Worrying Zinc Deficiency Symptoms for Men Who Want To Build Muscle!By Ed ClementsThe majority of men in western countries are suffering from zinc deficiency symptoms, which is ridiculous given that high quality zinc supplements are extremely cheap and can effectively correct a minor zinc deficiency. Eating a high zinc diet alongside taking supplemental zinc will improve a man’s energy levels, sex drive, mood and ability to build muscle and burn fat.
Common Zinc deficiency symptoms: 1) Reduced testosterone levels. 1) Reduced Testosterone Levels! Despite the negative press that it once received, testosterone is a vitally important hormone for men that improves muscle mass and strength, burns fat, increases bone mineral density and thickens skin. Testosterone also raises energy levels, boosts mood, fights depression and improves cognitive function. A marginal zinc deficiency is a major cause of a lowered testosterone level in men. Other factors are involved in the drop in mens' testosterone levels that has occurred over the past few decades, but zinc deficiency is a primary one that, fortunately, is fairly easily correctible. Without enough zinc, the pituitary gland is prevented from being able to release the luteinizing and follicle stimulating hormones that stimulate testosterone production in the testes. As well as this, studies have shown that low zinc diets significantly reduce our number of androgen receptor sites whilst increasing our number of estrogen receptor sites!(1) With fewer androgen binding sites, the level of unbound testosterone in the blood stream goes up and much of this then becomes converted to estrogen in the liver; at the same time the number of estrogen receptors increase and are activated! 2) Increased Estrogen Levels One of the most frightening zinc deficiency symptoms is increased estrogen levels. A high estrogen level is a leading cause of low testosterone, diminished sex drive and infertility in men. High estrogen also leads to low energy levels and to body fat gain and has been strongly linked to increased risk of developing many different types of cancer including prostate cancer. The aromatase enzyme is responsible for the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in the body. Whilst some testosterone should always be converted to estrogen, a too high a conversion occurs when dietary zinc levels are low. Zinc is a powerful aromatase inhibitor that will greatly reduce this testosterone to estrogen conversion. Once men start eating a high zinc diet and taking supplementary zinc, less testosterone is converted to estrogen and their overall testosterone level goes up. Men who experience mild gynecomastia (fatty build-ups around the nipples), which is caused by elevated estrogen levels, often find that this problem disappears once they start getting enough zinc each day. 3) Impaired Insulin Sensitivity It amazes me that the link between zinc deficiency and reduced insulin sensitivity is so poorly publicized since a large number of studies show that a clear correlation exists. Zinc is an extremely important mineral for insulin function. Zinc is involved in insulin synthesis, storage, secretion and utilization; zinc also protects against beta cell destruction. Insulin resistance is one many common zinc deficiency symptoms and this problem has been linked to poor nutrient partitioning and increased risk of fat gain. More importantly for the majority of people, insulin resistance tends to increase hunger and cause overeating that obviously results in fat gain. Not only does a marginal zinc deficiency lower energy levels and mood by reducing testosterone levels, it does so by worsening glycemic control, causing blood sugar levels to become unstable. With unstable blood sugar levels, peoples’ moods tend to yo-yo throughout the day moving from feeling hyper to feeling tired and worn out. Therefore unstable energy levels can actually be zinc deficiency symptoms. Trials have shown high doses of zinc to dramatically improve glucose tolerance in people with liver cirrhosis(2), and zinc given alongside arachidonic acid, an omega 6 fat found in meat, has been shown to improve glucose disposal and thereby reduce hyperglycaemia in diabetic mice(3). 4) Reduced sex drive and high prolactin levels We’ve seen how zinc can improve testosterone levels and control estrogen, and this naturally improves a man’s sex drive, but zinc also works to improve sex drive by controlling the testosterone lowering hormone prolactin. Zinc deficiency symptoms include a chronically raised prolactin level. Prolactin dampens sexual arousal after sexual intercourse, in effect ‘turning off’ the desire to have sex again. Prolactin has an antagonistic relationship with the mood elevating, sex drive initiating neurotransmitter dopamine: After sex, prolactin lowers dopamine levels so that sex isn’t desired again and it is not until dopamine levels rise again that the prolactin surge is ‘turned off’. Chronically raised prolactin levels reduce sex drive and mood primarily by keeping dopamine levels low. Dopamine stimulates testosterone secretion by the pituitary gland so when levels are low your testosterone levels fall as well! Zinc has been shown to greatly improve dopamine levels and to control prolactin, one of the many reasons why it ramps up sex drive! I would recommend taking 25 to 75 mg per day of zinc to optimise dopamine levels and consider taking more, 75 to 150 mg, the day after having sex to minimise the natural rise in prolactin levels that occurs.
Zinc is a major constituent of seminal fluid and is what makes it white. Zinc is very important for male fertility as it is involved in maintaining a high sperm count, good sperm motility and keeping a high percentage of live sperm in your semen. Infertility is actually one of the most common zinc deficiency symptoms. I would recommend 50 mg a day of supplemental zinc for men wishing to increase their semen volume and quality. When your semen volume increases sex becomes more enjoyable as your orgasm will last for longer. 6) Reduced mood and motivation levels Levels of both the hormone testosterone and the neurotransmitter dopamine are intimately tied to a man’s mood and sense of drive and, in many respects, there is a synergism between the two. When levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine rise the pituitary gland is stimulated to produce testosterone which improves confidence and energy levels. This in turn gives a man the drive to achieve his goals and to partake in pleasurable activities such as meeting friends, going out etc., and this keeps dopamine levels high. But if testosterone levels are low then it becomes more of an effort to push yourself to do the things you enjoy and this keeps dopamine levels low so that the pituitary gland isn’t signalled to produce more testosterone. This viscous cycle can only be escaped from by living in a way that raises dopamine and/ or by improving testosterone levels. Recent studies show that zinc helps to regulate the function of dopamine and that a marginal deficiency in zinc may be involved in the cause of the diseases Parkinson’s and ADHD, which are both linked to problems in dopamine signaling.(4)(5) Since marginal zinc deficiency symptoms are both reduced testosterone and dopamine levels, eating high zinc foods and taking zinc supplements can help to break this cycle for good! Another nutrient that will raise both dopamine and testosterone is vitamin D – this vitamin, which acts in the body more like a hormone, very noticeably improves many peoples’ moods! I recommend you take 2000 to 10,000 IU of supplemental vitamin D per day unless you are able to expose your skin to UVB light each day, roughly between 11 am and 3 pm. (Make sure that you take vitamin D during winter time when the sun is not intense enough to stimulate vitamin D production.) 7) Worsened complexion Typical zinc deficiency symptoms are a dodgy complexion and skin problems such as acne, eczema, rosacea etc. Zinc deficiency certainly isn’t the only cause of these issues but it is often involved. The exact mechanism by which zinc improves skin quality isn’t definitively known, but it is likely a combination of zinc balancing hormones, improving the rate of skin cell shedding (proliferation) and it’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities. For those of you with skin issues and anyone interested in improving their complexion, it doesn’t really matter how zinc works, just that it does. Try taking 30mg of zinc per day for a month and I bet your skin will improve. Dermatologists have had success treating acne and rosacea patients by giving them higher doses of zinc ie. 50mg three times per day. I wouldn’t recommend taking this high dose forever but, taken for a couple of months, this is certainly a much safer treatment choice than prescription medications such as accutane for treating skin problems. Finally... After scaring you about suffering from zinc deficiency symptoms you’ll probably want to know how to test your zinc levels! Fortunately this isn’t expensive or difficult thanks to a great product called Zinc Tally (zinc sulphate solution). Swallow two teaspoons of Zinc Tally and hold it in your mouth for ten seconds: An immediate taste sensation suggests your zinc status is adequate; don’t stop eating zinc rich foods every day though! A delayed taste sensation or no taste sensation at all suggests inadequate zinc status and you will be suffering from zinc deficiency symptoms. It’s time to start taking zinc supplements! Opti zinc (zinc methionine), zinc gluconate and zinc citrate are good forms. I’d recommend testing with zinc status every other week until you get good taste sensation. Then you need to find the level of supplementation you need in conjunction with a good diet to keep your zinc levels healthy. My recommendation for most men who lift weights would be to take at least 50mg of supplemental zinc a day, or 100mg every other day, alongside eating a zinc rich diet. * Ed Clements, creator of muscle-health-fitness.com, is an independent health and fitness writer who specialises in dietary, supplementation and weights training advice for improving body composition and hormone balance.
(1)http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/126/4/842
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