Zinc has been shown to help boost the immune system, providing protection from diseases and viral infections. That is why it is important that you incorporate zinc supplements into your daily nutrition to maintain overall body health. Zinc is an essential mineral. The benefits of zinc include providing nutrients to support a healthy immune system, good metabolism, reducing inflammation enzyme reactions, fighting infections, collagen synthesis and digesting food. Zinc sources include certain foods and dietary zinc supplements.
What is zinc?
Zinc is an essential nutrient that is required for many biological functions, and should be part of everyone’s daily diet. It is present in most of the cells in our bodies including our muscles, bones, skin, liver and other organs.
Zinc is vital for the proper functioning of hundreds of enzymes that carry out essential chemical reactions within the body. The essential mineral is needed for good health, wellbeing, growth, healthy skin, good hair, strong nails, good metabolism, regular digestion, collagen synthesis, inflammation response, nerve function, fighting infections and processing food.
Our bodies cannot produce or store zinc for any length of time. Therefore, it needs to be consumed regularly.
Having adequate level of zing are of particular importance during periods of growth. This included during childhood, adolescence and while pregnant.
What is Zinc good for?
Zinc is an essential nutrient. It is mineral that plays a vital role in many of our bodily processes. These include immunity, metabolism, genes, DNA, enzyme reactions, collagen synthesis, inflammation response, nerves, cell growth, and senses of taste and smell.
- Combats flu- Studies have shown that zinc is also beneficial in promoting healing, and can effectively combat flu and cold symptoms. Zinc helps keep your immune system strong. Regular intake of zinc supplements can help you recover much more quickly but put in mind that excessive consumption if harmful to your health. In addition to combating flus, zinc can help to treat skin injuries and sore throat.
- Increases libido- Zinc is important for sperm production in men. Studies show that zinc supplements play a role in increasing sperm production, thereby is effective in elimination of low libido in men. Zinc deficiency, on the other hand might lead to sexual dysfunction.
- Aids in digestion- Zinc supplements might help those with common digestive disorders like constipation, sprue, irritable bowel syndrome and crohn’s. Moreover, zinc help to normalize blood sugar level in people with diabetes.
Zinc Benefits- So what does zinc do for the body? The benefits of zinc and taking zinc supplements include:
- Contributing to the normal function of the immune system to help the body resist infection and fight illness.
- Reducing inflammation by decreasing oxidative stress in cells and tissues, which leads to chronic inflammation.
- Helping combat the common cold and flu viruses by boosting our immune system, and reducing the length of time being ill with cold and flu infections.
- Maintaining healthy hair.
- Growing and maintaining strong nails.
- Contributing to good healthy skin by being a cofactor in the production of collagen. Zinc has been used to help treat acne, as people with acne tend to have low levels of zinc.
- Helping heal damaged tissues, which reduces the time to heal wounds, cuts, skin injuries and burns.
- Providing an essential part in cell growth, DNA synthesis and protein production, which are vital for the body to survive, develop and reproduce.
- Assisting with a properly functioning sense of taste and smell in a person.
- Aiding good metabolism by helping the body breakdown carbohydrates to convert food into energy.
- Assisting the central nervous system to function properly.
- Supporting good cardiovascular heart health and blood vessels.
- Regulating blood sugar, which is important for diabetes sufferers.
- Aiding with good eyesight.
- Contributing to a healthy pregnancy and reducing the risk of premature birth.
- Contributing to children and teenager’s normal growth and development by playing a part in cells growing and multiplying.
- Helping heal diaper rash in infants.
- Reducing the impact of diarrhoea for children.
- Potentially helping reduce the severity of symptoms of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
- Helping lower the risk of diseases associated with old age including pneumonia and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) of the eyes.
- Possibly assisting improve depression and mood.
- Potentially assisting prevent stomach ulcers.
Zinc Deficiency-
Zinc Deficiency occurs when you do not have adequate level of zinc in your body. This is due to either not taking enough zinc, not absorbing it properly or due to chronic illness. Zinc Defiency can lead to oxidative stress, whish happens when too many free radical are in the body that can cause damage to our cells, tissues and health. Although severe zinc deficiency is rare, it can occur in people with rare genetic mutations, breastfeeding infants whose mothers don’t have enough zinc, people with alcohol addictions and anyone taking certain immune-suppressing medications.
Symptoms of severe zinc deficiency include impaired growth and development, delayed sexual maturity, skin rashes, chronic diarrhea, impaired wound healing and behavioral issues (26Trusted Source).
Milder forms of zinc deficiency are more common, especially in children in developing countries where diets are often lacking in important nutrients.
It is estimated that around 2 billion people worldwide are deficient in zinc due to inadequate dietary intake (27Trusted Source).
Since zinc deficiency impairs your immune system — increasing the chances of infection — zinc deficiency is thought to cause over 450,000 deaths in children under 5 every year (28Trusted Source).
- Those at risk of zinc deficiency include:
- People with gastrointestinal diseases like Crohn’s disease
- Vegetarians and vegans
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women
- Older infants who are exclusively breastfed
- People with sickle cell anemia
- People who are malnourished, including those with anorexia or bulimia
- People with chronic kidney disease
- Those who abuse alcohol
Symptoms of Zinc Deficiency-
The symptoms of a zinc deficiency in adults can include:
- A poorly functioning immune system.
- Frequent colds and flu.
- Lack of energy.
- Poor mental alertness.
- Diarrhea
- Slow healing of wounds.
- Skin rashes.
- Poor sense of taste and smell.
- Weight loss.
- Hair loss.
- Loss of appetite.
- Sexual dysfunction
Zinc deficiency is difficult to detect using laboratory tests due to your body’s tight control over zinc levels. Thus, you may still be deficient even if tests indicate normal levels.
Doctors consider other risk factors — such as poor dietary intake and genetics — alongside blood results when determining whether you need supplements (31Trusted Source).
Who is at Risk of Zinc Deficiency?
People who are at the risk of zinc deficiency include:
- People suffering with illnesses including Crohn’s disease, diabetes, cancer liver disease and celiac disease, alcoholism, sickle cell disease, ulcerative colitis and pancreatic issues.
- Older people.
- Infants, children and teenagers.
- Pregnant women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 80% of pregnant women worldwide have inadequate zinc intake.
Sources of Zinc-
The human body cannot produce zinc or store it for any period of time. Therefore, it must be regularly consumed through our diet. The sources of zinc are certain types of food and dietary supplements.
- Zinc in Food-
Zinc foods include:
- Red meat including beef, pork, lamb and bison
- Shellfish including oysters, crab, mussels, shrimp and lobster.
- Chicken and poultry.
- Legumes including chickpeas, beans, lentils, black beans and Kidney beans, etc
- Seeds including pumpkin or squash seeds.
- Dairy produce including cheddar cheese, milk and yogurt.
- Nuts such as cashews, peanuts and almonds.
- Whole grains including oats, quinoa, brown rice, etc
- Vegetables such as spinach, green beans, Mushrooms, kale, peas, asparagus and beet greens
- Dark chocolate.
- Fish including flounder, sardines, salmon and sole
The human body cannot produce zinc or store it for any period of time. Therefore, it must be regularly consumed through our diet. The sources of zinc are certain types of food and dietary supplements.
Our Whole Food Zinc Supplement-
Dietary supplements are the second source of Zinc. Vivre Natutals do have one of the best Organic Whole Food Zinc supplement. Our zinc supplement includes:
- USDA Organic and VEGAN Certified
- Whole Food, Non GMO, Simple and Clean Excipients
- 15 mg of Zinc (from Organic Guava and Zinc Chelate)
- 200 mg of Organic Whole Food Blend from 16 Fruits, Veggies, Herbs and Mushrooms
- Contains No dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs, peanuts, soy, fish, shellfish, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors.
Recommended Zinc Supplement Dosage-
How much zinc should I take? According to the Health Service Executive (HSE), women need 7mg per day and men need 9.5mg of zinc per day. Unless advised by your doctor, the recommended zinc supplement dosage is to not take more than 25mg of zinc supplements each day.
Zinc supplements can cause adverse side effects when taken in large amounts. Potential side effects of excessive consumption include nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Then again, Zinc deficiency in the body may lead to dermatitis, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, female infertility, poor appetite, night blindness and poor memory. Therefore, it is important that you consult a doctor before you take these supplements.