With all the disclosures about funding received from the drug companies by "unbiased" research teams at major universities, it is not surprising that many of these studies have determined that a drug produced by the funding drug company is "beneficial" but none of them cure the actual cause. Of course, these studies also pointed out the serious side effects of most of these drugs, while also concluding that the drug manufactured by the drug company paying for the research was worth the risk.
However, there is still research being done into treating not the symptoms but the actual cause of illness or body malfunction. Often this research has been sponsored by the United Nations which is addressing problems in countries where the funds are not available to buy high-priced drugs that really only treat symptoms and cause many other side effects. Zinc deficiency has been investigated for many years, but as the need to find a cure for many conditions and symptoms is being demanded by more patients, many more studies are being done. In this newsletter we will discuss zinc and zinc deficiency.
ZINC
Ancient Egyptian texts advocate the use of zinc, and it has continued to be recommended for help in the treatment of a number of diseases and conditions. Zinc is one of 14 essential minerals that are considered necessary for the proper function of the body. The essential minerals are:
- Calcium
- Chromium
- Copper
- Fluorine
- Iodine
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Molybdenum
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Selenium
- Sodium
- Zinc
Scientists have shown that zinc stimulates the activity of at least 100 enzymes--substances that promote reactions in our body-- and many scientists say that the number of enzymes may be as high as 300. Some medical researchers believe that zinc acts as a neurotransmitter and if zinc levels are too low, this could be a cause of abnormal behavior.
CONDITIONS LINKED TO ZINC DEFICIENCY ADHD & ADD
Many parents have felt that tightening of their stomach when they received the call from their children's school telling them that their child had ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or ADD (attention deficit disorder). The normal solution from the school is not to have the child taken to a doctor and tested for any physical problems but to put them on a drug that is chemically similar to cocaine.
Many doctors have shown that children presenting the supposed symptoms of ADHD or ADD were actually suffering from real physical problems. Sometimes these children simply required a diet change because they were allergic to certain foods. Sometimes they were just ingesting too much sugar. Other times they were found to have thyroid problems or other medical problems.
Other children have had problems with zinc or other essential metals. Once treated effectively, the cause of the symptoms was no longer present and the symptoms of ADHD and ADD were gone-all without using these dangerous drugs.
"Zinc deficiency mimics symptoms of ADHD," said Dr. L. Eugene Arnold, a child psychiatrist at Ohio State's Nisonger Center." He continued, "Preliminary work suggests the ADHD population may have a higher prevalence of marginal zinc deficiency."
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