Food Facts

Zinc is an essential mineral required by the body for maintaining a sense of smell, keeping a healthy immune system, building proteins, triggering enzymes, and creating DNA. Zinc also helps the cells in your body communicate by functioning as a neurotransmitter. A deficiency in zinc can lead to stunted growth, diarrhea, impotence, hair loss, eye and skin lesions, impaired appetite, and depressed immunity. Conversely, consuming too much zinc can lead to nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and headaches in the short term, and can disrupt absorption of copper and iron in the long term. If you have a zinc deficiency, then animal foods are better sources of zinc than plant foods. The current daily value (DV) for Zinc is 15mg. Below is a list of the top ten foods highest in Zinc by common serving size, for more, see the list of high zinc foods by nutrient density, and the extended list of zinc rich foods.

Wild spirulina grows wild in the alkaline lakes of Mexico and on the African continent, although it is commercially grown and harvested all over the world. It reproduces quickly, and because the individual organisms tend to clump together, it's easy to harvest.

Most people know that the key to weight loss lies within what you eat. What many don’t know is that a key component might be collecting dust on your spice rack.

They may seem small and insignificant but spices offer much more than a kick of flavor to your meals. Many of them have ingredients that serve as potent weight loss aides when used correctly. Consider adding a natural weight loss catalyst to your diet by including some of the spices listed below into your daily routine.

Spirulina has a record of safety, even at high doses, with few reported side effects. However, if harvest from polluted waters, or cultivated incorrectly, it can accumulate toxins from the environment.

Garlic is one of the most valuable and versatile foods on the planet. Garlic belongs to the Allium family of vegetables which also includes onions, chives, shallots and leeks.

Vitamin D deficiency has become a fairly common condition in adults. This is a somewhat new finding; however lack of Vitamin D can cause some bad changes to the body. Adults are especially affected because most adults don’t eat foods that have Vitamin D and they often receive very little sunshine.

One of the most exciting nutritional resources available today to help your body naturally fight environmental pollution is a whole-food based supplement called chlorella. Chlorella is actually one of the most widely used supplements in Japan, where over 10 million people use it regularly. The Japanese use of chlorella is more widespread than the North American use of vitamin C, our most popular supplement.

Do the Japanese know something we don't?