Category: Health

Not All That Glitters is Gold

Most people do not realize metal’s essential role in the human body. Since the human organism can’t manufacture metal, it requires a dietary intake to meet physiologic needs.

Metals are required for various functions to keep the body running smoothly. A deficiency in a specific essential dietary metal leads to a particular disease state. For example, one form of anemia is due to iron deficiency.

1. National Institutes of Health: “Trace Elements in Human Health and Disease” – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22231/
2. World Health Organization: “Trace Elements in Human Nutrition and Health” – https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241547359
3. Mayo Clinic: “Trace Minerals: What You Need to Know” – https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/trace-minerals/art-20046815
4. National Center for Biotechnology Information: “Trace Elements and Human Health” – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3570616/
5. American Dietetic Association: “Trace Minerals: Key Players in Optimal Health” – https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/preventing-illness/trace-minerals-key-players-in-optimal-health

There are several essential metals needed for homeostasis. Each plays a role in a different process. Some of these biological processes that require metal include:

• Helps move biochemical reactions along. Many enzymatic and other biochemical reactions require a metallic component to drive the reaction forward. The metal ion acts as a catalyst.
• They support the structure of specific proteins. When ionic bonds within protein chains hold a metallic ion, it stabilizes the protein’s shape.
• Reduces oxidative stress. Certain dietary metals can donate electrons that help reduce the free radicals that cause damage from oxidative stress.
• Some metals are required to generate energy. Metals are needed at specific points in the conversion of glucose to energy.
• Metal ions sometimes control feedback mechanisms. Nutritional metals are used in releasing hormones and controlling other biologic functions.

What Metals does the Body Need to Function?

Several essential dietary metals are required to maintain life. Some are commonly known, like iron. But others may come as a surprise. Understanding the role of dietary metals in human physiology can assist nutritional choices to maximize health and wellness outcomes.

Iron

There could be no life without iron. Iron is an integral component of the mechanism that provides oxygen to every living tissue in the human body. The oxygen transport mechanism utilizes a molecule called hemoglobin.

Four molecules of iron (Fe) reside in each molecule of hemoglobin. It is called a tetramer. Each hemoglobin molecule provides the binding site for four oxygen molecules to attach. As the blood circulates hemoglobin, oxygen is delivered and released to tissues that require oxygenation.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of iron varies between menstruating females and everyone else. For most, 8mg per day is sufficient for metabolic needs. However, due to blood loss in menstruating females, the recommendation is 18 mg per day.

Iron deficiency anemia results in shortness of breath on exertion, fatigue, and in severe cases, death. Often it confers a paleness to the skin and the lining of the eye (conjunctiva). Iron is supplied primarily through dietary red meats and green leafy vegetables.

Replacement therapy for iron deficiency can be accomplished by increasing dietary iron, oral supplementation, or injection or intravenous administration. Iron supplementation can cause constipation and gastrointestinal distress. The benefits, however, far out way the mild side effects.

1. World Health Organization: “Iron Deficiency Anemia” – https://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/ida/en/
2. Mayo Clinic: “Iron: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)” – https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/iron/art-20047340
3. National Institutes of Health: “Iron” – https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
4. American Dietetic Association: “Iron and Your Health” – https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/preventing-illness/iron-and-your-health
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Iron Deficiency Anemia” – https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemoglobin/index.html

Copper

Everyone knows that copper is the most common metal used to conduct electricity. However, few know how vital copper is to the human body. Not only is copper an essential ion as an antioxidant, but it also has a role in connective tissue production and repair.

Copper (Cu) acts as a coenzyme in the production of elastin and collagen. Both substances are critical for maintaining the structure and function of the body’s mechanics. An enzyme is a substance that drives a biochemical reaction forward.

It has been said that human beings like to give simple explanations for complex phenomena. Such is the case with the connective tissue biogenesis of elastin and collagen. It has been determined that copper is a rate-limiting step in the complex sequence of events in elastin and collagen formation.

When individual strands of protein need to be combined for elastin or collagen, copper connects the tissue matrices. It is done by bridging proteins from the extracellular matrix. The charges of the copper molecules attract the opposite charges in the strands of adjacent proteins, bringing them together.

Copper is also pivotal in other biologic processes. For example, copper deficiency has been associated with multiple organ systems. Some include decreased white blood cell production, the blood cells that fight infection, an irregular heartbeat, a lower body temperature, thyroid dysfunction, and pale skin blotches.

Dietary copper can be consumed in foods high in protein. Some examples include nuts and seeds, fish (including shellfish), organ meats, whole grains, and for dessert, chocolate. Any well-balanced diet contains enough copper to meet needs. The RDA recommendation for copper is 900mg daily for most people. A little less for younger than adults and a little more for pregnant and lactating mothers are suggested.

1. National Institutes of Health: “Copper” – https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Copper-HealthProfessional/
2. Mayo Clinic: “Copper: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)” – https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/copper/art-20047067
3. American Dietetic Association: “Copper and Your Health” – https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/preventing-illness/copper-and-your-health

Zinc

It seems unusual that science has never found a cure for the common cold. There is one compound, however, that has been proven to minimize cold symptoms if started earlier during the viral syndrome. Zinc has been shown to improve viral upper respiratory symptoms.

The metal zinc has been found throughout the human body’s tissues and blood (blood is also considered a tissue). Zinc is intimately involved in cellular metabolism and function. This makes it necessary for wound healing and all cell growth. In addition, it also contributes to energy production by utilizing carbohydrates (stored sugars), lipids (fat stored from sugars,) and proteins (the last source to derive energy.)

Symptoms of zinc deficiency are subtle but include:

• hair loss
• diarrhea
• more infections
• loss of appetite
• weight loss
• wounds that take a long time to heal
• feeling irritable
• decreased taste and smell

All the symptoms of zinc deficiency are common to many other disorders. The good news is that zinc is available in many foods. Oysters have the most; however, red meats and poultry also are high in zinc content. Grains, cereals, nuts, dairy, and beans also contain significant quantities.

1. National Institutes of Health: “Zinc” – https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/
2. World Health Organization: “Zinc in Human Health” – https://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/zinc/en/
3. Mayo Clinic: “Zinc: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)” – https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/zinc/art-20047074
4. American Dietetic Association: “Zinc and Your Health” – https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/preventing-illness/zinc-and-your-health
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Zinc” – https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/zinc.html

Silver

Silver has been known for its antimicrobial activity throughout history. In modern times it has been used to purify water, in cardiac devices, and in other surgical appliances. Another current application is the use of silver ions impregnated into surgical dressings. Burn care relies on the silver dressings most used.

The action of colloidal silver in the body has its effects by denaturing (breaking down) proteins. It is how it works as an antimicrobial by breaking down the bacterial cell wall.

There are no known side effects from a lack of silver intake. There are, however, some notable side effects from taking too much. For example, it can turn the skin a shade of blue in excess and cause cognitive dysfunction.

1. National Institutes of Health: “Silver” – https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Silver-HealthProfessional/
2. Mayo Clinic: “Silver: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Dosage” – https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/silver-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20065010
3. American Dietetic Association: “Silver and Your Health” – https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/preventing-illness/silver-and-your-health
4. Coated Silver: “The surprising Health Benefits of Silver” – https://coatedsilver.com/resources/the-surprising-health-benefits-of-silver-an-ancient-remedy-rediscovered/

The Tip of the Metal Iceberg

The human body requires several other essential metals to grow, repair, and stay healthy. Therefore, a better insight into the crucial dietary metals presented conveys the importance of ingesting a diet rich in these molecules. In addition, supplemental intake of the metals needed may be considered.

Zinc on the first day of a cold or the flu can significantly minimize the time and severity of illness. Iron should be considered for busy, menstruating women who need to pay more attention to dietary intake. The more you know about what your body needs, the better you can take care of it.

Direct electrical stimulation of the amygdala, a region of the brain associated with memory and emotional behavior, can enhance next-day recognition of images when applied immediately after the images are viewed the first time, according to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

“We were able to tag specific memories to be better remembered later,” said co-first author Cory Inman, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory University.

“One day, this could be incorporated into a device aimed at helping patients with severe memory impairments, like those with traumatic brain injuries or mild cognitive impairment associated with various neurodegenerative diseases. However, right now, this is more of a scientific finding than a therapeutic one.”

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) involves an electrical current delivered continuously through an implanted device. The procedure is an established clinical method for the treatment of movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and is being tested for psychiatric conditions such as depression.

The current study involved 14 epilepsy patients at Emory University Hospital who were undergoing intracranial monitoring, an invasive procedure used for the diagnosis of seizure origin, during which electrodes are introduced into the brain.

The results show that 79 percent of the participants (11 out of 14) improved on overnight memory tests, while the remaining 21 percent showed no improvement or impairment. Study participants’ recognition only increased for the stimulated images and not for the control images shown in between the stimulated images.

When compared to no stimulation, the increase in the number of images accurately recognized ranged from around eight percent up to several hundred percent.

Some of the patients already had impaired memory as a result of their epilepsy; in general, these patients saw a greater effect of DBS. For example, one patient essentially forgot all of the control images but maintained good memory for the stimulated images. However, a substantial effect was also observed in people who had an average memory to start with.

“The average was like having a ‘B’-level memory performance move up to an ‘A’,” said senior author Jon T. Willie, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of neurosurgery and neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, who performed surgeries on patients in the study.

“We see this as a platform for the further study of memory enhancement. The time specificity enables a lot of other experiments since we know that there’s not a carry-over effect from one image to the next.”

The key role the amygdala plays in emotional responses and fear-associated learning has been well-studied. The scientists made sure that amygdala stimulation stayed at low levels of current (0.5 milliamps) and did not result in emotional responses, an elevated heart rate, or other signs of arousal. Patients reported that they did not notice the stimulation at any point in the study.

The researchers also avoided direct stimulation of the hippocampus, believing that would be too close to the machinery of memory itself, like introducing a live wire into a computer’s motherboard.

“We chose the amygdala because of decades of research in rodents, showing that it interacts with several other memory structures in a modulatory role,” said co-first author Joseph Manns, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology. “We wanted to stimulate its endogenous function, which we think is to signal salience — something standing out — so that specific experiences are remembered in the future.”

In previous research, Manns had already found that electrical amygdala stimulation increases rodents’ ability to recognize images later. The human experiments were designed to closely resemble how his lab’s tests with rodents were set up.

During the experiment, the patients were shown 160 neutral objects (emotional faces were excluded, for example) and were asked to tell whether the objects belonged indoors or outdoors.

For half of the images, participants received stimulation for one second after each image disappeared from the screen. They were tested on half the stimulated images and half the unstimulated images immediately, and the other half the next day. A total of 40 new images were used as decoys. The effect of stimulation on immediate recognition was not statistically strong. However, the next day, the effects on stimulated images were clear.

“This makes sense because the amygdala is thought to be important for memory consolidation — making sure important events stick over time,” Manns says.

Source: Emory Health Sciences

Related Resources

• Can brain stimulation boost memory performance?
• Could Transcranial Brain Stimulation Help Sharpen Memory?
• Magnetic brain stimulation may enhance memory
• Physical and mental multitasking may boost memory
• Thanks for the Memories

When it comes to treating anxiety, even holistic therapy will take some time to effectively address the root of the problem.  Following are a few easy “tricks” that can help people feel less anxious immediately. It’s surprising these aren’t more well-known since they’re so simple and they work so quickly. Here are three tips to help with managing anxiety.

1. Stabilize your blood sugar.

Problem: Anxiety occurs when the body is tripped into the “fight-or-flight mode” or “stress response.” Sometimes the stress response is out of your control, like during a big presentation at work or traffic on your commute, but other times it’s completely preventable. One very common and preventable cause of stress response is low blood sugar. Many of you are already familiar with the experience of feeling “hangry” (hungry/angry). For some people, blood sugar dips cause anxiety. And most of the time these folks aren’t even aware of this connection. If this is you, you can make yourself significantly less anxious by maintaining stable blood sugar.

Solution: The definitive solution is to cut out (or down) sugar and refined carbohydrates, eat plenty of healthy fats and protein, and stick to safe starches like sweet potatoes and plantains. Short of that total diet overhaul, you can also rely on something like coconut oil or sprouted almond butter to give yourself a blood sugar safety net. If you feel your blood sugar crashing, take a spoonful of coconut oil or almond butter. If you’re running out of the house and you know you’ll be on the go without much time to pause and eat, take a spoonful. If you’re about to go to bed and you often wake up in the middle of the night or in the morning with racing thoughts and anxiety, take a spoonful before bed. If you’re headed to a happy hour or a wedding, and you know there will be booze aplenty but not necessarily healthy food, take a spoonful. You can even carry portable almond butter packets in your bag so you can always have a spoonful on hand. Taking these precautions to keep your blood sugar stable can prevent your body from going into a stress response, and this will curb your anxiety fast.

2. Cut out caffeine.

Problem: Nobody likes this one. Drinking coffee is our favorite ritual, culturally. It’s warm, comforting, delicious, trendy, and often it’s the only thing getting us out of bed in the morning. But if you suffer from anxiety and you consume any form of caffeine, it behooves you to at least do try life without caffeine for an extended period of time (not just a day). Caffeine makes your body much more likely to get tripped into a stress response—it’s as though it makes your nervous system ready for a fight. If you combine coffee with a busy life and a stressful job, that’s enough to make almost anybody anxious. You’ll be able to handle the busy life and stressful job much more calmly without coffee revving up your nervous system.

Solution: A word of caution: Proceed slowly with any adjustments to caffeine consumption. Caffeine withdrawal is no joke, so make gradual adjustments and allow your body to acclimate before you take the next step. If you drink three coffees a day, go down to two. If you drink one cup, change it to half-caf. If you’re drinking black tea, try green tea. And if you’re a green tea drinker but still experiencing anxiety, do a trial completely off caffeine. Removing caffeine from the equation can make you more resilient to stress and lessen your daily anxiety level.

3. Try two (everyone has two!) minutes of breathwork.

Problem: Many of you know that breathing exercises are a powerful antidote to anxiety. They put the body directly into the relaxation response, which is the opposite of the stress response. This relaxed state protects us from anxiety, and can even treat anxiety as it’s happening. Breathing exercises are safe, effective, free, and available to us anytime, anywhere. So why aren’t we all doing daily breathing exercises?

Solution: Starting a new habit is always the hardest part. If I had the secret key to unlock the challenge of human behavioral change, believe me, I would share it with you. Let’s at least say this: Lower your standards. Rather than holding onto a perfectionistic approach to meditation (I’ll meditate when I have a half hour to devote to it, and I have a comfortable, quiet spot, and there’s nothing left to do on my to-do list, and the moon is in conjunction synastry with Capricorn ascendant…then I’ll meditate). No. We must collect ourselves to meditate today, right now, while there are tons of urgent matters waiting for our attention, while we feel like we have no time. That is when the magic happens. So set aside the phone or computer and after reading this article, just sit and focus on your breath.

Here’s a super-quick and easy breathing exercise to combat anxiety. It’s called the 4-2-4 breath. Inhale to the count of 4, hold the breath for 2 counts, and exhale to the count of 4. Set a timer and do this for two minutes at least once a day, or whenever you’re anxious. Everybody has two minutes.

While these tips may not get you the same benefit as seven years of therapy or living in sync with nature in a utopian community, I hope you’re able to at least put these three simple steps into action tomorrow (or even today) to curb your anxiety quickly.