Today, I've got great news for rosacea sufferers. We now know that a cheap
mineral can reduce the symptoms of this irritating skin condition.

Rosacea is a dermatitis that affects people over the age of 50. It's
characterized by redness, scaling and inflammation in the central part of the
face. I've found that many cases of rosacea will clear simply by addressing a
lack of stomach acidity. If you have little stomach acid, digestion in
incomplete and skin problems can result. Simply taking digestive acid such as
betaine hydrochloride may provide relief.

But a lack of stomach acid also leads to mineral deficiency, since acid is
required to absorb minerals. Researchers proved this in a small (19 patients),
but randomized and controlled study. They followed 11 women and eight men, who
had suffered with the disease for an average of 4.4 years.

The researchers gave one group 100 mg of zinc sulfate three times daily for
three months. Another group received a placebo. Then they gave the placebo group
the zinc sulfate and the other group the placebo for the same amount of time.
This crossover is the best way to conduct a study. The results showed that zinc
indeed reduced activity. And not just a little bit - the effect was significant.
And the activity began to rise when the researchers gave the placebo.

The only significant side effect of the zinc was mild gastric discomfort in 12%
of the participants. Otherwise, each of the volunteers found significant relief
from their rosacea symptoms when they took the zinc.

If you have rosacea, this is a safe, simple, and inexpensive way to treat it.
Zinc is dirt cheap, especially as zinc sulfate. High doses of zinc can suppress
copper absorption, so I would be sure to add copper (two mg per day).

Too much zinc also can cause other problems, such as a metallic, bitter taste in
your mouth, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea mixed with
blood. This would be quite rare at the doses used. But once you see improvement,
it's still wise to cut the zinc to the lowest dose necessary to maintain
improvement.

Also consider digestive acid as betaine hydrochloride, which might help with the
absorption of all minerals.

Yours for better health and medical freedom,
Robert Jay Rowen, MD

Ref: "Oral zinc sulfate in the treatment of rosacea: a double-blind,
placebo-controlled study," Sharquie KE, Najim RA, et al, Int J Dermatol, 2006;
45(7): 857-61.
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