This is a post I made in this forum that might help you:
One word: Zinc.
"Features of the illness: Physiological: ...Abnormalities of mineral and electrolyte levels in the body, Zinc deficiency"
My Story
I took a high mg of Zinc, as prescribed by my psychiatrist and the Anorexia went away that day and has never come back. It's been six months. I literally looked in the mirror that day and didn't see someone fat (or ugly) anymore. I didn't feel bad about myself anymore. (I'm actually fine with how I look! In fact I think I'm pretty now. The (healthy) weight that made me miserable before makes me happy now). I no longer had the symptoms.
For me Zinc didn't just increase my appetite, it changed my BRAIN so that my mind was right, so that the thoughts and feelings and behaviors were gone, and the distortion of my body image disappeared. I never had to deal with it again. It's been over six months. I don't even think of it anymore, except when I'm appreciating my ability to enjoy food.
I take Zinc thirty mg with two mg of Copper, the Copper is important with the Zinc.
The Research
Studies have been done that show Zinc has been effective in reducing or eliminating the self-image distortion of Anorexia for Anorexics.
"...The release also cites a Journal For Medical Research article by Dr. Alex Schauss, which reported studies at Stanford University, the University of Kentucky, and the University of California at Davis which found most anorexics and bulimics were zinc-deficient. According to the release, a five year study showed an eighty five percent remission rate for anorexia patients given zinc supplements. According to Dr. Barbara Levine, Director of the Nutrition Information Center at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, zinc-rich foods include red meat, seafood, cheese, and nuts."
"People who don't consume zinc may become seriously anorexic, with little desire and even a repulsion for eating. For many young, weight-conscious women, and often the elderly, not eating becomes a state of mind and is considered a serious psychiatric disorder.
"...For people trying to recover from anorexia, or those who are having trouble holding onto body weight, I believe our work strengthens earlier findings that recommend the use of zinc supplements," Shay said. "Another lab has shown that zinc supplements have led to greater recovery rates."
" The use of zinc in the treatment of anorexia nervosa has been advocated since nineteen seventy nine by Bakan."
"While the causes of anorexia nervosa may be complex and may often relate to psychological and social factors, there is at least some evidence that disordered physiology may play a role in the development of the condition too. In particular, research has suggested that anorexia may be related to a deficiency in the mineral zinc. Zinc deficiency has been found to be a common feature in anorexics, and it has been noted that zinc deficiency and anorexia nervosa have symptoms in common which include poor appetite, weight loss, nausea and cessation of periods (amenorrhea).
"These findings have led some scientists to suggest that zinc deficiency may actually play a role in the causation of anorexia nervosa. The role between zinc and eating behaviour may be connected to a brain chemical known as neuropeptide Y (NPY), the main function of which is to stimulate eating. Generally speaking, restriction of food causes an increase in NPY levels. Animal research has discovered, however, that zinc deficiency blunts the increase in NPY in response to food restriction. The results of this research suggest that zinc deficiency may quell the normal urge to eat more should food be rationed.
"Support for the idea that zinc deficiency plays an important role in anorexia nervosa has come from a study which found that zinc supplementation appeared to promote significant weight gain in # out of # anorexics. In another piece of research, zinc supplementation doubled the speed of weight increase in a group of anorexic women compared to supplementation with placebo (inactive medication)."
"If you have anorexia, [take] fifty mg a day of this essential mineral, along with one to three mg per day of copper."
"Insufficient zinc has been linked to anorexia, which responds well to zinc replacement treatment."
"Zinc deficiency has also been detected in people with anorexia or bulimia in most, nineteen, twenty though not all, twenty one studies. In addition, some of the manifestations of zinc deficiency, such as reduced appetite, taste, and smell, are similar to symptoms observed in some cases of anorexia or bulimia."
"Researchers are continuing to investigate whether zinc therapy is an effective supplemental treatment for anorexia nervosa.
"A # study (Birmingham and Gritzner) reports that low zinc levels create dynamics in the brain that are similar to those seen with anorexia nervosa. The study found that giving zinc to a group of persons with anorexia produced a significant improvement in body mass index compared to a group of anorexic persons not receiving zinc. Birmingham and Gritzner suggest that zinc deficiencies make neurotransmitters less effective. When this problem is corrected with zinc therapy in those with anorexia, they conclude, the resulting improvement in brain functioning creates an improvement in anorexia symptoms....
"What is interesting is that such an inexpensive and widely-available mineral shows promise, by itself, in establishing better brain functioning in this group.
"It's important to check with your doctor before beginning a course of zinc therapy, however, because too much zinc can result in other problems in brain functioning (Flinn et al., two thousand five). Medical assistance will help regulate zinc at the proper level for you."
Love Amy
