Zinc benefits are numerous, as it plays many roles throughout the body. Particularly important to male reproductive health (it plays a role in sperm production and hormone activity), it’s also important to growing children. Zinc’s benefits also extend to the skin, as it is used by the body in wound healing, protein synthesis, cartilage development, and cell health.
But not everyone may be getting their recommended daily allotment of zinc. Zinc deficiency is most common among vegetarians/vegans or anyone without a complete, healthy diet.
Zinc Deficiency Symptoms:
- Loss of Proper Taste/Smell Ability
- Lack of Appetite
- Growth Retardation
- Immune Deficiency (Taking zinc may even help shorten colds)
- Delayed Wound Healing
- Mental Fog
What Is Zinc?
Zinc is an essential mineral, and it’s used by the body to make hundreds of different enzymes. It also performs like an antioxidant in some of its functions, and helps maintain the body’s immune system.
Mostly found in meat and animal products like beef, zinc can also be found in cashews, almonds, beans and peas (although you would need at least 10 servings of beans, maybe the best vegan source, to meat your daily minimum requirement).
Zinc may also help shorten colds. For that reason many OTC “supplements” contain heavily watered down or alternative versions of zinc.
Anyone at risk for zinc deficiency can get zinc benefits from fortified foods like cereal, or from colloidal supplements (with better version of zinc) like MesoZinc (a colloidal zinc). Anyone who supplements with zinc should also take copper, also required in the diet. Zinc and copper compete in the digestive tract for absorption, so a healthy supplement regime should contain both (for those interested in MesoZinc it can easily be paired with MesoCopper).
Have you supplemented with zinc? What were the benefits?
