Armor up your DNA with zinc-rich diet
Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
The first galvanized metal, dipped in molten zinc, was found in a collection of armor made in India in the 1680s. Today, we still use zinc to galvanize iron and steel; it keeps the metal strong and protects it from rusting. Now, new research reveals that dietary zinc has similar powers: It can protect the inside of your body from DNA damage.
In a recent study, participants ate a low-zinc diet for two weeks; then took in 6 mg of zinc daily for the next two weeks. Finally, for a final two weeks, they took in 10 mg a day. The researchers found that after this boost in zinc intake, people’s bodies did a better job of repairing breaks in strands of their DNA. These breaks can lead to cancer, because when DNA can’t repair itself, damaged cells can multiply.
That’s just one reason to eat foods rich in zinc. The mineral also helps regulate the immune system; aids in brain cells’ communication, improving learning and memory; and promotes wound healing by reducing oxidative stress.
Your best sources? Oysters deliver a whopping 74 mg for every 3-ounce serving. Half a cup of kidney beans offers 2.9 mg, as does half a cup of chickpeas (think hummus); an ounce of walnuts or almonds delivers about 1 mg. The recommended daily intake is 8 mg for women and 11 mg for men.
But forget supplements: The National Institutes of Health says that unless you’re taking zinc for doctor-diagnosed medical reasons, don’t take more than 40 mg. Too much triggers side effects such as digestive woes, and it interacts with meds like antibiotics and some arthritis drugs.
Don’t give yourself a heart attack
There’s a reason the song “Stressed Out,” by Twenty One Pilots, struck a chord with listeners last year, topping the charts and getting over 800 million music video views. The chorus is nostalgic: “Wish we could turn back time to the good old days/ when our momma sang us to sleep, but now we’re stressed out.”
And that stress response can put your heart in jeopardy. One study found that having high levels of stress over an average of 10 years was linked to a 27 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease. It also found that psychological interventions that reduce your stress response are associated with a 27 percent decrease in coronary heart disease. So, how does stress harm the heart, and what can you do about it?
It’s all between your ears. The part of your brain that’s responsible for processing emotions is called the amygdala. Recent research has found that your stress response can fire up amygdala activity, which in turn cranks up your bone marrow. You end up with overproduction of white blood cells, which then causes arterial inflammation. That’s one way stress can lead to cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
The good news is that understanding this soon may lead to more effective ways to prevent heart disease. In the meantime, we already know a pretty effective way to reduce your stress response, calm your amygdala and spare your heart, not to mention your brain and relationships: mindful meditation.