Zinc is critical to maintain a healthy body. Zinc contributing to a better health. In the world of dietary supplements, minerals are not necessarily the hottest or most exciting product category. But maybe they should be, because research continues to show new benefits for commonly known minerals, which has increased their popularity and use. At the same time, lesser known minerals and trace minerals are being recognized as well for their health benefits.

Zinc Health Benefits

Zinc is a component of more than 300 enzymes needed to repair wounds, maintain fertility in adults and growth in children, synthesize protein, help cells reproduce, preserve vision, boost immunity, and protect against free radicals, among other functions.

In double-blind trials, zinc lozenges have reduced the duration of colds in adults, but have been ineffective in children. The ability of zinc to shorten colds may be due to a direct, localized anti-viral action in the throat. For the alleviation of cold symptoms, lozenges providing 13–25 mg of zinc, in the form of zinc gluconate, zinc gluconate-glycine, or zinc acetate, are used, typically every two hours while awake, but only for several days. The best effect is obtained when lozenges are used at the first sign of a cold.

Zinc reduces the body’s ability to utilize the essential mineral copper. (For healthy people, this interference is circumvented by supplementing with copper, along with zinc.) The ability to interfere with copper makes zinc an important therapeutic tool for people with Wilson’s disease—a genetic condition that causes copper overload.

Zinc supplementation in children in developing countries is associated with improvements in stunted growth, increased weight gain in underweight children, and substantial reductions in the rates of diarrhea and pneumonia, the two leading causes of death in these settings. Whether such supplementation would help people in better nourished populations remains unclear.

Who may need extra zinc?
Medical doctors who suspect a zinc deficiency will consider risk factors such as inadequate caloric intake, alcoholism, digestive diseases, and symptoms such as impaired growth in infants and children when determining a need for zinc supplementation. Vegetarians may need as much as 50% more zinc than non-vegetarians because of the lower absorption of zinc from plant foods, so it is very important for vegetarians to include good sources of zinc in their diet.

Maternal zinc deficiency can slow fetal growth. Zinc supplementation has improved growth rate in some children who demonstrate mild to moderate growth failure and who also have a zinc deficiency. Breastfeeding also may deplete maternal zinc stores because of the greater need for zinc during lactation. It is important for mothers who breast-feed to include good sources of zinc in their daily diet and for pregnant women to follow their doctor’s advice about taking vitamin and mineral supplements.

Low zinc status has been observed in 30% to 50% of alcoholics. Alcohol decreases the absorption of zinc and increases loss of zinc in urine. In addition, many alcoholics do not eat an acceptable variety or amount of food, so their dietary intake of zinc may be inadequate.

Diarrhea results in a loss of zinc. Individuals who have had gastrointestinal surgery or who have digestive disorders that result in malabsorption, including sprue, Crohn’s disease and short bowel syndrome, are at greater risk of a zinc deficiency. Individuals who experience chronic diarrhea should make sure they include sources of zinc in their daily diet and may benefit from zinc supplementation.

What foods provide zinc?
Zinc is found in a wide variety of foods. Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food, but red meat and poultry provide the majority of zinc in the American diet. Other good food sources include beans, nuts, certain seafood, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products. Zinc absorption is greater from a diet high in animal protein than a diet rich in plant proteins.

Food	Milligrams	%DV*
Oysters, battered and fried, 6 medium	16.0	100
Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Breakfast cereal, fortified with 100% of the DV for zinc per serving, 3/4 c serving	15.0	100
Beef shank, lean only, cooked 3 oz	8.9	60
Beef chuck, arm pot roast, lean only, cooked, 3 oz	7.4	50
Beef tenderloin, lean only, cooked, 3 oz	4.8	30
Pork shoulder, arm picnic, lean only, cooked, 3 oz	4.2	30
Beef, eye of round, lean only, cooked, 3 oz	4.0	25
RTE Breakfast cereal, fortified with 25% of the DV for zinc per serving, 3/4 c	3.8	25
RTE Breakfast cereal, complete wheat bran flakes, 3/4 c serving	3.7	25
Chicken leg, meat only, roasted, 1 leg	2.7	20
Pork tenderloin, lean only, cooked, 3 oz	2.5	15
Pork loin, sirloin roast, lean only, cooked, 3 oz	2.2	15
Yogurt, plain, low fat, 1 c	2.2	15
Baked beans, canned, with pork, 1/2 c	1.8	10
Baked beans, canned, plain or vegetarian, 1/2 c	1.7	10
Cashews, dry roasted w/out salt, 1 oz	1.6	10
Yogurt, fruit, low fat, 1 c	1.6	10
Pecans, dry roasted w/out salt, 1 oz	1.4	10
Raisin bran, 3/4 c	1.3	8
Chickpeas, mature seeds, canned, 1/2 c	1.3	8
Mixed nuts, dry roasted w/peanuts, w/out salt, 1 oz	1.1	8
Cheese, Swiss, 1 oz	1.1	8
Almonds, dry roasted, w/out salt, 1 oz	1.0	6
Walnuts, black, dried, 1 oz	1.0	6
Milk, fluid, any kind, 1 c	0.9	6
Chicken breast, meat only, roasted, 1/2 breast with bone and skin removed	0.9	6
Cheese, cheddar, 1 oz	0.9	6
Cheese, mozzarella, part skim, low moisture, 1 oz	0.9	6
Beans, kidney, California red, cooked, 1/2 c	0.8	6
Peas, green, frozen, boiled, 1/2 c	0.8	6
Oatmeal, instant, low sodium, 1 packet	0.8	6
Flounder/sole, cooked, 3 oz	0.5	4
* DV = Daily Value. DVs are reference numbers based on the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). They were developed to help consumers determine if a food contains very much of a specific nutrient. The DV for zinc is 15 milligrams (mg). The percent DV (%DV) listed on the nutrition facts panel of food labels tells adults what percentage of the DV is provided in one serving. Percent DVs are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Foods that provide lower percentages of the DV also contribute to a healthful diet.

How much Zinc do I need?
Moderate intake of zinc, approximately 15 mg daily, is adequate to prevent deficiencies. Higher levels (up to 50 mg taken three times per day) are reserved for people with certain health conditions, under the supervision of a doctor. For the alleviation of cold symptoms, lozenges providing 13–25 mg of zinc in the form zinc gluconate, zinc gluconate-glycine, or zinc acetate are generally used frequently but only for several days.

YOURWEB.INFO SHOPPING MALL

Are you looking for a certain product or merchant? Can't find either one? Contact us and we will try our best to find it for you!

Thank You for supporting YourWeb.Info!

Merchant of The Month

YourWeb.Info Shopping Mall