Zinc - Does It Really Help Prevent Colds?

Zinc - Does it really help?

Currently I have many friends and relatives who are fighting the common cold or maybe even a slight touch of the flu (influenza).  Luckily no one I know is seriously ill, but still colds and flus are never pleasant experiences.  A common procedure a friend of mine takes when she feels like she may be coming down with a cold is to take Zinc supplements.  This is to either prevent the cold from settling in her body or to at least lessen the severity of symptoms. 

I have read here and there that taking zinc supplements when you first feel like you're coming down with something can help at the very least by shortening the duration of the cold or lessening the symptoms.  Therefore before I travel by plane or when others around me are sick, I take a supplement pill in the morning with breakfast and then with my daily vitamin B-12 supplement (suggested by my doctor who looked at blood work done about a year ago and suggested I take this supplement).  Both supplements are readily available at local drug stores or supermarkets.

But does zinc really help prevent colds, or is it more of a self-fulfilling prophecy that one does not get sick when taking zinc as a preventative measure when others are sick?  Since I'm trying really hard to not get sick before an October 15th performance at my old church growing up, I'd like to investigate the matter more.

First I wanted learn about zinc itself.

According to nih.gov, zinc is a mineral vital for multiple areas of the body, including enzyme functions, immune system maintenance and protein function.  It is recommended that zinc be part of our daily nutrient intake and there are many foods that are good sources of zinc if you would not like to take supplements in pill or lozenge (cough drop) form.

Oysters were the #1 source of zinc.  (I've never had oysters but like oyster sauce - I'll check the nutrition label to see if zinc is retained in the processing of sauce.  If you have any recipes that might help someone whose never tried oysters to like oysters, I am willing to try!).  Other meat sources include beef, crab, lobster, pork and chicken.  Non-meat sources include nutrient-fortified cereals, baked beans, yogurt (yay, I'm eating yogurt for lunch right now!) and oatmeal. 

It is difficult to determine zinc deficiency by symptoms alone (loss of appetite, impaired immune system weight loss, etc.) because these symptoms are found in other health issues.  It can be hard to diagnose because a deficiency is difficult to detect in most lab tests.  You can also have too much zinc.  Too much zinc can cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, etc.  So there needs to be a careful balance of having too little or too much zinc.  It can also interfere with absorption of antibiotics, so supplements of zinc should be taken far enough away from antibiotics so as not to interfere.

So that is zinc in a nutshell (speaking of nuts, almonds also contain zinc).

The information regarding whether zinc really helps prevent colds is not very cut-and-dry, with some experts saying that zinc is helpful and others say it is not.  I was looking at Web MD on the matter, and one test had some participants take a low-dose zinc lozenge (13.3 milligrams) every few hours and their colds lasted only 4 days instead of 7 (normal cold with no zinc).

According to one researcher, zinc helps prevent rhinoviruses (culprit for the cold) from reproducing in our bodies and also prevents them from sticking to healthy cells to turn them into sick cells.

According to the Mayo Clinic, studies conducted to test the effectiveness of zinc are flawed (but they don't say how they're flawed).  They do concede by saying that in reports where zinc effectiveness are favorable, one would have to take zinc within 24 hours of symptoms to be most effective.   So to me, that means that if I only start taking zinc at the onset of cold symptoms, then I probably already have a cold but the zinc may help me overcome it faster.

Whether a scientist believes zinc is helpful or not, they all caution against taking too much zinc, as we've learned before that too much can cause severe health problems.  The zinc nasal sprays that you see at the store can also cause permanent damage to your sense of smell (so I will therefore stay away from it).

So when I get home tonight I am going to look at my zinc supplement and make sure that taking two pills in the course of a day is not overdoing it.  When I take the supplement I experience some nausea so I try not to take on an empty stomach, so it helps if I take during a meal.  And I do not want to take zinc every single day because if I do get a cold and want to boost my zinc levels to overcome it, I don't want to accidentally take too much zinc.

According to nih.gov, 40 mg per day is upper limit, so since each of my pills is 50 mg, maybe I should stick to one a day when I'm trying to overcome a cold vs. two.  I also just read that zinc gluconate lozenges were more effective than zinc acetate lozenges (apparently there are two different forms of zinc) in shortening duration of the cold, but only in subjects who were induced with a cold (not a naturally occurring cold).

So this research has left me about as confused as I was when I started!  I guess my summary is that zinc gluconate lozenges are most effective in reducing the # of days I'd have a cold (probably more so than pill because the lozenge deposits zinc directly in nose/throat area) but some research does not believe it to be true.

So maybe me taking a little extra zinc when others around me are sick will simply create some positive thinking and help me try harder to not get sick (i.e. washing hands more often, drinking more non-caffeinated fluids, etc.) because I won't be thinking, "Oh no - I'm the next to get sick!" and be lazy in my efforts to be healthy.

Atrocious Affairs in Malaysia: Malaysian Dogs Do Not Deserved To Be Killed

I found a very disturbing article about Malaysian Muslim Municipal killing dogs in September 2013 on Facebook this morning. It might be unfair for me to judge the whole situation as I have been out of the country for more than 10 years. But being a Malaysian myself who knows the ins and outs of how corrupted and racists the government is and updates from my friends and parents keeps me aware of what is happening to the animals and people in my country. With this said, the photo tells you all. The Municipal in most cities are brutally slashing, dragging stray dogs in the streets like a performance to warn the Chinese to be careful of their actions. If the Chinese go overboard, they will end up like the dogs.

I could only watch in despair as this poor dog is another victim for the religious persecution. For those who are unaware of  what is going on in Malaysia. Let me briefly fill you up. There is a big problem with racism in Malaysia, which is not know to worldwide. Islam practioners (basically ethnic Malays) gain Bumiputera status (cheaper housing loans, lower interest rates, easier academic access and so on), whereas non Islam practioners gain nothing. In other words, the economic policies are designed to favor the Bumiputeras. This status is further streghten by the affirmative action (A provision that provides economic and social advantages) implemented in the 1970s after the Chinese ethnic protested against the Bumiputeras in 1969.

Fastforward 40years and you get what you see on the photo.

On a daily basis, especially when you are a non-Bumiputera, you need to be really aware of your belongings and surroundings. Let me give you many real-case examples. My Chinese friend A went to the ATM at night to cash out some money, and was threatened if he did not give the money to the Bumiputera robber. My Chinese friend B, C, D house was robbed. My Chinese E was robbed when she was moving her car to her house.

You ask why not make report it? Well, let me tell you, who do you think the police officers are? They are Bumiputeras themselves. The police officers will only spit at the Chinese and tell the Chinese victims that they have no right no report because they are living in the land of the Bumiputeras, what more do they want? If you meet a 'nice' police officer, he will file the report, but that is about it. The robbers, thieves, rapers are allowed to do whatever they want because the police officers themselves are involved in such crimes! Now, even the animals owned by non-Bumiputeras are targets of religious hate crimes.

In 2006, while I was away from home, my parents told me on the phone that they are registering the family dogs because Municipals are making visits to Chinese house with dogs to check whether the animals are registered or not. Those who did not register their dogs will be taken away. If the owners did not recompensate, that will be the last time they see their dogs. Their dogs will end up like the dog on the photo above. For such reasons, my parents quickly registered the two family dogs and we trained them not to go out from the house to protect them.

So what is the Islamic position about dogs? In fact, there are a variety of opinions according to different legal schools. The majority consider the saliva of dogs to be impure, while the Maliki school makes a distinction between domestic and wild dogs, only considering the saliva of the latter to be impure. The question for Muslims observant of other schools of law is, what are the implications of such an impurity?

These Muslims should remember that there are many other impurities present in our homes, mostly in the form of human waste, blood, and other bodily fluids. It is fairly common for such impurities to come in contact with our clothes, and we simply wash them off or change our clothes for prayer. When you have children at home, it sometimes seems you can never get away from human waste. But we manage it, often by designating a special space and clothing kept clean for prayer.

Some Muslims object to having a dog in the home because of a prophetic report that angels do not enter a home with dogs in it. If a Muslim accepts this report as authentic, it still requires an analysis of context to determine its meaning and legal application. Ordinary people are not recipients of divine revelation through angelic messengers, so it is possible that this statement, although in general form, might suggest a rule for the Prophet's home, not all homes. This interpretation is strengthened by the fact the Qur'an states that angels are always present, protecting us and recording our good and bad actions.

Nevertheless, whatever the Qur'an says or sings, it is unforgivable to kill innocent dogs for religious reasons. There are so many ways to deal with the problem other than killing. There are no public discussions and then suddenly the killing occurred at large. All the laws are based on the conveniences of Bumiputeras, ignoring other ethnic groups. At the present time, animals are murdered on streets like circus performance, very soon, non-Bumiputeras will be next on the list of the circus performance.

*With this said, many Malaysian Chinese are migrating abroad*

Please do not stop sharing the video.

First State, Infertility Treatment: Consultation with Gynaecologist; A Debate of Pro Life or Pro Choice

This Thursday was another visit to the gyanecologist. Doctor Sakakibara. No inspection this time. Last month's visit was with a different gynae but I am sure after reading the written notes, Dr. Sakakibara knew what was going on. The previous gynae told me to mate during the very few but precious days of ovulation. Yet, we failed because my dear husband was just too tired.

By observing my husband's weekly schedule, he had the time to sleep earlier because he worked morning shifts. However, he did not make the effort to take care of his physical health properly by sleeping late. Therefore, with a tired soul how could one possible mate? It would be unjust to inform him last minute so I informed him a month ago. So you tell me, how could I not be disappointed with an uttering ignorant husband?

I had to share my discontentment with Dr.Sakakibara. He was not pleased after my explanation. He stressed that it won't mean anything if only one partner is trying while the other slacks off. I told him don't put the blame on me. With this said, he told me to bring my husband with me for the next appointment.

He also suggested rather than delaying the process, it is better to look into In Vitro Fertilization(IVF). Briefly, the cost is 3000usd. You will get 50% refund back.Without further elucidation, we decided that before making any decision, first we need to have a heart-to-heart chat between the three of us, including my husband.

Honestly, I do not know much of IVF. Simply said, IVF is mating through test-tube. After researching this topic, I found out that this topic has been a subject of moral controversy. Firstly, let me explain to myself and to you about what IVF is. In Vitro Fertilization is also called test-tube conception, a medical procedure in which mature egg cells are removed from a woman to fertilize with male sperm outside the body. Then reinserted back into the uterus of the same or another woman for normal gestation. By just reading at the explanation, I see that nothing is wrong and why should it be a controversial issue? Little did I know this is a hot-button issue.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages:

Helping Infertile Couples

IVF according to many infertility experts are recommended when there is no longer an option. IVF is also another step that would make infertile patient less depressing by giving them a few percent of ultimate hope.In short, IVF is the only way to allow infertile couples to have their own children.

Preventing Birth Defects

Another scientific argument is that by studying fertilization and early embryonic development outside the womb, scientists might learn more about how to prevent certain birth defects.

Creating Sick or Malformed Babies

For IVF adversaries, there are a number of reasons not to support IVF. The chief reason is no one knew if science would actually work perfectly. There is no warranty that IVF will guarantee a healthy baby. Yes, there are plentiful of successful cases and we praised science and technology! Nevertheless, there are also failed cases where deformed babies rife with terminal illnesses are born. Some couples plan for abortions or blame the doctors. Some decided to go on and give birth to the sick babies. According to many research, IVF babies are prone to holes in their hearts, development of only one kidney, brain abnormalities, risk of cancer and the list goes on. This when the adversaries question the morale values of IVF.

Destroying Social Structures

Accompanying the concern that IVF would not work were fears that it might work too well. Another group of critics warned that it would lead to the end of nuclear family, where sexual intercourse and couple bonding is replaced with laboratory breeding. Conservatives feared the creation of non-traditional families. Feminists worry that with new technology which is supposed to help women are actually pressurizing women.

Religious Views

Another opposition comes from the religious groups often referring to bibles and the words of Gods. Basically, religious groups and leaders, like Pope(s) are condemning the use of technology by scientists, arguing that "Working against nature and taking Lord's work into their own hands" just won't be fruitful and godly.


I have mixed feelings after reading all the articles about IVF. I have heard of the term "Frankenbabies" before but did not know that it relate to test-tube babies. This term is refer to the first few tes-tube babies, Louise Brown and Elizabeth Carr. There were fears of "Frakenbabies" at first but began to disappear. Subsequently, test-tube babies were not shunned, and far from destroying the traditional family. Then again, there are so many women who abort their babies after finding out that their babies will suffer from certain illness.(You could just google about IVF and abortion and depending on the country, the abortion rates are pretty high)

In the words of biologist Lee Silver, "Here's a technology (IVF) which is almost always used to allow a married man and woman to have a child, to form family...So IVD facilitates a very, very traditional outcome, which is mother and a father and children."

In another words of author Robin Marantz Henig,"How people get used to all sorts of new technology...at first it seems like it is abhorrent and it is something that we should not do. And then for a while it seems kind of miraculous...And then after a while, the technology just become part of the fabric of daily life."

I could not help but only nod my head and agree heartily with Brooke Shields words, "The difficulty of IVF or of any fertility issues is the hope and the shattered hope, the dream that it might happen this time and then it doesn't happen.

I will update more on this discussion when all three of us have a heart-to-heart talk. 

Sneak Peak of Japan: The Goodness of Fermented Food

When you mentioned about fermented food, what pops in your mind? Since I am in Japan, Asia I could give you a few examples: Miso, natto, fermented garlic, yoghurt, wine etc. To a Korean, fermented food will means kimchi, the national delicacy. Hot and spicy dish made from fermented Chinese cabbage. To a Chinese, what comes to mind is the famous century eggs. Known as 100 years old preserved egg. To a westerner, pickles, cheese and wine. You get the idea. Now, what does fermented actually means?

The word  "Fermentation" is derived from Latin meaning "to boil". In scientific explanation, fermentation is a chemical transformation of organic substances into simpler compounds by the action of enzymes. Bascially, it means that something, usually food goes through a chemical change that results from the production of alcohol, molds or yeasts. The enzymes plays a very vital role in breaking down comples organic molecules to smaller molecules(hydrolysis). This hydrolysis allows the breakdown food to assimilate into the body. One example is, fermenting carbohydrates. Enzyme works on the carbohydrates to reduce the starches and complex sugars to simple sugars. In short, fermentation makes the end product more digestible and absordable for our bodies.

'So what?!' you may ask after the mumbo jumbo explanation? Well, there are 8 reasons why fermented foods are good for you and I. Let me explain in bullet points:

(1) Fermented foods improve digestion

Since 70% of the body's immune system dwells in the digestive tract, maintaining digestive health is crucial to the body's overall well-being. However, not all people are blessed with strong immune systems. Some people cannot tolerate milk but they can eat yoghurt. This is because the lactose in milk is broken down when the milk is fermented into yoghurt.

(2) Fermented foods restore the proper balance of bacteria in the gut

Do you suffer from lactose intolerance? Gluten intolerance? Constipation? Irritable bowel syndrome? Yeast infections? Allergies? Asthma? All of these conditions have been linked to a lack of good bacteria in the gut. So, starting consuming fermented food to restore your health back.

(3) Raw, fermented foods are rich in enzymes

As we age, our body's supply of enzymes decrease. Many scientists have hypothesize that if you could guard against enzyme depletion, you could live a longer and healthier life. Now, I know why some says a glass of wine if good for you daily but drinking too much can be disastrous :)

(4) Fermenting food actually increases the vitamin content

Fermented dairy products consistenly reveal high folic acid level, vitamin Bs, pyroxidine, riboflavin and biotin which is critical in producing healthy babies. Japanese health programs also stress this alot.

(5) Eating fermented food helps us to absorb the nutrients we are consuming

The law of digestion explains that you can ingest huge amounts of nutriets, but unless you absorb them, they are unless to you. When you improve digestion, you improve absorption.(Back to 1 and 2)

(6) Fermenting food helps to preserve it for longer periods of time

Milk will go bad in the fridge but yoghurt last a lot longer. If you have a huge produce in your garden, that you don't know how to use up - go ferment it.

(7) Fermenting food is inexpensive

There are tons of fermented food recipes on the internet and cookbooks that benefit you and your purse. Eat healthy! Start making your own fermented cabbage dish.

(8) Fermenting foodi ncreases the flavour

There’s a reason humans enjoy drinking wine and eating stinky cheese. There’s a reason we like sauerkraut on our hot dogs and salsa on our tortilla chips. It tastes good!

Next, my question is whether everyone consumes the real fermented food I mentioned above? Speaking in terms from living in America perspective, the standard American Diet is definitely missing fermented food - unless you count those cheap beer and wine and not forgetting those deceptive pickles and imitated sauerkraut. According to my research online(maybe it might not be entirely truthful but still worth pondering about), these food are unfortunately produced quickly for mass consumption. Most sauerkraut you buy in the store is flaccid and mealy, rather than crunchy and tangy as it should be. In order words, the food industries have been deceiving the consumers by preserving those mass produced food in salt and vinegar instead of traditional lactobacterial fermentation process. Unless, the producer adds bacteria, store bought sauerkraut is usually pasteurized and the worse part, lacks of nutrients.

納豆(Nattou)

 

 In contrast to the standard Japanese and Korean diet, these people consume natto(fermented soy) and kimchi(fermented cabbage) almost daily. This summer, due to the heat wave, I hardly made miso (fermented barley or rice) soup. However, I substitute what I lack of with natto. I can say that natto is Japanese breakfast staple. Not all but some foreigners avoid eating natto due to its smell and gluey texture, even some Japanese dodge the malodorous natto. It is actually not that bad when you get used to it. I try to consume natto once a day as it is rich with vitamins and health-enhancing. Koreans I know consume kimchi in every meal.

I have no knowledge of fermentated food until I came to Japan. I first learned about the importance of consuming fermentation food through my Japanese family and food programs on TV. As I am not a science geek or a food sommelier I really do not know much about the goodness of food except for tasty junk food, seriously. Married life had made me a better and wiser food eater(as I stressed previously on my blog). Fermented food often have numerous advantages over raw food from which they are made of. The media is always talking about eating good, eating healthy but what does it really mean if you dig deeper into the meaning of eating healthy? This is the article for you!

Start dining fermented food!

*I actually bought my very first organic fermented garlic at the supermarket yesterday and inspired me to research and write about the benefits of fermented food to our body*

Where Were You?

Today marks the 12th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, then Pentagon and then one hijacked flight that crashed in Pennsylvania.  One of the questions frequently asked after the event happened and also the first couple anniversaries of the attacks was, "Where were you when the twin towers fell?"  Today's post will be my reflection on that day.

It seemed like a normal school day.  I was in 11th grade (one year before high school graduation).  It was mid-morning when someone from the school office came to our classroom (of about 20-25 students) and said, "You'd better turn on the television for the news."  The teacher immediately turned on the classroom's television, which was programmed to only have the news channel (to prevent inappropriate channels from being seen).  I think at that time one plan was in the 1st WTC building.  I can't remember if both planes had crashed.  We were all pretty quiet in the classroom as we watched the news coverage of the event, which at this point was still filled with confusion as to who was responsible and why it happened, but when the second plane flew into the buildings it was probably beginning to be apparent that this was an act of terrorism.  We had occasional outbursts like, "Why would someone do this?" and "How could we not know about this soon enough to prevent?"

Eventually, we saw the buildings collapse.  I remember watching in horror and murmuring, "We just witnessed hundreds of people dying."  It was a sickening feeling.  The saddest thing was hearing about people jumping from the burning buildings to their death several stories below.  And to think that from the time the plane was hijacked to the time the plan crashed those people were terrified the whole time.

That night, my parents made it a point to have a meal as a family around the dinner table.  Once my dad had taken a job out of town we often didn't eat all 5 of us together, it would be that my brother, sister and I would eat around 5 pm and then my dad and mom would eat together when he got home around 6 pm.  But that night we all ate together at 6 pm so that we could talk about what had happened.  My sister would have been in 8th grade and my brother in 6th.

Throughout the next few days the death tolls grew.  Not just for those who perished in the planes or the buildings that collapsed, but for the firefighters, medics, police, etc. who perished in trying to save people.

Fortunately, I did not lose anyone in the terrorist attacks.  But that doesn't mean that I was without grief.  I was scared, angry and confused as to why someone could hate so much that they would kill so many.  I remember being terrified for months afterward whenever I heard a plane flying overhead.  I told myself I would never fly on a plane (which I have several times since then and have enjoyed every flight).  I remember being disgusted when hearing about store owners in America not allowing people who are or look of Middle Eastern descent into their stores because they "must be" terrorists, since I believe that you can't base an entire culture based on a sub-groups choices for violence.

I saw on the 60 Minutes program a news segment about a museum they are building right on Ground Zero to commemorate those who lost their lives.  It looks like it will be so beautiful.  I wish I could go to see it but cannot afford to travel much.

So that is where I was at on 9/11.  And today I sit, 12 years older, and think about what that event has meant to me and meant to this country.  And I pray for those still grieving and for a more peaceful world.