zinc deficeincy question

[tony5]

hi

i havebe getting white dots on my nails on and off, my calcium levels are fine, vit D levels were just slightly low but not
consderably low and wre above marks of vit d deficiency. i have also noticed the dots disappear if i consume cheese, (i seen these symptoms after i went on a weight losing plan, including alot of exercise) what could it be in cheese that is clearing the white dots on my nails, i do get fatigue and some times body aches. I also feel it could be zinc, but i was told and read that one of the first symptoms in order are hair loss then you would get the white dots on the nails, in my case i have had no hair loss so would this not be a possible zinc deficiency?


thank you

[tony5]

thankyou for the reply, i just had a look into magnesium, didn't know it was that important, i do get weakness and bones,joint aches, specially my back and am depressed alot.
could be a combination of deficiencies, i might try both zinc and magnesium supplements and see if it makes a difference.

thank you so much for the information, has helped alot.

[Red_Star]

After checking out a few links i stumbled across this:

"One of the first signs of zinc deficiency is in fact the slowing of hair growth, breaking nails, or doubled nails, or nails with white spots."

The vitamins and minerals most often responsible for hair loss are vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, copper, iron, zinc, folic acid, and biotin. If you are dealing with anxiety, try magnesium.

Causes of hair loss:

Pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia)

Alopecia areata - autoimmune disease

Telogen effluvium - hair loss usually due to a change in the normal hair cycle: emotional distress such as a death in the family or a physiological stress such as a high fever, sudden or excessive weight loss, extreme diets, nutritional deficiencies, surgery, or metabolic disturbances

Traction alopecia - excessive hairstyling or hairstyles that pulls the hair too tightly

Poor nutrition - inadequate protein or iron in your diet, fad diets, crash diets, eating disorders

Diseases such as diabetes and lupus

Medications such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy

Hormonal changes such as pregnancy, childbirth, discontinuation of birth control pills, the onset of menopause, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism

Hair treatments - chemicals used for dying, tinting, bleaching, straightening or permanent waves

Trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder)

[tony5]

hi
thankyou soo much for the relpy, that has helped greatly, i get aches and pains in my mucles and joints at times and some axiety, i have had tests for vit d and the calcium and they were fine, so cheese is fairly high in zinc, it could be possible it maybe zinc difficency, i've not had any other symptoms unless i',v gotten used to them and are left unnoticed.

so the hairloss is not the first sign of zionc deficiency, one can be deficient without hair loss?

again thank you so much

tony

[Red_Star]

The major sign of zinc deficiency is affected taste. The zinc taste test is recommended. I have had this done for free at my local pharmacy showing i had zinc deficiency. You can also purchase zinc sulfate to try at home. I can't say for sure what all my zinc deficiency symptoms were as i has other severe deficiency states and medical conditions concurrently. But the most obvious ones that stood out was needing to add a LOT of salt to my chicken to taste it, poorer sense of smell, night blindness, white spots on nails.

A variety of cheeses are high in zinc, particularly swiss and gouda. Swiss cheese has the highest amount of zinc at 29% of the daily value; Gouda contains 26 %.  One ounce of cheddar cheese supplies approximately 25% of the recommended daily allowance for calcium, 15% for phosphorous and 6% for zinc, selenium, vitamin A and riboflavin.

Some excerpts about zinc deficiency from the article "The Zinc Taste Test" by Ronald L. Myers, CNC.

"In 1984 information appeared in the Lancet (Aug 11, p. 350; Nov 17, p. 1162) regarding the use of the Zinc Taste Test (ZTT) in patients with anorexia and depression.  This test was developed and used because plasma and serum zinc levels were considered unreliable measures of zinc status."

"Patient should refrain from eating, drinking or smoking for at least a half-hour.  Have the patient place 1 to 2 tsp. of Aqueous Zinc in their mouth swirling it for 10 seconds and then swallow it or spit it out.  After 30 seconds the patient is asked to describe the taste and their response should be graded based on the following parameters:

1) Optimal zinc levels—An immediate, unpleasant, obviously adverse taste, at which the patient normally grimaces.

2) Adequate Zinc Levels—A definite but not strongly unpleasant taste is noted immediately and tends to intensify with time.

3) Quite Zinc Deficient—No taste noted initially, but develops in 10-15 seconds.

4) Very Zinc Deficient—Tasteless or “tastes like water”