Health Benefits of Zinc

Zinc (Zn) is a transition metal belonging to group 12 of the periodic table. As an "essential trace element" zinc has substantial biological importance for plants and animals.

Zinc is responsible for a number of different functions in the human body and it helps stimulate the activity of 100 different enzymes.

Zinc is important for a healthy immune system, properly synthesizing DNA, promoting healthy growth during childhood, and healing wounds.

Improve all aspects of your health and well-being by making sure you get enough zinc in your diet. Many people know about zinc for its immune boosting properties, but this mineral is actually a wonder of health benefits. Researchers write that “zinc is such a critical element in human health that even a small deficiency is a disaster.”

Zinc is so important because it is found in every tissue in the body and is directly involved in cell division. It is a powerful antioxidant, helping to prevent cancer, but zinc also is directly involved in proper endocrine function and the maintenance of ideal hormone levels.

Some of the most common health benefits of zinc include the ability to:

Boost the immune system

Aids the body in fighting the common cold (rhinovirus) and reducing the symptoms associated with the flu. 

Zinc has shown the strongest effect on our immune system and has proven to be vital to it. Zinc plays a distinctive role in the T-cells. This is so because low zinc levels lead to reduced and weakened T-cells. This results in the inability and incompetence to recognize and fight off certain infections.

Zinc deficiency profoundly affects the immune system because low zinc produces a direct and rapid decline in T cell function. T cells elevate the body’s immune system when viruses, bacteria, or challenges to health arise. Older people are at greater risk of zinc deficiency, which is not thought to be solely due to poor dietary intake. There’s evidence that a need for more zinc may increase with age to counter inflammation, support the immune system, and ensure healthy cell function.

Aid Eye Health

Especially macular degenration, night blindness, and cataracts. There are high concentrations of zinc in the retina which decline with age. This is known to play a role in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which leads to partial or complete loss of vision.

Skin Health

Zinc can be used to treat acne, aging skin, herpes, wrinkles, and increase the speed at which skin wounds heal. Zinc also has the added health benefit of being beneficial to skin. Regular consumption of zinc is said to have a positive effect on psoriasis and neurodermitis.

It has been proven that zinc can also be used as an anti-inflammatory agent. It can help soothe the skin tissue.

Bone Strength

Low zinc levels are associated with osteoporsis

Teeth Health

Zinc is added to toothpastes and mouthwashes to help prevent the formation of dental plaque and gingivitis. 

Healthy Pregnancy

Zinc also plays a crucial role in avoiding congenital abnormalities and pre-term delivery during pregnancies, which makes it of the utmost importance to have a diet sufficient in the sources of zinc. 

Developing Body

Zinc is very important in activating growth which includes height, weight and bone development in infants, children and teenagers.

Menstrual Cycle

Zinc plays an important role for women by helping in the treatment of menstrual problems and alleviating the symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Prostate Protection

In the case of males, adequate supplies of zinc helps in the protection of the prostate gland from infection, which is known as prostates, and ultimately from enlargement which is called prostatic hypertrophy.

Maintain Fertility

Zinc helps in ensuring and maintaining fertility in the case of men by ensuring a healthy sperm count. Adequate amount of zinc in the body also ensures mobility of sperm, as well as normal levels of serum testosterone.

In women, zinc is involved in the growth process of the oocyte or egg. If women are zinc deficient, the egg won’t mature properly and ovulation will be impeded, causing infertility. Adequate zinc allows women to use estrogen and progesterone efficiently, supporting reproductive health and ensuring that estrogen does what it’s supposed to do in the body. When estrogen levels become too high, or are inefficiently metabolized they can cause poor reproductive health and breast cancer.

Prevent Cancer

Simply ensuring our zinc levels are adequate can help cure a number of the most severe health problems, especially cancer and poor immune function. Along with prostate cancer, low zinc plays a role in the development of most cancers since it is instrumental in healthy cell proliferation. Recent evidence links zinc deficiency to cancers of the breast, colon, ovaries, lungs, skin, and leukemia.

Body Infections

A hike in the zinc levels in the body has proven to be effective in fighting pneumonia, diarrhea and other infections. Zinc can also help in reducing the duration and severity of a common cold.

Prevent Diabetes

Zinc is needed for the healthy function of most hormones, including insulin. Adequate zinc plays at least three roles in insulin health. First, zinc binds to insulin so that insulin is adequately stored in the pancreas and released when glucose enters the blood stream.

Affects Taste

Appetite and taste preferences of the body are influenced by zinc. This is so due to the level of zinc in plasma and zinc's effect on other nutrients, like copper and manganese. Zinc can also be effectively used in the treatment of anorexia.

Healing Wounds

Zinc helps in the acceleration of the rate of renewal of the skin cells. Zinc creams have proven to be extremely beneficial for babies to soothe diaper rash and to heal cuts and wounds.

Treating Acne

Zinc has also proven to be extremely effective in treating acne. This is a problem that affects adolescents and in some cases, adults.

Hair fall

If you do not consume adequate levels of zinc as part of your regular diet, your hair becomes dull and lacks luster. In cases of proper zinc deficiency, you will experience severe hair fall.

Zinc Deficiency 

Symptoms of zinc dificiency include, but are not limited to, stunted growth, acute diarrhea, loss of apetite, hair loss, dry skin, low insulin levels, and slow wound healing. The proper amount of zinc can be consumed by eating various types of meats, seafood, dairy products, nuts, whole grains, or by consuming a zinc supplement.