Re: Enzyme to enhance zinc absorbtion?

[Guest guest]

Maybe try Brainchild's if you have not. Their stuff is highly

absorbable and they even have a sample of it to try. If you want more

than just the zinc they also have minerals and even a sensitive-child

formula. www.brainchildnutritionals.com

, " lygado " <lygado@y...> wrote:

> We have had our son on a high dose of zinc to try to get his levels

> up (in preparation for chelation) and after 3 months of high dosage

> of zinc (60+ mg for a 30lb boy) his RBC Element tests show levels

> lower than ever. We were using the Kirkman Zinc and now we switched

> to WorldHealthMall.com's mini-minerals to see if that makes any

> difference.

>

> A question that I have however, is there a digestive enzyme that

> will help our son absorb zinc? Any suggestions?

>

> Thanks, Steve.

[Guest guest]

Steve,

That is a pretty hefty dose of zinc for several months. Did the

doctor indicate what might be going on? Poor absorption could be a

factor. If the gut isn't absorbing much, it wouldn't be taking up

much of any supplements no matter how much you gave...it goes on

through. Personally, I think enzymes should be a companion with any

supplementation or eating plan, or it might not do any

good...literally money flushed down the drain.

Are you taking any enzymes at all at the moment? I don't recall any

particular enzymes for zinc absorption, but a broad-spectrum enzyme

or proteases would help with general gut healing. If you aren't

taking digestive enzymes, I would suggest doing that right away.

What form is the zinc in...perhaps there is a form that is more

absorbable than what you were using. With calcium and magnesium

minerals the form makes a big difference. Brainchilds makes a highly

absorbable zinc only product you can consider. There is a trial size

of that.

3 other thoughts:

1. The zinc might be doing some good at the moment but it is just not

registering on the test. Zinc helps with gut integrity, immune

system, and even an enzyme co-factor. So you are giving it but it is

being all used up. Did the doctor mention anything along this line?

2. Dr. Walsh at Pfeiffer has mentioned that if you are trying to

increase zinc, such as during their 'zinc-loading' stage, you want to

avoid some of the other supplements that the metallothionein molecule

uses (selenium, a few amino acids, etc) or else it will actually

deplete zinc. I can correspond with you in depth more about this if

you are interested, or contact Pfeiffer if you are a patient. What

happens is that MT needs 7 molecules of zinc. If you give some zinc,

MT quickly takes it all plus the other molecules it needs (selenium,

etc) and carries it all out of the body. Now you have lost 7

molecules of zinc plus the other nutrients (although the MT did take

a little gunk out with it). You need to replace more now than before.

I don't know if there is a way to detect this, but this is what they

feel can happen and is consistent with what you see: adding lots of

zinc and getting a depletion.

What other supplements are you giving along with the zinc, if any?

3. Zinc might be competing with something else...or it isn't really

zinc that is deficient. A close example would be calcium and

magnesium. Calcium may test as being low. But calcium needs magnesium

to be absorbed. You might actually have lots of calcium in the body,

but it can't be used properly until more magnesium shows up. Calcium

and magnesium compete for the same transport molecule. So if you give

more calcium attempting to 'fix' the deficiency, it continues to

outcompete mag but still can be used that way we want.

You need to actually give more magnesium so the body can take up more

mag and thus actually use the calcium which is already in the body.

Now calcium is being sufficiently processed and the deficiency goes

away.

Perhaps there is a similar phenomenon happening with zinc. Any

thoughts on any of these ideas? Hope it helps.

.

[Guest guest]

Thanks ,

I saw Dr. Walsh speak at an autism conference in Long Beach a couple

months ago and I forgot about his discussion of zinc loading.. I

will dig up my notes..

We currently do not have our son using any enzymes, but he is on a

plethora of supplements, including Super Nu Thera, Kirkman Detox,

Tyler CalMag, Vitamin E, TMG, L-Methionine, Ginko Biloba,

Culturelle, Cholostrom, Cod Liver Oil, TD B12, and a few I am sure

that I missed Anyway, we are working with a great doctor in

Florida (we relocated from CA 6 weeks ago to be close to this

doctor) and after loading him with zinc we started Chelation for

about 3 days before the RBC Elements came back with very low Zinc

and Molybdenum and somewhat low Calcium.. We stopped chelation (and

TD Glutathione) while we switched zinc brands to see if we could get

better absorbtion - we have another appt with our doctor in about 3

weeks when we can ask him for more info on why our son is not

absorbing zinc.

I was at and Noble and saw DeFelice's " Enzymes for

Autism and other Neurological Conditions " book (of which I am 47

pages into - great book!) While reading through the intro I started

to question whether it was a matter of our son not getting enough

zinc or simply not absorbing it into his system. The world of

digestive enzymes is new to me so I thought I would throw out the

question to the group.

Thanks again for your help, if you have any other ideas in light of

our son's regiment, I would love to hear them.

Steve

> Steve,

>

> That is a pretty hefty dose of zinc for several months. Did the

> doctor indicate what might be going on? Poor absorption could be a

> factor. If the gut isn't absorbing much, it wouldn't be taking up

> much of any supplements no matter how much you gave...it goes on

> through. Personally, I think enzymes should be a companion with

any

> supplementation or eating plan, or it might not do any

> good...literally money flushed down the drain.

>

> Are you taking any enzymes at all at the moment? I don't recall

any

> particular enzymes for zinc absorption, but a broad-spectrum

enzyme

> or proteases would help with general gut healing. If you aren't

> taking digestive enzymes, I would suggest doing that right away.

>

> What form is the zinc in...perhaps there is a form that is more

> absorbable than what you were using. With calcium and magnesium

> minerals the form makes a big difference. Brainchilds makes a

highly

> absorbable zinc only product you can consider. There is a trial

size

> of that.

>

> 3 other thoughts:

>

> 1. The zinc might be doing some good at the moment but it is just

not

> registering on the test. Zinc helps with gut integrity, immune

> system, and even an enzyme co-factor. So you are giving it but it

is

> being all used up. Did the doctor mention anything along this line?

>

> 2. Dr. Walsh at Pfeiffer has mentioned that if you are trying to

> increase zinc, such as during their 'zinc-loading' stage, you want

to

> avoid some of the other supplements that the metallothionein

molecule

> uses (selenium, a few amino acids, etc) or else it will actually

> deplete zinc. I can correspond with you in depth more about this

if

> you are interested, or contact Pfeiffer if you are a patient. What

> happens is that MT needs 7 molecules of zinc. If you give some

zinc,

> MT quickly takes it all plus the other molecules it needs

(selenium,

> etc) and carries it all out of the body. Now you have lost 7

> molecules of zinc plus the other nutrients (although the MT did

take

> a little gunk out with it). You need to replace more now than

before.

> I don't know if there is a way to detect this, but this is what

they

> feel can happen and is consistent with what you see: adding lots

of

> zinc and getting a depletion.

>

> What other supplements are you giving along with the zinc, if any?

>

> 3. Zinc might be competing with something else...or it isn't

really

> zinc that is deficient. A close example would be calcium and

> magnesium. Calcium may test as being low. But calcium needs

magnesium

> to be absorbed. You might actually have lots of calcium in the

body,

> but it can't be used properly until more magnesium shows up.

Calcium

> and magnesium compete for the same transport molecule. So if you

give

> more calcium attempting to 'fix' the deficiency, it continues to

> outcompete mag but still can be used that way we want.

>

> You need to actually give more magnesium so the body can take up

more

> mag and thus actually use the calcium which is already in the

body.

> Now calcium is being sufficiently processed and the deficiency

goes

> away.

>

> Perhaps there is a similar phenomenon happening with zinc. Any

> thoughts on any of these ideas? Hope it helps.

>

> .