FW: Zinc, Jing, male fertility & Stimulating growth in an adolescent

[Guest guest]

TCM List,

 

I am forwarding this from the CHA list as it may be of interest. This Zn

thing again, is a 'mechanistic' explanation for something that works.

 

I like to tie in the energetic with the mechanistic, so does anyone know

which meridians are affected with foods high in zinc - whole grain cereals

for example ? I'd hazard a guess and say Kidney because Ki is associated

with reproductive function, plus the 'tissue' of the kidney is the bone. Any

first year TCM student should be able to answer this one so someone have a

go please !!

 

Sammy.

 

RE: Zinc, Jing, male fertility & Stimulating

growth in an adolescent

 

 

 

Phil asked:

 

> Sammy, any role for Zn supplements in prostate cancer?

 

I think so. Indeed, Zn is one method of preventing unwanted aromatisation of

testosterone to estrogen. I briefly mentioned the problem of E in the first

post on PC which you borrowed from the TCM list and posted to CHA. Now I am

posting back .. Anyhow .. increase in E crowbars T, less T less sperm, less

libido. Lower T levels associated with increased prostate cancer risk, and

poorer prognosis. It all fits in.

 

** Adding to that I'd say that since zinc can help maintain good levels of

testosterone in the male, a diet high in zinc may protect against prostate

cancer. However, very high zinc supplementation has been associated with

increased PC risk - perhaps because it affect other mineral absorption such

as selenium which is also protective against PC. Like most things zinc is

best in moderation over long periods ~ 15 mg / day is supposed to be

optimum.

 

As for growth in teenagers, you might like to look at work done with

arimidex in this respect. This drug prevents aromatisation of T to E and is

used for postmenopausal BC treatment. Try a PubMed search on ' arimidex

growth ' [ 1 below ]

 

** Zinc would be a much weaker aromatase inhibitor that arimidex, and so

would not be a likely candidate for treatment of breast cancer in

conventional medicine. However, Zn may find a place in TCM therapy to help

balance hormone levels for diseases such as BC and PC. Zinc might also be

used in the case of stunted growth in adolescence if the parents are

unwilling to use expensive and largely unproved synthetic enzyme disruptors

(which is what arimidex is) in a young person.

 

Now, since E is the growth hormone that triggers growth endplate fusion and

a stop to physical growth, prevention of excess E in growing boys is

desirable if they are to grow tall. [ This is the reason girls are usually

smaller than boys: they have more estrogen at an earlier age and so stop

growing sooner. ] Zinc may be just the thing for this youngster if he is

willing to risk the uncertainty of a relatively weak agent such as zinc.

 

I'll get back on this after I have updated my notes on qinghao.

 

** Done talking to myself now !

 

> CHA is a great place to learn!

 

Phil, that's a pretty cheeky thing to say after you used my PC post on this

list to start a separate thread on the same subject going on the other list

! I have 'learnt' something that is for sure: What you are doing is pretty

obvious and not very flattering. I'd say both lists have their value,

strengths and weaknesses. We should support them both or if not then just

leave it out, not take pot-shots at one from the other.

 

The TCM list a great place to learn too ;-)

 

Sammy.

 

1. J Endocrinol Invest. 2000 Dec;23(11):721-3. Related Articles, Links

 

 

Delayed closure of epiphyseal cartilages induced by the aromatase inhibitor

anastrozole. Would it help short children grow up?

 

Faglia G, Arosio M, Porretti S.

 

Institute of Endocrine Sciences, Ospedale Maggiore IRCCS, University of

Milan, Italy. giovanni.faglia

 

Estrogens locally generated from androgen precursors due to the action of

aromatase play a main role in epiphyseal cartilage fusion. Treatment with an

aromatase inhibitor (anastrozole, 1 mg/day for 3 yr) in a boy previously

operated on for a hamartoma causing precocious puberty and presenting with

advanced bone maturation and nearly fused epiphyseal cartilages, slowed

cartilage fusion consenting a higher final stature than expected (164.4 cm

vs 158.4 cm). It is suggested that treatment with aromatase inhibitors,

alone or in combination with rh-GH, may also be useful in children with

constitutional short stature in order to delay epiphyseal closure and

improve the final height.

 

PMID: 11194703 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]