Jump to content
ACN Latitudes Forums

ZINC DEFICIENCY survey thread


Claire

Recommended Posts

ZINC DEFICIENCY

 

Extrapolating Pfeiffer's stats on ASD kids from last night to us (rightly or wrongly) 2/3rd of our kids have zinc deficiency. I am beginning to think zinc deficiency is at or near the top of the list (a necessary but not sufficient element to treatment). Any white spots on the nails is a sign, per Pfeiffer (Dr. Walsh brought it up last night, and their doctor even looked at my nails. Here he discusses repletion--you can ask your doctor about it. [i will always suggest having a doctor involved if you supplement more than the daily RDA--note Pfeiffer warns that indiscriminate dosing if you don't need it can cause imbalances. Zinc is very important in getting rid of cadmium and copper.

 

http://www.hriptc.org/zinc_deficiency.html

 

REQUEST: Would people here please post:

--Does (or did, if you went to Pfeiffer and have since corrected it) your child have ANY white spots (they can be small) on their fingernails--YES OR NO?

--check your own or your spouses nails (good old genetics

 

-- Any test concluding that they had or didn't have a deficiency?

 

Funny, I called or checked the two people I know that I suspect of zinc deficiency and both had white spots. The 'test' is free, even if not 100% accurate, it sure would get me to test if positive.

 

So far: 7 of 7 who posted showed white spots or tested for a zinc deficiency

----------------------------------

POSITIVE

1. Claire: Son, Yes. (actually no longer since the zinc supplements 6 months ago) Mother Yes. (still have them, I guess I am not supplementing enough. Father No. Confirming diagnosis? Yes tests showed deficiencies for all three. Labcorp for son, and Spectracell for mother and father.

2. Carolyn LSC (spectracell neg zinc def, Pyroluria positive--######. with zinc def.

3. Ad ccl (plus mother and father), Hair test showed positive for zinc def

4. Lulu yes for son, no for mother. Testing to occur soon, will update

5. NTBowen. yes white lines that grow out. Organic acid test showed zinc deficiency. Will retest with Pfeiffer in April and update. [i put this here though I am not sure what the white lines mean (Jennifer thinks protein..., but the real point is to ID zinc deficiencies, which her child did test positive for.]

6. Jennifer Zinc deficiency per Labcorp test. white spots unknown.

7. Kim serum test 76 (qualifier: per Pfeiffer standards) [i think this was Kim..]

8. Caz white spots on nails, no confirmaton

 

----------------------------------------------

 

People may think we don't have enough now to see trends, but I keep hoping that over time we do. We have to start somewhere! I will try again to update the top post for results. Part of this process is to guide people on where to spend money for what tests.

 

Edited: What this means is controversial. Comments here show some thing it is magnesium or calcium deficiency. Some sites say it is meaningless.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I have zinc deficiency. I had more white spots on my fingernails before I started supplementing and still have a couple small ones. Sprectracell showed no zinc deficiency. I tested positive for pyroluria. Muscle testing showed that I was deficient in zinc.

 

Carolyn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son has a few tiny white spots on his nails, I also have some white spots as does my husband. I am somewhat confused as I was thinking about the white spots the other day when I read the post and seemed to remember hearing that the spots were the result of a deficiency in calcium - this was from childhood. Anyway - I did ask the naturopath this week about it and she said the spots were calcium and I think magnesium deficiency. Is there a consensus about the spots or do some think it is zinc and others calcium or a combo? Just curious.

 

Anyway - we did a hair test for heavy metals...it showed a deficiency in zinc - normal range was 180-220 and he was 95. It also showed a deficiency in calcium - normal range was 180-760 - he was 105. This surprised me considering when the test was done he had just stopped all dairy a week before, so previous to that he had a diet that consisted of mostly calcium enriched foods. Obviously he was not absorbing. He did do a zinc tally test - not sure if anyone knows about this - you drink some liquid and if it tastes like water you are deficient, if it tastes like metal you are fine...he said at first it tasted like water then within a few seconds said it was yucky and tasted like salt. I would guess he would have no words to describe something metallic. So this test seems to say he is not deficient. Such a guessing game. ( I tried it and it tasted like water to me)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Alison,

 

I am sure there is no consensus. I know Pfeiffer is big on the white spots meaning zinc deficiency. I just googled on zinc deficiency + fingernails and found multiple references to it. I then did the same thing for cacium found and the first 2 I checked said it was just a myth. Then I found a couple saying it was a myth for zinc also. :wacko:

 

Pfeiffer has seen 20,000 patients and keeps incredible stats, so I give them some credibility. However, they agree in general they need an independent party to be involved in the studies.

 

I know about the zinc taste test. I heard it has some degree of success, but as with any of these things, some room for error.

 

I waver between quoting these home diagnostics or not. As long as people don't treat based on them I guess I feel it is okay--just like the yeast saliva test.

 

Really part of my reason for the post was not just to raise zinc awareness but to see if there was a disproportionate number here with white spots! Based on the very limited response, I don't think there is.

 

Claire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Claire,

 

I have been meaning to respond to that thread, but keep forgetting to check my husband and my oldest son for the white spots. I have at least 3 white spots (no obvious physical problems) and my youngest son has 3-4 but his are bigger than mine. Also, I have barely any half moons, except thumbs, the same with younger son (8 yrs. old-mild tics and little sign of OCD relating to eating), My older son, 12 yrs. (teeth grinding and head shaking tics) and my husband, both have great half moons. My oldest son has been on TS Plus Control and the EPA/DHA (Bontech marine lipids) since late January, so he could have better levels. Wish I had checked him before the supps. When I have enough information i.e. yeast test, cleaner diet etc. I plan to start my younger son on supplements too. I will let you know if I see a difference in the white spots or half moons when we get there.

 

Kim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems like the Psychiatrist I've went to for several years always said the white spots were magnesium deficiency. The other 2 doctors I've went to in this last year say the white spots are zinc deficiency. So I've heard it both ways. I wanted to suggest that when you or doctors are looking at your kids fingernails to be sure the kids know why. My Psychiatrist always used to look at my fingernails and I hated it. I always asked my parents why he looked at my fingernails and they would say they didn't know why. I got so irritated that when it was time to go to the doctor's I would put fingernail polish on so he couldn't see my fingernails. If I would have known why the doctor always looked at my fingernails back then I don't think I would have had a problem with it.

 

Carolyn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son has white lines across his fingernails for years now, and they grow out. Doctors have always said that it happens after an infection or insult on body...they are not spots but white horizontal lines. I actually was worried about this way before I was concerned about all the tics. Our organic acid test indicated a zinc deficiency, but we are going to run more test when we go to Pfeifer in April. I'll let you know more after our visit. Does anyone else have these white lines that grow out then come back...etc???

 

Natalie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lisa,

 

ZINC

What zinc test was this? Spectracell blood test? A hair test?

 

My son, with white spots, showed no zinc deficiency with the Spectracell or hair test, but the Labcorp.com serum test showed him zinc deficient. My husband had no white spots, but the Spectracell test did show him deficient.

 

I don't know exactly what to make of this, but I know that our doctor says tests are just different enough where you sometimes need multiple tests to uncover something. I like the labcorp test best myself. Sorry if I forgot, but did you test for pyroluria?

 

IRON

Iron is brought up by Vitamin C. Apparently you need adequate vit A in the diet. As mentioned before, it is not good to take iron with zinc and calcium--absorption is impacted. Here is more on iron, including the reaction with other elements.

 

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/mine...iron/index.html

 

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid): Vitamin C strongly enhances the absorption of nonheme iron by reducing dietary ferric iron (Fe3+) to ferrous iron (Fe2+) and forming an absorbable iron-ascorbic acid complex.

 

Lead toxicity

Iron deficiency may increase the risk of lead poisoning in children. A number of epidemiological studies have found iron deficiency to be associated with increased blood lead levels in young children. Iron deficiency and lead poisoning share a number of the same risk factors, but iron deficiency has been found to increase the intestinal absorption of lead in humans and animals. However, the use of iron supplementation in lead poisoning should be reserved for those individuals who are truly iron deficient or for those individuals with continuing lead exposure, such as continued residence in lead-exposed housing (3,16).

 

Since my son doesn't eat the fortified cereals, we do supplement iron a couple of times a weak. General rules are just that: general. If your child has a deficiency, you need to supplement --assuming your doctors agrees, and I can't imagine they wouldn't? I know for some too much iron is an issue, but I have read iron deficiencies can be associated with adhd (do a google search).

 

Good luck.

 

Claire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...