Zinc and Inflammation

Zinc deficiency affects nearly 2 billion people in the developing world resulting in growth retardation, hypogonadism, immune dysfunction and cognitive impairment. Additionally, the roles of this divalent cation in the human body have not been clearly elucidated, since the essentiality of zinc has only been known within the last 50 years. However, it has been clearly documented that the supplementation of zinc improves many conditions such as; acute diarrhea in children, the common cold, infections in the elderly, oxidative stress and generation of inflammatory cytokines. Janet Ludwig, Ph.D. has worked in this area of study specifically modifying cellular injury by zinc supplementation.

This presentation from a webinar in May 2012 explore the following areas in order to begin to understand the therapeutic role of zinc in many inflammatory conditions:

•             Zinc roles in the body-metalloenzymes

•             Zinc as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent

•             Membrane stabilization by zinc

•             Inflammatory diseases ameliorated by zinc supplementation.

 

 

Janet Ludwig, PhD

Janet Ludwig, PhD has worked in the area of zinc and inflammation for more than 25 years. She was at the Division of Surgical Biology at the Arizona Health Sciences Center studying zinc and cell injury induced by alcohol and carbon tetrachloride, an effective hepatotoxin. Additionally, she studied the mechanisms and structural identification of the potent class of inflammatory mediators, Platelet-Activating Factors (PAFs), at the Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio. She has taught courses in inflammation, biochemistry and nutrition at various Universities. She also travels to Bangkok, Thailand to give nutritional advice in a non-governmental organization that aids in improving the conditions for impoverished women and their children. Currently she is on the Hawthorn University faculty.

 

Hard Metals Disease

“If I poisoned someone, they would put me away for life, but the company I worked for poisoned me and got away with it,” says a disabled worker.

Hard Metals Disease (1987) is the shocking story of the Valenite Corporation, a subsidiary of General Telephone and Electric (GTE) and an international corporation with factories in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. This investigative documentary spent four years tracking Valenite activities. Did Valenite knowingly expose its workers to hazardous substances? What happens to jobs and workers when factories move to Mexico? The trail of dead and sick workers Valenite left behind raises questions about corporate responsibility.

As a correspondent for NBC’s Today Show, Jon Alpert consistently brought investigative reporting on controversial social issues to commercial television. This Emmy® Award winning documentary examines “Hard Metals Disease,” cobalt poisoning among workers in the tungsten carbide machine tool industry. Alpert focuses on workers suffering from this debilitating, incurable lung disease who were exposed to cobalt dust at three plants of the Valenite Metals Corporation. Establishing a close rapport with the workers as they tell their own stories of Valenite’s negligence and subsequent cover-up, Alpert departs from standard television reportage in his powerful and unapologetic indictment of industry.

 

Zinc Saves Kids

450,000 children are at risk of dying every year due to the impact of zinc deficiency on diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria. A few extra milligrams of zinc every day can make a huge difference. Zinc-containing supplements are a quick and easy, effective and inexpensive remedy.

Video from IZA – International Zinc Association (2011)

 

Pneumonia Wonder Drug: Zinc Saves Lives

Respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, are the most common cause of death in children under the age of five. In a study looking at children given standard antibiotic therapy, new research published in BioMed Central’s open access journal BMC Medicine shows how zinc supplements drastically improved children’s chances of surviving the infection. The increase in survival due to zinc (on top of antibiotics) was even greater for HIV infected children.

In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 350 children, aged from six months to five years old, were treated with standard antibiotic therapy at Mulago Hospital. Half the children were given zinc and the other half a placebo.

The researchers from Makerere University found that while there was no difference between zinc and placebo in the time it took to recover from the infection (measured by time it took to return to a normal temperature, reparatory rate and oxygen saturation) the risk of death between the groups was very different. 4% of the children taking zinc died compared to 12% of the children without zinc. This means that an extra eight out of 100 children could have been saved by taking zinc. Among the HIV infected children this rose to 26 out of every 100.

Prof James Tumwine explained, “Zinc is known to bolster the immune system and zinc deficiency is rife all over the developed, and developing, world. In Uganda, where this study was performed, zinc deficiency in some areas can be as high as 70%. We would only need to give 13 of these children with pneumonia zinc on top of their antibiotics to save one life. This equates to about 4 USD – a small price to pay.”

 

Reference

Srinivasan MG, Ndeezi G, Mboijana CK, Kiguli S, Bimenya GS, Nankabirwa V, Tumwine JK. Zinc adjunct therapy reduces case fatality in severe childhood pneumonia: a randomized double blind placebo-controlled trial. BMC Med 2012; 10: 14.

 

A Nutritional Approach to AIDS

According to Bradfield & Foster ( 2006) is it possible to reverse all the  symptoms of AIDS in dying patients using  nutrition alone. This requires selenium and the amino acids, cysteine, tryptophan and glutamine.

Dr. Harold D. Foster, Ph.D. (1933-2009) was one of the giants in orthomolecular medicine with boundless enthusiasm and a prolific gift of writing. He was a researcher with a soaring scientific mind who made unique contributions to the understanding of health and disease.

Starting in 2004, a series of medical trials were conducted based on Dr. Foster’s research into the geographical correlations seen with HIV/AIDS, focusing on the nutritional deficiencies caused by the virus and the disease.

“HIV encodes for one of the human glutathione peroxidases. As a result, as it is replicated it deprives HIV-seropositive individuals of the selenoenzyme glutathione peroxidase and its four key components, namely selenium, cysteine, glutamine and tryptophan. Slowly but surely, this depletion process causes severe deficiencies of all these nutrients. Their lack, in turn, is behind the major symptoms of AIDS, including the collapse of the immune system, increased susceptibility to cancer, myocardial infarction, depression, muscle wasting, diarrhea, psychosis and dementia” (excerpted from hdfoster.com).

Marnie Bradfield & Harold D. Foster concluded in 2006 the following in an article in  Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine:

Several conclusions appear obvious from the African nutritional trials being used to test the efficacy of selenium and amino acids as a treatment for HIV/AIDS. Firstly, it is possible to reverse all the symptoms of AIDS in dying patients using nutrition alone. Secondly, this requires selenium and the amino acids, cysteine,tryptophan and glutamine. Thirdly, while selenium alone can slow HIV replication, eventually HIV/AIDS patients also need amino acid supplements. These can be given temporarily until deficiencies are corrected. The patients can then return to selenium supplementation alone for several months, until the more complex nutritional mixture is again required for another month. There appear to be no adverse side affects from these nutritional treatments and patients are delighted with their greatly improved health status.

For more information on the science and research based on Dr.Foster’s work, visit The Harold Foster Foundation and Foster Health

 

References

Bradfield M, Foster HD. The Successful Orthomolecular Treatment of AIDS: Accummulating Evidence from Africa. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine 2006; 21 (4): 193-196.

Foster HD. What Really Causes AIDS. TraffordPublishing, Victoria BC. 2002.

 

 

What is Iron?

Learn what iron is and how it can help your body and health.

What is Iron? Videogram. Colorado Springs, CO: Mineralife LLC, 2011.

Benefits of Copper

Find out how copper helps your body.

Benefits of Copper. Videogram. Colorado Springs, CO: Mineralife LLC, 2011.

What is Zinc?

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What is Zinc? Videogram. Colorado Springs, CO: Mineralife LLC, 2011.