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Zinc: The Silent Guardian of Your Health

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Introduction

Have you ever pondered the workings of your immune system or how your body heals after a little cut? Zinc is a superhero mineral that is active in the background. Every cell in your body contains it, which ensures that everything functions properly. Let’s explore the world of zinc and learn why it’s so important for your wellbeing.

Why is Zinc Important and What Does It Do?

Since zinc is a trace element, your body only requires modest amounts of it. These small amounts, nonetheless, have a significant impact! Your body uses zinc as a crucial component in over 300 enzyme activities that help with functions like digestion, metabolism, and nerve transmission.

Benefits of zinc

Booster of Immunity

A friend of your immune system is zinc. According to research, it keeps your immune system primed and ready to respond when pathogens like viruses and bacteria try to intrude.

Healing of Wounds:

Any cuts? To the rescue, zinc! It has become a standard treatment for a variety of skin disorders like burns and ulcers because it quickens wound healing.

Sensory Purposes:

Think of not being able to enjoy your favorite foods or the smell of fresh flowers. Your senses of taste and smell are maintained by zinc.

May aid in managing blood sugar

Zinc is well known for its function in insulin secretion and blood sugar regulation. The hormone insulin is in charge of carrying sugar from your bloodstream to your tissues.

According to some research, zinc may help maintain consistent blood sugar levels and increase your body’s sensitivity to insulin.

Fighting acne

Supplemental zinc is frequently used to maintain healthy skin and treat common skin issues like acne.

Zinc sulfate, a specific form of zinc, has been found to be particularly effective for reducing the signs and symptoms of mild to moderate acne.

Could raise heart health

Zinc supplementation reduced blood triglyceride and total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, according to a study of 24 research. They may therefore aid in preventing heart disease.

Zinc supplementation may lower systolic blood pressure levels, which is the highest blood pressure reading, according to another study of nine research.

Research on how supplements affect blood pressure, nevertheless, is few. Additionally, although results are still preliminary, some studies Source suggest that having low serum zinc levels may increase your chance of developing coronary heart disease. Therefore, more study is required.

Sources of zinc:

Meat, fish, and seafood are the food sources of zinc that are most abundant. Although beef makes up 20% of Americans’ food intakes of zinc in the United States, oysters are the food with the highest zinc content per serving. Zinc is also present in dairy and eggs. Zinc is found in beans, nuts, and whole grains, however because these foods include phytates, their bioavailability is lower than that of animal products. Plants store phosphorus in the form of phytates, which bind certain minerals like zinc in the intestine and create an insoluble compound that prevents zinc absorption. The zinc content of fruits and vegetables is quite low.

Breakfast cereals are a significant source of zinc in the American diet and are frequently fortified with the mineral

Conclusion

Indeed, zinc is a miraculous mineral with a host of advantages, from boosting your immune system to accelerating wound healing. Making sure you get the correct quantity of zinc in your food or through supplements might serve as a first step toward becoming healthier

KEY References

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Maxfield, L. (2023, June 28). Zinc Deficiency. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493231/

Hemilä, H. (2017, May 1). Zinc lozenges and the common cold: a meta-analysis comparing zinc acetate and zinc gluconate, and the role of zinc dosage. JRSM Open; SAGE Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1177/2054270417694291

Tamura, Y. (2021, November 1). The Role of Zinc Homeostasis in the Prevention of Diabetes Mellitus and Cardiovascular Diseases. Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis; Japan Atherosclerosis Society. https://doi.org/10.5551/jat.rv17057

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Yee, B. E., Richards, P. Q., Sui, J. Y., & Marsch, A. F. (2020, September 15). Serum zinc levels and efficacy of zinc treatment in acne vulgaris: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Dermatologic Therapy; Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.14252

Mousavi, S. M., Mofrad, M. D., Nascimento, I. J. B. D., Milajerdi, A., Mokhtari, P., & Esmaillzadeh, A. (2020, February 24). The effect of zinc supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials. European Journal of Nutrition; Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-020-02204-5

Hashemian, M. (2015, November 1). Systematic review of zinc biochemical indicators and risk of coronary heart disease. PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4738046/

Barrie, S. A., Wright, J. V., Pizzorno, J. E., Kutter, E., & Barron, P. C. (1987, June 1). Comparative absorption of zinc picolinate, zinc citrate and zinc gluconate in humans. Agents and Actions; Birkhäuser. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01974946

Duncan, A., Yacoubian, C., Watson, N., & Morrison, I. (2015, June 17). The risk of copper deficiency in patients prescribed zinc supplements. Journal of Clinical Pathology; BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/jclinpath-2014-202837

Ranasinghe, P., Wathurapatha, W., Ishara, M., Jayawardana, R., Galappatthy, P., Katulanda, P., & Constantine, G. (2015, August 4). Effects of Zinc supplementation on serum lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition & Metabolism; Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-015-0023-4

Wegmüller, R., Tay, F., Zeder, C., Brnić, M., & Hurrell, R. F. (2014, February 1). Zinc Absorption by Young Adults from Supplemental Zinc Citrate Is Comparable with That from Zinc Gluconate and Higher than from Zinc Oxide. Journal of Nutrition; Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.113.181487

MacDonald, R. S. (2000, May 1). The Role of Zinc in Growth and Cell Proliferation. Journal of Nutrition; Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/130.5.1500s

Foster, M., Chu, A., Petocz, P., & Samman, S. (2013, May 29). Effect of vegetarian diets on zinc status: a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies in humans. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture; Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.6179

Bakaloudi, D. R., Halloran, A., Rippin, H., Oikonomidou, A. C., Dardavesis, T., Williams, J., Wickramasinghe, K., Breda, J., & Chourdakis, M. (2021, May 1). Intake and adequacy of the vegan diet. A systematic review of the evidence. Clinical Nutrition; Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2020.11.035

Poujois, A., Djebrani‐Oussedik, N., & Ory‐Magne, F. (2018, May 1). Neurological presentations revealing acquired copper deficiency: diagnosis features, aetiologies and evolution in seven patients. Internal Medicine Journal; Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.13650

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Flórez, I. D., Veroniki, A. A., Khalifah, R. A., Yepes‐Nuñez, J. J., Sierra, J., Vernooij, R. W., Acosta‐Reyes, J., Granados, C., Pérez‐Gaxiola, G., Cuello-Garcia, C. A., Zea, A. M., Zhang, Y., Foroutan, N., Guyatt, G., & Thabane, L. (2018, December 5). Comparative effectiveness and safety of interventions for acute diarrhea and gastroenteritis in children: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. PLOS ONE; Public Library of Science. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0207701

Skalny, A. V., Skalnaya, M. G., Grabeklis, A. R., Skalnaya, A. A., & Tinkov, A. A. (2017, November 24). Zinc deficiency as a mediator of toxic effects of alcohol abuse. European Journal of Nutrition; Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-017-1584-y

Swe, K. M. M., Abas, A. B. L., Bhardwaj, A., Barua, A., & Nair, N. S. (2013, June 28). Zinc supplements for treating thalassaemia and sickle cell disease. The Cochrane Library; Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd009415.pub2

Martyres, D., Vijenthira, A., Barrowman, N., Harris‐Janz, S., Chretien, C., & Klaassen, R. J. (2016, February 8). Nutrient Insufficiencies/Deficiencies in Children With Sickle Cell Disease and Its Association With Increased Disease Severity. Pediatric Blood & Cancer; Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.25940

Office of Dietary Supplements – Zinc. (n.d.). https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/

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