Beauty, fertility, mental balance by Danièle Starenkyj© 2015
It begins with the last letter of the alphabet. No, it's not crazy, but its absence is causing discord. I'm talking about zinc—not the local bistro, nor the old-fashioned military aircraft, but the trace element whose dietary deficiency induces infinitely varied symptoms.
Adequate zinc intake is essential for male fertility. From the age of 12, a significant zinc intake is required to support a boy's pubertal development. The prostate, seminal vesicles, and testes contain a very large amount of zinc, which is essential for their normal development and function.
In adulthood, zinc deficiency is the cause of many cases of male infertility and sterility, as zinc plays a key role in the synthesis of sperm and testosterone, a hormone that affects the production and motility of spermatozoa.
In middle age, zinc deficiency can cause inflammation of the prostate and promote prostate cancer.
Pubertal development in girls requires a lower intake of zinc, but its deficiency in them can manifest itself as premenstrual tension.
Animal experiments have shown that a serious zinc deficiency can have a teratogenic effect. It hinders normal fetal development. It causes several labor abnormalities and complications during delivery.
Zinc plays several essential roles in the immune system, especially in the functions of T lymphocytes. Zinc deficiency
Zinc deficiency, right after calorie deficiency, is the one that most profoundly affects the immune system, and this at any stage of fetal, neonatal, or postnatal life. For example, deprivation of colostrum (always very rich in zinc) leads to a significant reduction in the immune response, but it also hinders the absorption of zinc by the intestines. However, celiac disease develops from a zinc deficiency. Zinc is an anti-allergy agent. (See Finally Slim, p. 185)
Signs of zinc deficiency in men include white spots on the nails, stretch marks on the shoulders, chest, abdomen, thighs, and hips, lack of body hair, and underdeveloped sexual organs. Women also experience white spots on the nails and stretch marks, often beginning at puberty and very commonly during pregnancy.
Zinc deficiency causes taste distortions (pica -- a morbid craving for inedible substances), loss of taste (nothing tastes good), nausea during pregnancy, and loss of appetite (anorexia).
Many behavioral abnormalities have a zinc deficiency as a backdrop: irritability, lethargy, depression (especially in adolescence). Some authors speak of intense nervousness, and even psychosis.
The most common causes of zinc deficiency, besides a diet deprived of whole, unrefined vegetables, are: excessive sweating in hot weather, during strenuous exercise, or during steam baths; gastrointestinal bleeding (beware of allergy to bovine protein, excessive use of aspirin); excessive sexual arousal -- zinc is excreted in vaginal secretions, prostatic secretions, semen, sweat. A single ejaculation causes the loss of 1.4 mg of zinc. Cybersex, a mask for male depression according to Dr. A. Hart (see Depression in Men, pp. 102-108), causes an addiction to
masturbation which leads to a significant decrease in libido, and serious losses in zinc; excess dietary iron (that which is added to refined products – see the article Neither too much nor too little) which inhibits the absorption of zinc.
Here are a few more reasons to choose a diet based on unprocessed, plant-based foods. These are the only "smart" foods that respect our internal ecology, protecting the beauty of our skin and the balance of our character. And when you want to become a parent, eating whole, plant-based, and fresh foods is the fundamental way to prepare for it with happiness. (See Becoming a Parent – Living a New Paradigm)
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