Health Benefits of Zinc and Foods that Contain Zinc
Zinc does a lot for the body. The question is are you getting enough?
 |
| Natural sources of Zinc |
Zinc plays a vital role in a handful of our bodily functions. But, it is often looked at passively since you don't need very much of it to reap its benefits.
"Even though you only need a small amount, it's involved in many important functions in the body," says Perri Halperin, M.S., R.D., clinical nutrition coordinator at Mount Sinai Health System.
ALSO READ:
The mineral plays a role in the growth of cells, healing damaged tissue, and supporting a healthy immune system. It even plays a role in the senses of taste and smell, says Erin Kenney, M.S., R.D., founder of Nutrition Rewired.
In short it plays these main roles:
— Supports growth of cells,
— Healing of damaged tissue
— Supports a healthy immune system
— Plays a role in the senses of taste and smell
Without it, we would be in some serious trouble. Below, a full recap of everything you need to know about zinc.
What Is Zinc?
Zinc is an essential mineral that our bodies utilize to support our immune system and cellular function. Here, the word 'essential' "means the body can't make it—you need to get it from an external source like food or supplements," Halperin says.
Even though zinc plays an important role in several life-supporting bodily functions, you don't actually need that much of it.
According to the Mayo Clinic, for men, about 11 milligrams will do. The need is also dependent on what's going on in your life, though. Zinc plays a crucial role in multiplying cells, so it's needed in times of rapid cell growth—think adolescence, pregnancy, and wound healing.
What Are Some Benefits of Zinc?
The two most notable benefits of zinc include supporting the immune system and helping heal damaged cells. "The greatest benefit of zinc appears to be in people who are deficient also have severe wounds (a form of damaged cells), so they have very high needs," Halperin says.
It's also been shown to assist in immune system health. In fact, zinc lozenges have been found to actually shorten the duration of a cold when taken within 24 hours of onset symptoms. Halperin says the severity of the cold has been shown to go unchanged, but the length of time the cold persists is shorter.
May improve immune function
Many over-the-counter (OTC) medications and natural remedies feature zinc due to its ability to boost immune function and fight inflammation. Thus, it could potentially help treat certain types of infection if used when symptoms first appear.
One reviewTrusted Source of 7 studies showed that zinc lozenges containing 80–92 mg of zinc may reduce the duration of the common cold by up to 33%.
Zinc may also act as an antioxidant, reducing inflammation and protecting against chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
According to a reviewTrusted Source of 28 studies, some evidence suggests that taking zinc could even prevent symptoms and shorten the duration of certain respiratory tract infections.
May promote blood sugar management
Zinc is well known for its role in blood sugar management and insulin secretionTrusted Source. Insulin is the hormone responsible for transporting sugar from your bloodstream to your tissues.
Some research suggests that zinc may help keep blood sugar levels steady and improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin.
One reviewTrusted Source reported that low zinc levels could be linked to impaired blood sugar levels and type 2 diabetes.
Other researchTrusted Source shows that zinc may help reduce insulin resistance, which can improve your body’s ability to use insulin efficiently to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Helps fight acne
Zinc supplements are often used to promote skin health and treat common skin conditions like acne.
A type of zinc called zinc sulfate has been proven especially useful for decreasing symptoms of mild to moderate acneTrusted Source.
According to one reviewTrusted Source, not only did people with acne tend to have lower blood levels of zinc compared with those without acne, but zinc supplements were also able to decrease the average amount of inflammatory bumps caused by the condition.
Zinc supplements are also often favored over other treatment methods, as they’re inexpensive, effective, and associated with far fewer side effects.
May improve heart health
Heart disease is a serious health condition, accounting for roughly 33%Trusted Source of deaths worldwide.
Some research shows that taking zinc may improve several risk factors for heart disease. They may even lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels.
A review Trusted Source of 24 studies found that zinc supplements decreased levels of total and LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood triglycerides. As such, they could potentially help prevent heart disease.
Another analysisTrusted Source of nine studies showed that zinc supplements could reduce systolic blood pressure levels, which is the top number of blood pressure readings.
However, research on the effects of supplements on blood pressure is limited. Further, some studiesTrusted Source suggest that low levels of serum zinc may be associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease, though findings remain inconclusive. Thus, more research is needed.
Slows macular degeneration
Macular degeneration is a common eye disease and one of the leading causes of vision loss around the globe.
Zinc supplements are often used to slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and help protect against vision loss and blindness.
One 2014 studyTrusted Source in 72 people with AMD showed that taking 50 mg of zinc sulfate daily for 3 months slowed the progression of the disease.
Other reviewsTrusted Source similarly recommend zinc supplements to slow the progression of AMD, claiming that it may improve nutrient flow in the retina to protect against disease.
However, other studiesTrusted Source suggest that zinc supplements alone may not significantly improve vision and should be paired with other treatment options to maximize results.
As such, more research is needed to learn more about the connection between this mineral and eye health.
What Foods Contain Zinc?
If you're a person who eats shellfish, odds are you're getting enough zinc in your diet.
The sea creature that contains the most? Oysters, with a whooping 291 percent of the recommended daily value of zinc in one serving. Crab, shrimp, and and sardines round out the list of fish friends that provide a decent amount of zinc. A few land neighbors—including beef, pork, and turkey—are all good sources.
Non-meat zinc sources include fortified breakfast cereals, oats, pumpkin seeds, cheese, and lentils.
In addition to using zinc supplements, you can also increase your intake naturally by adding more zinc-rich foods to your diet. These include nuts, seeds, legumes, meat, seafood, and dairy.
How Do I Know if I'm Low on Zinc?
In the United States, about 15 percent of the population is low on zinc, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Nutrients.
This can happen because of inadequate dietary intake, malabsorption issues that come with diseases like irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease, or other medical conditions. Those who have recently undergone bariatric surgery, like gastric bypass, may also be at risk of zinc deficiency.
Because the foods with the highest amounts of zinc include several meats, vegans and vegetarians are likely to go low on zinc.
Signs of Deficiency of Zinc:
"Signs of deficiency include loss of taste, or smell, poor appetite, depressed mood, immunity, delayed wound healing, hair loss, and diarrhea," Halperin says.
Are Supplements Safe?
"It is generally recommended to obtain nutrients from a balanced diet," Kenney says. "However, certain individuals may benefit from zinc supplementation, especially those with diagnosed zinc deficiency or those at risk, such as vegetarians, vegans, and individuals with certain medical conditions."
Be careful when supplementing, though. Zinc toxicity can happen, and has been shown to come "almost exclusively" from supplements over food, Halperin says.
That said, it's not recommended to eat more than 40 milligrams per day (for reference, a three ounce serving of oysters has about 30 milligrams in it). Having too much zinc can cause vomiting, poor appetite, stomach pain, headaches, and diarrhea. Zinc also interferes with the body's ability to uptake other essential minerals and nutrients like copper and iron. Similar symptoms may appear with copper and iron deficiency.
It's important to speak with a doctor, too, about what medications you're taking before you begin a zinc supplement. "Zinc may interfere with the absorption of antibiotics like tetracyclines, so it's generally recommended to separate the doses by a few hours," says Kenney. "Zinc supplements may also interact with medications used to manage rheumatoid arthritis or Wilson's disease."
The bottom line
Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a key role in multiple aspects of your health.
Supplementing with 15–30 mg of elemental zinc daily may improve immunity, blood sugar levels, and eye, heart, and skin health.
However, it’s important not to exceed the upper limit of 40 mg of zinc per day, as consuming high amounts could cause digestive issues and flu-like symptoms, decrease copper absorption, and reduce the effectiveness of certain antibiotics.
No comments: