Zinc

Basic Information about Zinc

Zinc is one of the essential minerals which the body needs in order to be healthy. There are many natural sources of zinc in a variety of foods sources. Over 100 different enzymes require zinc in order to function. Cellular metabolism, the immune system, protein synthesis, the healing of wounds, cell division, and DNA synthesis are all functions in the body in which zinc plays a vital role.

Those who are thinking about becoming pregnant, those who currently are pregnant, and those who have just had a baby and are nursing should really monitor their levels of zinc. Zinc is one of the minerals involved in the growth and development of the child during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence.

The human body is not able to process smell or taste without the aid of zinc. The body has no built in way of storing zinc in the body; therefore, the body needs to have a daily intake of zinc in order to function properly.

Source of Zinc

There are large amounts of zinc in many animal source—these sources include red meats, certain shell fish, and poultry. Oysters actually contain more zinc per serving than any other food source. There are other food sources which a person can naturally get zinc from. Foods such as beans, nuts, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and certain dairy products also contain a large serving of zinc.

While a person can get zinc from plant sources, it is important to also consider the levels of Phytates consumed from plant sources. Phytates can be found in many plant sources of zinc: whole grain breads, cereals, legumes, and other foods. Phytates will limit the absorption of zinc into the body.

Here is a list of the sources of food with the highest concentration of zinc according to the National Institute of Heath’s Office of Dietary Supplements: oysters, beef shanks, crab, pork shoulder, fortified breakfast cereals, chicken leg, pork tenderloin, lobster, baked beans, cashews, yogurt, raisin bran, chickpeas, Swiss cheese, Almonds, milk, chicken breast, cheddar cheese, kidney beans, peas, oatmeal, and flounder.

Health Benefits of Zinc

The body uses zinc in the healing of wounds. Many times people with chronic led ulcers have an abnormality of zinc. Many doctors will treat open skin ulcers with zinc sulfate. There still haven’t been studies showing the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of these types of treatments.

Diarrhea is a serious issue in many developing nations, especially for its role in infant mortality. A lack of zinc in a diet of a infant or small child could leave the immune system more susceptible to infectious diseases which have the side effect of causing excessive diarrhea.

The immune system requires the zinc in order to develop and activate T-lymphocytes. The development and activation of T-lymphocytes are very important for the immune functions in children and the elderly. A poor level of zinc in the body can lead to the development of pneumonia and other infections and deadly diseases.

Zinc seems to affect the duration of the symptoms of the common cold. Yet, this claim of some researchers is very controversial. There are large amounts of studies on both sides of the argument both supporting and disproving this claim. What seems to be a common ground in all studies is that zinc does help to boast the body’s immune system, and it helps the body to fight off cold symptoms. Zinc doesn’t make the symptoms a person has any less severe, nor does it eliminate the cold completely. Studies do show that a person who will take a zinc supplement will recover from a cold faster than a person not taking zinc. One side effect of high dosing of zinc in the treatment of cold symptoms is a temporary loss of smell.

Zinc may help the human body to prevent age related macular degeneration. Age related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness among the elderly. Age related macular degeneration affects thousands of Americans every year. Studies suggest that zinc could help to slow age related macular degeneration by helping to prevent damage to the retina. It is suggested that a person takes zinc as well as beta carotene, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. The thought is the antioxidants in the Vitamin C, E, and beta carotene, mixed with zinc will significantly reduce the visual acuity loss in older Americans.

Zinc also helps the body with iron. Iron deficiency is a real problem throughout the world—especially among woman. Iron fortification programs have been started to fortify certain key foods with additional amounts of iron. This supplementation done in the world regarding iron is having a negative impact on a person’s supply of zinc. Too much iron in a person’s system will decrease the amount of zinc which the human body is able to process.

While too much iron can affect how the body interacts with zinc. Too much zinc will affect the way the body uses copper. Many times a person taking too much zinc will have a very dramatic copper deficiency. This deficiency of copper can lead to many health issues.

How to Get the Proper Amount of Zinc

Zinc is one the essential minerals the body needs in order to function properly. The best way to get the right amount of Zinc in the body is through a proper diet. A healthy low fat diet which includes fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats is usually enough, depending on the health of the individual, to get all of the essential vitamins and minerals the body requires.

Yet, the simple truth is very few people actually eat a full enough diet not to be lacking an essential vitamin and mineral. When the body is lacking an essential vitamin or mineral it will not function properly. The other problem is many of the essential vitamins and minerals, like zinc, cannot be easily stored in the human body. The body needs a constant daily intake of some essential vitamins and minerals.

The best way to ensure the body gets the nutrients it needs is by taking a reputable daily multivitamin. A good daily multivitamin will help to fill in the gaps of a normal healthy diet. The multivitamin will also help to bridge the deficiencies which occur due to changing health issues.

When looking for a good multivitamin look for one which is gender specific. Why? There are two major reasons. First, males and females need different amounts of vitamins and minerals. A gender specific vitamin will be able to give more of the vitamins and minerals which males and females normally struggle to obtain. Second, there are many sub-par vitamin manufactures. For the health of the person taking the vitamin it is important to find a manufacture which is reputable. A manufacture with differing vitamins for males and females is a helpful indication of their legitimacy—although it is always recommended to investigate any vitamin company before making a purchase.