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Zinc is a vital micronutrient involved in many cellular processes: For example, in learning and memory processes, it plays a role that is not yet understood. By using nanoelectrochemical measurements, Swedish researchers have made progress toward understanding by demonstrating that zinc influences the release of messenger molecules. As reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, zinc changes the number of messenger molecules stored in vesicles and the dynamics of their release from the cell.
When signals are transmitted by synapses, messenger molecules (neurotransmitters) are released from storage chambers (synaptic vesicles) into the synaptic cleft, where they are "recognized" by neighboring nerve cells. This release is based on exocytosis: The vesicle docks at the cell membrane, opens at the point of contact, releases part of its contents to the outside, closes, and separates from the plasma membrane so it can be refilled.
Treatment with zinc results in more messenger molecules being released.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday March 22 2017, @03:59PM (8 children)
Having added a Zn-citrate supplement to my regimen about 2 months ago I definitely feel more centered, more alive, and have a better sense of smell and taste. One other strange effect is that it makes me really horny sometimes, which I don't understand at all. I'm told that men need zinc the way we need iron, that if a man ejaculates he loses a lot of zinc, and given that both sexes' anatomy starts from the same bits in utero, maybe this explains it?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 4, Funny) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday March 22 2017, @04:47PM (1 child)
Explains the near metallic like stiffness of my socks. Also my terrible short term memory.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday March 22 2017, @05:42PM
On the plus side: you don't need to worry about them rusting, anymore.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday March 22 2017, @05:28PM
I've heard some interesting treatments for the "Zinc Flu" when a metalworker gets a mild zinc overdose from welding galvanized stuff or whatever, but I've never heard that treatment. Guys enjoy that activity, quite a bit in fact, so if that were a way to effectively lower blood zinc levels I think every welder would make jokes about it. Ah was welding galvanized yesterday so I was up all night and my arm and things are all sore to save me from zinc fever oh woe is me, no just not hearing that.
The old wives tale about drinking milk seems popular to intentionally lose zinc. That is a story every welder out there believes and most insist it works. Personally I think anything that kinda calms the stomach thus calming the person would probably work just as well. IF its true, THEN drinking huge quantities of milk (like a quart a day) might cause a loss of zinc in healthy non-overdosed welder peoples, something to think about.
AFAIK the kidneys remove an unregulated vaguely constant amount from the blood continuously and gender doesn't matter. There is no human anatomy feedback mechanism that I know of, at least not like how we regulate water output dynamically or the rather impressive pH buffering system we have in our blood. Assuming healthy kidneys, a given blood concentration results in a fixed continuous pee concentration and that's pretty much the end of that story. I wonder if the welders old wives tale about milk boils down to drink a liter of milk or anything (beer?) and pee out the zinc. Welders like beer, generally speaking, but the old wives tale is specifically milk oriented.
Supposedly two billion people are somewhat zinc deficient. Possibly fixing a slight deficiency might put a guy who feels better in a good mood leading to more action, like the effect of a glass of wine or how an aspirin can fix a headache leading to more action. Aspirin isn't directly an aphrodisiac but indirectly anything reducing pain or ill feelings can be helpful.
Its an extremely tough sell to come up with a reason for zinc in sex. Near impossible. I'll try anyway. Topically applied, zinc can protect against sunburn and I can imagine women getting sunburned down there would be highly annoying in those millions of years before clothing was invented, so I could see a super weak argument, although not walking around on hands standing on head would keep the fun parts in the shade out of the sun just as well. I can imagine some prehistoric argument "Not tonight Ug, I'm tired" "Ugs wife not want sunburn, right?" "Oh whatever Ug make it quick" Some zinc compounds help with dandruff and shaving down there being a recent-ish invention (on an evolutionary scale) I guess not having dandruff down there might result in more pair bonding activities with a mate? On the other hand a lot of dandruff comes from excessively powerfull modern detergents applied possibly too often to be safe at that strength, so dandruff might be a kinda modern invention. As for other... activities, there are some zinc compounds in mouthwashes to prevent bad breath and most guys greatly enjoy that topical application process while presumably better breath would help with other pair bonding activities. The things women do for dental health... Combining all the arguments its a mighty tough sell from an evolution standpoint for guys to output a lot of zinc. I'm not really seeing it as an example of evolutionary fitness where women injected with more zinc have more and healthier babies that grow to reproduce. At most, I'd guess high zinc output would be a mere side effect of some other evolutionary goal. If guys output a lot of zinc, which seems unlikely, from an evolutionary standpoint I think it would be totally by accident.
See how much fun we can have not arguing about politics? Have a nice and pleasant day.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday March 22 2017, @09:40PM
Don't call them messenger molecules but angelic molecules.
Every time I eat the rind of a battery, God shows to me at night.
(just stay away from rechargeables, it makes one dull).
(grin)
Point: why would releasing higher amount of neurotransmitters be necessary related to learning and not with any brain activity, including delusion or hallucinations?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Thursday March 23 2017, @12:13AM (1 child)
Zinc makes you horny because it provides raw materials for your nut.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday March 23 2017, @01:05AM
Uhh...I don't "nut." I'm kind of missing the required anatomy for that.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by legont on Thursday March 23 2017, @12:25AM (1 child)
No wonder oysters are so good for it.
Oysters: Serving Size (100 grams), Zinc (16-182 milligrams), 199 calories.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday March 23 2017, @01:04AM
I dunno...as Nanny Ogg observed, the process of making more oysters happens a long way away from the oysters, so they're not exactly full of beans
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...