Let’s start with some straightforward stats: 2 billion people, which is 25% of the world’s population, are considered zinc deficient. Closer to 70% (on average), don’t have optimal zinc levels. Ok, you might say, but really, what can this one mineral mean to your health and happiness?

Here’s a table of the micronutrient’s functions and deficiency symptoms. Read through it, and when you do, make note of any noticeable symptoms.

Did any of the listed zinc deficiency symptoms sound familiar? It’s kind of wild that one micronutrient can affect so many crucial body functions and ongoing health, isn’t it? But zinc is an essential micronutrient. That means its presence plays a critical role in our health from conception until death. Yet stress levels, hormones, medications, and dietary changes can all impact zinc status.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient that plays a critical role in our overall health – from conception until death.

For instance, just look at this list of commonly prescribed and recommended medications, all of which can negatively impact zinc status: Spironolactone (combined with other meds to help treat blood pressure, reduce fluid build-up), Furosemide (a diuretic), thyroid hormones, systemic antibacterials (like these), and corticosteroids (like these).

So be sure to pay attention to any deficiency symptoms that come up and get your zinc status checked once a year at minimum – through a blood test, if possible.

How to Test for Zinc Deficiency

There are 2 typical ways you can test for zinc deficiency:

1. Bloodwork: you can go to a lab and get your serum zinc level tested through a blood draw.
   – Optimal levels are above 90 micrograms per Deciliter (µ/dl)
2. Home Test: zinc sulfate taste test. You’ll need to purchase a bottle of zinc sulfate liquid, place a capful in your mouth, and observe the sensations in your mouth. Below are the possible outcomes and indications:

• You Notice No Metallic Taste: Deficiency
• You Notice A Delayed Metallic Taste: Slight Deficiency
• You Notice Slight Metallic Taste: Zinc Levels adequate, but could be improved 
• You Notice Very Strong Metallic Taste: You Likely Have Optimal Levels

How to Improve Your Zinc Status

Because zinc is not stored in the body, it’s imperative to eat zinc-rich foods every day. Optimally, you’ll take in 12-15mg per day for a maintenance dose and up to 30mg per day to combat deficiency or to support a health condition. Below are some top zinc-rich foods.

Remember that if it’s difficult to get daily amounts of food options that can improve zinc status, you can take a supplement, as well. The 2 best forms of zinc in supplement form are:

• Zinc Picolinate
• Zinc Glycinate (or diglycinate)

You can get a 15% discount on all supplements through my online store. Just visit my website here then scroll to the bottom of the page to find the Fullscript link.  

For an energy-filled life, it simply makes good sense to ensure our body has what it needs to keep moving and feeling as good as we possibly can. If you would like to improve your zinc status or overall health, a Holistic Nutrition Professional like me can help! Contact me today.   

Article Resources:

• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-53202-0#MOESM1
• https://academic.oup.com/ndt/article/35/7/1171/5531255?login=false
• https://t-nation.com/t/zinc-and-the-female-sex-drive/281691

Dangers of Prolonged Plastic Use

Plastic. It’s everywhere. Yes, we rely on its value as far as convenience and cost. However, making our lives easier and cheaper is coming at a price. Did you know that prolonged plastic use comes with health risks? From hormone disruption to cancer, infertility, and now, cardiovascular damage.

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, based on data from more than 200 people undergoing surgery due to stroke risk shows that nearly 60% had microplastics – or even smaller nanoplastics – in a main artery. Scarily, those 60% are “4.5 times more likely to experience a heart attack, a stroke, or death in the (approximately) 34 months following the surgery than those with plastic-free arteries.”

Limiting Day-to-Day Plastic Exposure

We don’t yet know the full scope of how plastic affects our bodies, and each body reacts differently to plastic – how it’s able to remove and break it down.  For me and my family, I choose to limit our plastic exposure to mitigate future health concerns.  We do this by using:

• Cloth produce bags
• Glass and stainless steel food and drink containers
  • Bringing our own container for leftovers when we go out for a meal
• High-quality water filter
• Whole food options, purchasing less processed & pre-packaged food
• Good laundry practices – clothes are a huge source of microplastics. We reduce exposure by:
  • Doing fewer, more fully loaded loads
  • Using cold water
  • Using less detergent
  • Drying laundry on a clothesline

Micro / Nano Plastics & Inflammation

The study also reveals that those who have micro or nano plastics in their blood often have higher level biomarkers for inflammation. It’s well-known that more inflammation places people at greater health risk. So if you’re already dealing with plaque or other cardiovascular issues, those plastics only make a bad situation worse.

While some exposure is out of our control, regardless of “best practices,” the less you interact with plastic, the better your future health. To learn more about holistic health approaches to boost your cardiovascular wellness, let’s talk. I’m diving into more cardiometabolic knowledge to help clients who want to adjust their overall approach to health to include proven functional nutrition methods.

Get in touch with Christopher Horan, CR, CFNC, to discuss how a holistic nutrition approach can transform your overall health. He is a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor (CFNC) through the Functional Nutrition Alliance, as well as a longtime Certified Rolfer (CR). His practice offices are in Tacoma and Bellevue, Washington.

Reference Sources:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2400683

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/microplastics-linked-to-heart-attack-stroke-and-death/?_kx=hyPJ_CySsJG_gOPehS77aLXxT8ehqHCjzcT3WxAa3wiLK3a6e54t_jUwHsvkbdeZ.HKMsXE

Laundry Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/laundry-is-a-top-source-of-microplastic-pollution-heres-how-to-clean-your-clothes-more-sustainably

Magnesium is a naturally occurring mineral in many everyday whole foods and snacks: pumpkin seeds, roasted almonds, brown rice, and spinach, to name just a few (more here on the National Institute of Health’s site). Overall, magnesium is heavily involved in cellular metabolic and biochemical processes. With it being so readily available, how is it that being magnesium deficient is so common?

According to the NIH article cited above, as much as 75 percent of us in the US fall into the range of magnesium deficient. No surprise that processed foods are one of the culprits – refining and processing strips the nutrients out of foods. But sometimes, our bodies work against us.

The kicker: it’s really hard to test for magnesium deficiency using blood tests, etc. Most of us simply have to figure it out on our own based on symptoms or with the help of a professional, like a functional nutrition counselor.

For instance, subtle symptoms may already exist – you have trouble sleeping well, suffer from anxiety, or get frequent muscle cramps.  You’re also highly likely to be deficient when you’re a diabetic, suffer from other insulin-resistant issues, have a Vitamin D deficiency, or deal with Crohn’s or Celiac disease – just to name a few chronic health issues.

Why it’s Important to Take the Right Form of Magnesium

You’ve likely never had to think too much about magnesium, so you may be unaware there are multiple types, each with its own strengths. An intake process with a qualified FxN counselor can help you more efficiently identify the type of magnesium that best suits you, the cause of your symptoms, and your body’s tolerance for supplements.  Avoid wasting time with the incorrect form. 

I’ll go into more detail on the various types in the next post, but they are:

• Magnesium Glycinate
• Magnesium L-Threonate
• Topical Magnesium: Magnesium Chloride & Sulfate
• Magnesium Malate
• Magnesium Citrate
• Magnesium Taurate
• Magnesium Oxide

As with anything you’re going to ingest, be sure to read the full ingredients list – the shorter that list, the better! You want to avoid fillers and additives (gelatin, magnesium stearate) that may irritate your system. Taking the correct form will address magnesium deficiency and ensure you’re absorbing key nutrients in the most beneficial way.

Contact Christopher Horan for more information on holistic nutrition or pain-free movement. He is a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor (CFNC) through the Functional Nutrition Alliance, as well as a longtime Certified Rolfer (CR). His practice offices are in Tacoma and Bellevue, Washington.

Imagine a situation where you have a health concern – say digestive issues are causing extreme discomfort, brain fog is affecting your personal and work life, or anxiety and depression are taking their toll. Your doctor or other care provider looks at the symptoms, matches them to a pre-determined diagnostic code, then prescribes the protocol medication(s). Maybe they recommend minor adjustments to diet or exercise. Sound familiar? This is your health getting the same treatment that works (at least on the surface) for 80% of those with similar symptoms. 

How – when each body is unique – does this address your unique self? Here’s when working with a Functional Nutrition Counselor can make a difference.

Known as the Pareto principle, the 80/20 rule means that “for many events, roughly 80% of the results come from 20% of the efforts made.” Now, to apply that definition to the health sector and typical treatment, if you’re one of the 80% that responds well to that 20% effort from traditional medical protocols, that’s awesome. If not, what do you do? Where do you turn for help with your health concern?

Flipping the 80/20 Rule in Your Favor

How listening to your whole self – body, diet, lifestyle, habits – will lead the way.

More and more, we hear of people who simply cannot find relief, much less healing. Maybe you see countless specialists, feel like a pincushion from pokes and blood tests, take meds that mess with your system, and still feel like crud. What needs to change? The approach.

Understand that your entire body system needs to be considered. And that’s what functional nutritionists do. We look at the whole body – not only the part that’s exhibiting the illness or discomfort. Going deeper to find the root cause of the problem, not simply tackling the symptom, is only one way the holistic practitioner goes beyond the 20% effort.

The bioindividualized healthcare approach.

As practitioners, we call this approach “bioindividualized” healthcare. It’s care that’s tailored to what’s going on with your body systems – and it’s far from a cookie-cutter solution.

That means that there isn’t one magic bullet that’s going to fix everything. Not one standalone supplement or one “superfood” will suddenly propel you to 100% holistic health. To believe that is to fall into the very path that brought you to see me in the first place – the one that relies on that old 80/20 rule.

For example, as someone who looks at what you put into your body from a holistic nutrition standpoint, I’m going to ask “Why” you feel the way you do. I’m also going to discuss your environment, activities, and more. And keep digging until we get to the root of the issue. 

When you work with me as a Functional Nutrition Counselor, our goal is to heal you, not just provide temporary relief. You’re an active participant in rebuilding your health. We begin with a free, no-risk, telephone discovery session, then build from there. Are you ready to not only feel temporarily better but to be in overall better health? Let’s get started! Call 425-449-6458 or email me via the website today.

Christopher Horan is a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor (CFNC) through the Functional Nutrition Alliance, as well as a longtime Certified Rolfer (CR). His practice offices are in Tacoma and Bellevue, Washington. Functional Nutrition counseling is offered via online video, as well.

Reference: Inspired by “Field Guide to Functional Nutrition” by the pioneering Andrea Nakayama, Functional Medicine Nutritionist, Educator, and Speaker.