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Bodytalk

By Stephenie Karony

Wednesday, December 27, 2000

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Zinc’s been
linked to thwarting
common cold

Question: Do you think that if I take zinc tablets I can ward off a cold?

Answer: Researchers seem to think so.

They say that by taking the correct amount of zinc, in lozenges form, you can shorten the duration of cold symptoms.

In order for zinc to be effective the user must take it every two to three hours for as long as symptoms last, but for no longer than five days.

Each lozenge must contain at least 12.8 milligrams of zinc acetate.

Anything less was found to be ineffective in clinical trials.

But taking a lozenge every two to three hours adds up to about 80 milligrams a day -- too much to take for periods longer than five days.

Too much zinc causes copper-deficiency, which in turn could cause anemia and impair your immune system.

Also, zinc users tend to develop dry mouth syndrome, so have plenty of water available to drink at all times.

Q: What is the set point theory and what does it have to do with my body weight?

A: There is a control center in the brain called the hypothalamus.

It plays a key roll in the regulation of body weight.

Let's compare the hypothalamus to the thermostat in a home. When the temperature in this house gets too hot, the thermostat turns off the furnace so the house can cool down. When the house gets too cold, the thermostat automatically turns on the furnace to warm up the house.

The set point theory works in a similar fashion.

When you eat too many calories, the hypothalamus turns up your set point (your metabolic rate increases and you burn calories faster) in an attempt to expend energy so as not to gain weight.

If you eat too few calories, the hypothalamus turns down your set point and slows down your metabolism (burns calories slower) in an attempt to conserve energy and maintain body weight.

An important aspect of the set point theory is that the changes in your metabolism are not instantaneous. It's like a sluggish thermostat that takes a while to react.

So if you've been starving yourself by crash dieting or fasting, and then you start eating normally again, you're likely to gain weight because your set point hasn't fully recovered and your metabolism is still slow.

In addition to calorie consumption there are a number of other factors that play a role in determining metabolism and the regulation of body weight.

These include age, what your diet consists of, genetics, fitness level and how much you exercise.

The very best and most effective ways to maintain a healthy body weight are:

Lifting weights, which builds muscle and increases your metabolism;

Doing regular aerobic exercise, which burns off excess body fat;

And by eating a low-fat well balanced diet, which prevents weight gain in the first place.

Health Events

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Stephenie Karony is a certified health
and fitness instructor, a personal trainer and the author of
"Body Shaping with Free Weights." Send questions to her at
P.O. Box 262, Wailuku Hi. Her column appears on Wednesdays.