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by Ethan A. Huff
staff writer
August 20, 2010
from
NaturalNews Website
A new report published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition has found that zinc plays a very important role in
health maintenance.
In a study of over 600 seniors from 33
different nursing homes in the Boston area, researchers found that
seniors with healthy blood levels of zinc are 50 percent less likely
to develop pneumonia than those with sub-par levels.
The study was a follow-up to a previous one which found that people
given 200 international units (IU) of vitamin E every day for
one year are 20 percent less likely to develop upper respiratory
infections, including common colds.
But after a follow-up, the trial also
revealed that a majority of those same participants had low levels
of zinc in their blood.
Subjects in the first trial were supplemented with only half the
recommended daily intake of zinc and other essential vitamins, but
those who had normal blood levels of the mineral overall experienced
less infections and needed fewer antibiotics. Those with zinc
deficiencies were far more prone to developing prolonged illness.
Zinc is a necessary mineral for maintaining health in many other
areas as well.
The eyes and prostate, for example, need
zinc in order to function properly.
"[Zinc] is...important for the
proper functioning of the immune system - which you definitely
want in top working order! Zinc also aids in the regulation of
blood pressure and the mineralization of bone," explains
Elaine Magee in her book
Food Synergy - Unleash Hundreds of
Powerful Healing Food Combinations to Fight Disease and Live
Well.
Sources
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