in the eye. As shown by patients suffering from zinc deficiency, zinc plays a major role in maintaining vision. Various studies show that zinc deficiency alters the retina and affects the image formed at the back of the eye. Low levels of zinc in the eyes are also associated with night blindness as well as cataract formation. Zinc supplements are shown to improve vision as well as decrease the chances of cataract formation.

· Immune function. Zinc deficiency is also related to a decrease in or slowing down of the immune function. Since high concentrations of zinc are associated with platelet aggregation (blood clotting), activation of white blood cells (particularly the T-lymphocytes ), and even suppression of viral symptoms, zinc is considered a major player in the immune system. Intake of zinc supplements dramatically improves resistance to viral infections including that of colds.

· Male infertility. Research has confirmed high concentrations of zinc in the prostate. Among the cases related to deficiency of zinc in the said organ, decrease in sperm count and motility are two of the most popular. These reductions significantly lessen the chance of fertilization for couples. As part of the treatment, some doctors advise their male patients to take zinc supplements in order to increase sperm count and motility.

· Hormone imbalance. Zinc is also associated with growth hormones and thyroid activity. Patients suffering from hyperthyroidism are shown to suffer from zinc deficiency as well, and zinc deficiency in pregnant women is shown to affect fetal growth and development. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding your zinc supply is quickly depleted because of milk production. As a result, most doctors recommend zinc supplements to these mothers.

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The holiday season is barely starting and we are bound to attend a lot of parties and merry making in the next few weeks. I am sure most of us, including me, will be indulging in good food and wine but I need to try and lower my cholesterol levels a bit so I can have more free reign in indulging. Since I also have fatty liver, I really can’t take medicines that can help lower my cholesterol levels as my liver is already compromised.

So I did some research on natural ways on how to lower cholesterol and I have found these tips:

1. Take three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ACV) daily. Mix one tablespoon of ACV to your morning tea and drink with a little extra honey to taste. ACV is claimed to be able to help eliminate undesired substances from our body.

2. Based on a research done by the New Orleans-based American Heart Association, taking red rice yeast and omega-3 supplements like Krill Oil together daily helps lower cholesterol levels in no time. People with normal cholesterol levels will have a lower risk of a heart attack if they take this combination regularly.

3. Avoid foods with saturated fats such as meat and consume more foods that contain good HDL cholesterol and low fat such as oats, salmon and fatty fish, nuts, fruits, tea, beans, margarine, spinach, chocolate, olive oil, avocado, and garlic.

4. Eliminate stress by trying meditation, biofeedback or relaxation exercises. Stress not only heightens the cholesterol buildup in your arteries, it heightens your blood pressure as well.

5. Exercise at least five times a week. The exercise does not have to be a high-intensity vigorous workout. By spending 30 minutes each day doing walking, dancing, running, jogging, swimming or other fun activities, you are one step further away from high cholesterol levels.

6. Cutting back or eliminating alcohol, caffeine, and smoking should be done for faster cholesterol level reduction. Alcohol and caffeine contribute to higher levels of cholesterol, while cigarettes and other tobacco products damage blood vessels and harden the arteries. If you are smoking, it is the perfect time to try methods on how to quit smoking.

Diabetes is a very common serious disease. This chronic disease affects 21 million Americans and more worldwide. There are numerous diabetes-related complications such as blindness, non-traumatic amputations, heart disease, hypertension, and kidney problems. It can seriously affect one’s life if not managed properly.

This is the reason why the site 30DayDiabetesCure.com will be a big help to the millions of people who have diabetes. The site promotes a way to reverse type 2 diabetes in 30 days! Everything is explained in the book The 30 Day Diabetes Cure by Dr. Stefan Ripich ND, CNP and Jim Healthy which is being sold through the website.

The site targets those who have type 2 diabetes and who are on medication for their condition. The cure that the 30DayDiabetesCure.com offers is supposedly inexpensive and twice as effective as the leading type 2 diabetes drug. Aside from this, it promises to reverse your diabetes in 30 days. The cure involves a change in diet and lifestyle but without the usual difficulty of this solution.

The 30DayDiabetesCure.com site is very informative, not just about the cure but about the disease and the common solutions that are often prescribed to patients nowadays. In fact, the page about the book is very thorough in explaining why it is the best solution and why your doctor may not be prescribing it to you. That single page alone can take long minutes to read but going through it will leave you armed with more information about diabetes and how you can successfully manage it.

The site offers a lot of money-saving deals that can surely entice those with diabetes problems to buy the product. Potential buyers can be reassured even more of the effectiveness of what they are getting because The 30-Day Diabetes Cure comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. If all the information on the site are not enough for you, there is a page that contains numerous testimonials from people who have successfully healed their diabetes using the book.

The home page of the site provides easy access to the site’s interior pages. The header links can bring you to a page about the book, a page about the authors, a page of diabetes healing articles, a page containing testimonials, multimedia, and a contact us page. But if you have already decided to buy the book, you can easily place your order using the box on the right sidebar of the home page. Aside from all the information, the home page is well designed and looks professional, a far cry from the usual websites that claims to have the solution for health problems.

Patients with glaucoma suffer permanent damage to the optic nerve of the affected eye. The illness is commonly, but not always, associated with increased pressure in the eye and can progress to a complete lack of vision if left untreated. Elevated pressure in the eye without damage to the optic nerve is referred to as ocular hypertension and is a strong warning sign that a patient is at risk for glaucoma.

Multiple subtypes of the illness are recognised. All types are considered to be an optic neuropathy, and all involve a characteristic pattern of retinal ganglion loss. These subtypes are distributed into two broad categories.

Open angle glaucoma is a chronic illness that progresses at a much slower rate than its angle-closure counterpart. Angle-closure glaucoma has a very sudden onset and is often accompanied by pain in the eye. Open angle glaucoma does not usually express with pain, and it progresses so gradually that, without undergoing an eye exam, patients frequently do not realize that they have suffered a loss of vision until the illness is in advanced stages.

Vision lost to advanced glaucoma cannot be recovered by current treatment options. Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness on a worldwide scale, and is the leading cause of blindness among African Americans. Medical intervention can halt the progression of the illness if it is detected in its early stages.

Researchers believe that diabetes and hypertension significantly increase the risk for developing open angle glaucoma. This form of the illness accounts for approximately 90% of all glaucoma cases in the US, and the only signs of the illness are a gradual loss of vision and changes in the cup-to-disc ratio of the optic nerve.

Ocular hypertension is the largest risk factor, but the illness often expresses without any increased pressure in the eye. A statistical analysis of two million patients enrolled in a managed care network indicates that patients with hypertension alone are 17% more likely to develop open angle glaucoma. Patients with diabetes alone appear to be 35% more likely to develop the illness. Patients with both conditions appear to be 48% more likely to develop open angle glaucoma.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. Records used in the study covered the period of 2001 to 2007 and included only patients 40 years of age or older. The results indicate the importance of diabetic and hypertension management as well as the need for regular eye examinations.

Les writes about laser eye surgery for Personal Eyes where you can find out more about eye procedures to suit your lifestyle.

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