“Why You Need Zinc and How to Get It?”

What Is Zinc? It’s a mineral your cells need to fight off bacteria and viruses and make the genetic material, called DNA, that tells your body how to work the way it should. It helps you heal wounds, aids your senses of smell and taste, and is important for infants and children as they grow. 

How Much Do You Need? An adult man needs 11 milligrams a day, and an adult woman, 8 milligrams. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you’ll need more -- around 12 milligrams. Children need 2 to 11 milligrams depending on their age and gender. Talk to your pediatrician about how much is right for your child.

Do I Get Enough? Probably, yes -- most Americans do. But some things can make it hard for your body to use it, including surgery on your stomach or intestines, alcohol abuse, and digestive diseases like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. And people who don’t eat meat or animal products can have a harder time getting enough zinc from food. 

What Happens If I Don’t Get Enough? It can make children grow more slowly and delay puberty in teens. Adults who are low on zinc can have hair loss, diarrhea, sores on their eyes and skin, and loss of appetite. It also can affect a man’s sexual desire. Talk to your doctor before taking a supplement, though. These issues can be caused by something other than a lack of zinc.

Healthy Skin: Zinc helps your skin do what it’s supposed to: protect you from heat and cold, bacteria, and viruses. Your doctor might prescribe a zinc supplement or ointment to treat certain skin problems, like acne.

Can It Cure the Common Cold? Some studies suggest that if you take zinc lozenges or syrup -- but not pill supplements -- within 24 hours of feeling a cold coming on, your symptoms won’t be as bad or last as long. (Nasal sprays and gels that have it are linked to the loss of sense of smell.) More research is needed to figure out if it really works and, if so, how you should take it. 

May Help Prevent Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): This is an eye disease that causes vision loss over time. A large study of people at higher risk of getting AMD showed that taking a daily multivitamin with zinc -- along with vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, and copper -- may help avoid it. But other studies haven’t had the same results. If you’re at higher risk, talk to your doctor to see if a vitamin would be a good idea for you.

Source: Oysters - Nothing beats oysters for zinc. A 3-ounce serving has 74 milligrams. That’s five times more than you need per day. Eat them raw with a lemon or bake them Rockefeller-style with spinach, onions, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese.

Source: Chuck Roast - Too much red meat -- especially fatty meat -- has been linked to health problems, but it can deliver some essential nutrients, including zinc. Just keep your portions small and eat plenty of green vegetables on the side. A 3-ounce serving has about 7 milligrams of zinc.

Source: Alaska King Crab - Slice a lemon and melt a little butter, and you’ll have a feast fit for a king. A 3-ounce serving has 6.5 milligrams of zinc. It takes a bit of practice to get the meat out of the shell, but that’s half the fun. Plus, it makes you eat more slowly, which is healthier because you’re less likely to overeat.

Source: Dark Meat Chicken - It has 2.4 milligrams of zinc per 3-ounce serving, compared with less than 1 milligram in a skinless chicken breast. Try some pan-roasted chicken thighs with sautéed kale for a healthy, tasty meal.

Source: Cashews - How about a zinc-rich snack? Cashews have 1.6 milligrams of zinc per 1-ounce serving. Keep them at your desk for a healthy treat instead of candy or chips. Just watch your portions. While they’re healthy, cashews are also full of calories and fat.

Zinc Supplements: Even though most Americans get enough zinc from their meat-rich diet, some people take more -- as a supplement by itself or as part of a multivitamin. This can be helpful if you don’t get enough in your diet or you have certain medical conditions, but it’s not always safe. Check with your doctor first.

Too Much Can Be Bad for You: It can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, headache, and nausea. And if you take too much for too long, you may have lower levels of copper (another essential nutrient), a weaker immune system, and less HDL -- or “good” -- cholesterol. You shouldn’t get more than 40 milligrams a day unless your doctor has told you otherwise. Talk to your pediatrician before giving a zinc supplement to your child.

Interactions With Other Medication: Zinc supplements can weaken the effects of antibiotics, and antibiotics can make it harder for your body to use zinc. The supplements also can make it harder for your body to absorb some drugs, like the arthritis drug penicillamine. Talk to your doctor before taking a zinc supplement. 

Reviewed by: Minesh Khatri, MD on May 08, 2019

Sources:

National Institutes of Health: “Zinc Therapy in Dermatology: A Review,” “Zinc: Fact Sheet for Consumers,” “Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.”

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk. 

“Why You Need Potassium and How to Get It?”

What Is It? Potassium is a mineral that helps your cells work the right way. It helps make the electricity that lets your cells do their jobs. Your nerves and muscles -- including your heart -- might not work the way they should if you don’t get enough.

How Much Do You Need? If you’re 14 or older, you should get about 4,700 milligrams of potassium a day. Breastfeeding mothers need more: 5,100 milligrams.

For children:

• 0 to 6 months: 400 milligrams
• 7 to 12 months: 700 milligrams
• 1 to 3 years: 3,000 milligrams
• 4 to 8 years: 3,800 milligrams
• 9 to 13 years: 4,500 milligrams

Helps With Osteoporosis: As people age, their bones tend to get brittle. The typical diet in the U.S. doesn’t help, either. Lots of meat and dairy can cause your body to make too much acid, and that can weaken your bones faster. Foods rich in potassium -- mostly fruits and vegetables -- can slow it down.

Helps Prevent Kidney Stones: These are hard little balls made from minerals in your pee, and they can really hurt if they get stuck when you’re trying to go. More acid in your body -- often thanks to a meat-rich diet -- makes you more likely to get them. Potassium helps get rid of acid, which keeps those minerals where they belong (in your bones) and prevents those painful stones.

Helps Your Muscles Work: You need just the right amount of potassium inside your cells -- and sodium outside your cells -- for your muscles to work well. Too little, or too much, of either can make your muscles weak or make them squeeze when you don’t want them to.

Helps Prevent High Blood Pressure: This is when blood pushes too hard against the walls of your veins and arteries. It can lead to stroke, heart disease, and heart failure. It’s often called “the silent killer” because you rarely have symptoms. The sodium in salt makes it worse, but potassium can help you get rid of sodium and ease tension in the walls of your blood vessels.

Helps Prevent Strokes: A stroke is when blood flow is limited or cut off to part of your brain, often because a blood vessel burst or got blocked. High blood pressure can play a role in that, so you're less likely to have one if you keep that under control and get the right amount of potassium. Signs of a stroke include slurred speech, arm weakness, or drooping on one side of your face. If you have any of these, get medical help right away.

Source: Bananas - A single medium banana has 422 milligrams of potassium. Have one as a snack or slice it onto your cereal. You can even bake some banana bread. Just don’t soak or cook them -- they lose potassium that way.

Source: Potatoes - A medium potato baked with skin has a whopping 926 milligrams of potassium. Of course, if you load it up with butter and sour cream, you might end up causing more health problems than that potassium can solve. So, enjoy your baked potato, but keep the extras to a minimum.

Source: Prunes - A half cup of dried prunes has 637 milligrams of potassium, and loads of fiber as well. (If you’d rather drink your prunes, 6 ounces of juice has almost as much.) They go great with nuts and cheese, or even baked into a tart -- just don’t overdo the sugar and fat.

Source: Oranges - A medium orange should get you about 237 milligrams of potassium, and 6 ounces of juice delivers about 372 milligrams. They’re healthy and full of vitamins and minerals, but they also have sugar, so don’t get carried away.

Source: Tomatoes - A medium tomato has about 292 milligrams, but how often do you eat a whole tomato? Try some pasta marinara to get a good amount: A cup of tomato puree has 1,065 milligrams, and a cup of tomato paste has 2,455 milligrams -- more than half your daily allowance.

Source: Lima Beans - They’re loaded with fiber, low in sugar and fat, and they have 485 milligrams of potassium in each half cup. You can soak them overnight to make them easier to digest. If you don’t have that kind of time, the frozen or canned versions work, too.

Source: Sunflower Seeds - Looking for something crunchy to get your potassium fix? These have 241 milligrams per ounce. And they're full of other vitamins and nutrients as well.

Supplements: It’s better to get your potassium from your food, but you might need these if you have certain illnesses or take drugs that make it harder for you to hold on to potassium. But be careful -- too much can cause nausea, vomiting, stomachaches, diarrhea, and ulcers. Ask your doctor if you need a potassium supplement.

Lack of Potassium (Hypokalemia): If you don’t have enough in your system, your muscles can get weak and you might be tired often. You also might have cramps or constipation. It’s possible to have hypokalemia because you don’t get enough potassium in your diet, but it’s more likely to happen because of severe vomiting or diarrhea, overuse of diuretics or laxatives, or alcohol abuse.

Too Much Potassium (Hyperkalemia): Infants, the elderly, and people who have kidney conditions are more likely to have this. You may not notice any symptoms, or your muscles might be weak and you might have an irregular heartbeat or nausea. You can get hyperkalemia if you take certain drugs or your body doesn’t make enough of some hormones. Your doctor may treat it with medication or possibly dialysis -- when a machine helps your kidneys clean your blood.

Reviewed by: Laura J. Martin, MD on April 19, 2017

Sources:

American Heart Association: “What are the Symptoms of High Blood Pressure?” “The Facts About High Blood Pressure,” “How Potassium Can Help Control High Blood Pressure.”

Cleveland Clinic: “Hyperkalemia.”

Harvard Health Publications: “Should I Take a Potassium Supplement?”

Mayo Clinic: “Stroke,” “Low potassium (hypokalemia).”

National Stroke Association: “What Is Stroke?”

National Institutes of Health: “Potassium Supplement (Oral route, Parenteral route),” “Overnight soaking or boiling of ‘Matooke’ to reduce potassium content for patients with chronic kidney disease: does it really work?” “Potassium: Tips for People with Chronic Kidney Disease.”

Oregon State University: “Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center: Potassium.”

The Nephron Information Center: “Potassium and Your Diet.”

UCSD Muscle Physiology Home Page: “Excitation Contraction Coupling.”

WHfoods.org: “Lima beans.”

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.