For penguins, zinc and copper vest technology is new. But people have known about the healing properties of these metals for thousands of years.  

You can find both copper and zinc on the periodic table of the elements. That table breaks the universe into its tiniest bits. It includes all the “stuff” everything is made of. You can think of the elements as the material God the artist works with in creation. We creatures, made in His image, use them to create as well.  

Copper is a reddish metal. It can stretch without readily breaking. It’s extra-good at carrying electricity and heat. People use copper to make wires, cookware, sink faucets, machines, roofs, tools, and more.  

Zinc is a blue-gray metal. People use it to make batteries, bolts, screws, and more. People mix it with copper to make brass musical instruments. 

The world needs these elements. And so do you . . . even though you’re not a saxophone or a wrench. Is it strange to think that copper and zinc also belong in the human body? Zinc hangs out in your red blood cells, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract. Copper, meanwhile, resides in your skeleton and muscles.  

God made the world with healing built in. Today people use copper threads in fabric. It may ease arthritis pain. Copper spray on vegetable plants stops some fungal infections. Veterinarians also use copper-laced suits to treat dogs and cats with skin problems. People use zinc to help the body’s immune system work. Zinc also helps wounds heal. People who eat a healthy diet usually get enough of both elements in their bodies. 

I am the Lord, your healer. — Exodus 15:26 

Did you know . . .  
that the U.S. penny is made of the same stuff as the penguin vests? Copper and zinc! 
that brass is an alloy—a mixture—of copper and zinc?