“Nearly all disease can be traced to a nutritional deficiency” stated Linus Pauling, two-time Nobel Prize winner.

But conventional medicine will have you believe all body systems are separate and that popping a pill will eliminate depression and its many side-effects, most notably, weight gain.

We now know that depression is a term, not a condition and that there are actually five distinct types of depression, each with different underlying nutrient imbalances as the root cause.

And I should know, I spent over 25 years trying to figure this out for myself.

Even if you don’t struggle with depression, but can’t seem to lose weight, you should pay close attention to this important mineral.

It’s called zinc.

Yes, the mineral you’re probably familiar with as a treatment for the common cold also plays important roles in growth and development, the immune response, neurological function, and reproduction.

Zinc is essential to all forms of life and is a component of more than 300 enzymes. It enhances resistance to stress, maintains intellectual function, memory, and mood levels. Zinc also enhances gene expression of cysteine-rich proteins called metallothionines.

When metallothionine production is disabled due to oxidative stress and toxic heavy metals, the body is open to all kinds of assaults from pathogens and viruses; as well as an inability to properly absorb nutrients from food.

Metallothionines have powerful antioxidant properties and work in tandem with glutathione and selenium to bind to toxic heavy metals and transport them out of the body. Without this important function, heavy metals, most notably mercury and copper, pass through the intestinal and blood/brain barriers leading to depression, chronic fatigue, and weight gain.

With copper high, zinc becomes imbalanced. Copper and zinc work in tandem with each other to control the overgrowth of fungal, yeast, and parasitic infections. Without the proper ratio, these types of infections can become chronic and difficult to eliminate.

In the initial stages of working with a client, I look at three main areas: malnourishment, food toxins, and pathogens.

All three significantly affect the body’s ability to shed fat and be happy because they all can lead to deficiencies in zinc.

In all cases of disordered eating from anorexia to bulimia and in between, zinc status should always be assessed.

This takes me back to my vegan days. I had no desire for meat and swore I would never eat it again for the rest of my life. Little did I know at the time my distaste for meat was the result of severe nutrient deficiencies, something I was able to correct with proper zinc supplementation.

The truth is that we all have nutrient deficiencies and as we get older, we become even more susceptible. Some can be corrected with diet alone, while others require diet and supplementation to overcome.

If you know of someone who struggles with their weight and/or depression, please share this post. If you struggle, please share your experience in the comments below. It is through sharing your story that we create community, eliminate guilt and shame, and bring about healing.