Today we’ll talk about two more examples, but
there are many, many more if you care to do the
research.
Zinc and Copper.
When you think of copper, you probably think of
pennies or wire – or maybe your favorite cooking pan.
However, it’s actually an essential nutrient. Zinc
may be a little more familiar to you, since some
people swear by its effectiveness in shortening
the length of a cold (scientific evidence is mixed
on that one).
Neither of these minerals is rare in your food, so
you really don’t have to worry about deficiency
except in a couple of examples.
Copper and zinc compete for absorption sites in
your intestine, and if there’s a lot of zinc
around, copper tends to lose out.
This can create a copper deficiency. In severe
cases, this can lead to anemia, bone defects,
and a higher risk of infection.
You can get too much zinc from a surprising source,
too: denture cream!
A 2008 report described four cases of denture
wearers with neurologic abnormalities caused by
copper deficiency. This was traced to using massive
amounts of denture cream, which contains zinc.
Daily zinc goals for adults are around 11 mg for
men and 8 mg for women. Adults should get about
900 micrograms (mcg) of copper daily.
Those are tiny amounts, so you should be able
to get everything you need from eating a properly
balanced diet.
Niacin and Tryptophan.
Niacin is one of the B vitamins (B3), although
you rarely hear it called that.
Nowadays, it’s probably best known for its
cholesterol-lowering effects.
Large doses (500 mg to 1,500 mg daily) can
lower “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and increase
“good” cholesterol (HDL).
These doses are way more than you need for
nutritional purposes.
Daily recommended niacin amounts for that are
16 mg for men and 14 mg for women. Tryptophan
is one of the nine essential amino acids your
body needs to create proteins.
It’s one you need to consume because your body
doesn’t create tryptophan. It’s main role is a
supplier of niacin, due to complicated metabolism
processes.
This means one way to get enough niacin is to eat
foods rich in tryptophan, like chicken or turkey.
The disease pellagra, now thought to be caused by
niacin deficiency, used to be believed to be caused b
y tryptophan deficiency.
The disease causes a bad rash, diarrhea, and dementia,
and was common in the American South during the
early 20th Century.
Researchers eventually tracked it back to a niacin
deficiency from a corn-based diet. Isn’t that a great story?
Discover how to boost levels of Vitamin D quickly -
and it involves more than just spending time under the sun! click here
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