FIR Episode 13: Zinc is essential for your mental and digestive health

Zinc is undoubtedly one of the most important forms of currency your body uses to pay its bills. 

“You walk around with around 2-3 grams of zinc in your body every day. It’s in all tissues in the body, with eighty-five per cent found in your muscles and bones and eleven per cent seen in your skin and liver.”

In this Free and Inspired radio episode, Philip looks at why zinc, its deficiency or supplementation, can unlock your immune system. Philip also looks at zinc’s potential in assisting IBS and depression symptoms. 

Zinc is critical for the function of the immune system, and that’s an understatement.

“Zinc has been referred to as the “gatekeeper of the immune system”, and I think that’s perfect.”

Higher standard meta-analysis studies have also seen oral supplementation reduce the duration of cold symptoms. 

A study from 2021 showed better symptom scores after three days and higher prevention rates of respiratory tract infections in adult populations unlikely to be deficient.

Zinc is a pillar of a successful digestive treatment for IBS.

For example, it plays an essential role in with the tight junctions of the gastrointestinal tract. The same tight junctions that are leaky in “leaky gut.”

Functionally, zinc is also a necessary form of currency when it comes to producing gastric juice, making it essential when it comes to repairing the gut and helping you digest your food properly.

Zinc has clear evidence around its role in depression.

“Did you know that imbalances in zinc levels in the brain cause changes in behaviour, learning, mental function, and susceptibility to epileptic convulsions?”

You can find Zinc in its largest concentrations in the limbic system. The limbic system is the brain’s emotional centre, an essential part of our emotional health. It’s no wonder, for example, it’s been nominated, along with magnesium, as one of the primary nutrients to augment anti-depressant therapy. This combination is effective, especially in treatment-resistant depression.

Philip ends the episode with ways to find out if you need it before jumping into supplementing it.