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Zinc - The Thymus Booster
The thymus gland is like a commander of a very large army. Without a healthy thymus, the immune system just cant accomplish its job. Not enough T cells will mature to go out and fight the invaders. Zinc is the most mineral to the thymus gland. So important, in fact that even if you have a small or poorly functioning thymus, zinc supplements can reverse dysfunction and rejuvenate this gland. A deficiency can result in poor growth as seen in children, small testes, anorexia, slow would healing, delayed puberty and skin problems.
Zinc deficiency causes a reduction in T cells, natural killer cells and thymic hormone. Supplementation with zinc increased the ability of immune cells to digest and eliminate bacteria.
Zinc is especially important for men. The prostate gland is very rich in zinc and every time a man ejaculates he loses zinc. Fifteen milligrams of zinc per day for every sexual active man could prevent prostate problems later in life.
Women who experience hair loss around menopause should also add zinc to supplement program. Often it only takes a few weeks to notice that your hair has stopped falling out and over time the hair will become thicker.
Causes of Zinc Deficiency
- Vegetarian diets (phytates in plant foods inhibits zinc)
- Low red meat consumption
- Little or no seafood consumption
- Dieting, especially high carbohydrate diets
- Copper toxicity
- Low stomach acid
- Digestive disorders
- Aging, especially if you are over 45
Sign of Zinc Deficiency
- White spots on your fingernails
- Lack of appetite
- Hair loss
- Poor wounds healing
- Skin breakouts.
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