Our body needs many essential nutrients;
take zinc, for example. You might have seen this ingredient in sunblock and anti-rash
creams for babies. Whether you are trying to boost your sexual health, want luscious hair,
or simply increase your immunity, we guarantee that zinc will do justice to all your needs.
In today's video, we’ll discuss why your body needs this nutrient and the tell-tale signs
of zinc deficiency. And we even got some excellent dietary sources of zinc for you,
so watch till the end and learn all about zinc!
First, how much zinc does your body need?
Next to iron, zinc is the second-highest trace element in your body. It’s in your
body fluid and every cell and tissue you got. When looking at how much zinc you require,
Women typically should consume roughly 8 mg of zinc daily, whereas men need 11 mg.
You might think of this as an insignificant amount, but it can drastically impact your
overall health. Sometimes it’s the little things that matter the most,
and although we require a minimal amount of this nutrient, zinc is responsible for
more than 300 enzyme activities in your system. Let's check out some of these essential roles.
Zinc plays a vital role in boosting your fertility and libido!
Did you know that the highest zinc concentration is found in prostate cells?
These cells are closely related to male fertility and the urinary tract system. It also is the prime
element for maintaining testosterone levels, prostate health, and sperm quality. Overall,
it significantly enhances fertility, sex drive, and sexual performance.
A study had young men on a low-zinc diet for five months, and the results were shocking as
researchers discovered roughly a 50% drop in the participant's testosterone levels.
This proved that zinc deficiency impairs sperm motility, and men with decreased zinc levels
typically have less sperm and a higher incidence of defective sperm. The same
study discovered that giving subfertile males 66 mg of zinc helped them produce
more sperm. But don't take this as a sign to increase your dietary intake of zinc
more than the required amount. A daily zinc intake of more than 40mg could be hazardous.
In females, zinc controls multiple hormonal processes. A woman with regular menstruation
cycles has a higher chance of getting pregnant. Studies show that zinc is
essential for developing female germ cells, ovulation, and pregnancy. So
make sure to incorporate zinc-rich foods when you're looking to start a family.
Moving along, do you find yourself falling
ill frequently? A diet rich in Zinc can enhance your immunity.
Zinc is a potent antioxidant that can help fight off free radicals and maintain a healthy immune
system. It amplifies the production of white blood cells that fight infection
and produces more robust white blood cells to fend off illness quickly and effectively.
That is why it is the best antibody producer, especially when dealing with the common cold.
A surprising piece of research found zinc to reduce the severity and duration of
colds dramatically. Next time you're shopping for cold and flu medications,
including tablets, nasal sprays, and over-the-counter flu relief medicines,
look at the contents, and you’ll notice all of these products are loaded with zinc.
Next up, zinc is one of the best ways to get thick hair naturally.
A protein called keratin helps form hair, nails, and your skin’s outer layer,
and since zinc plays a crucial role in the production of keratin,
it is vital in maintaining naturally thick and healthy hair.
That’s why you’ll often hear hair specialists say the foundation of healthy hair is zinc.
If you have low zinc levels, your hair will be brittle and weak. In due course,
it will cause hair thinning and baldness. When you increase your zinc intake,
you will have luscious thick hair. Medicated hair growth solutions are more likely to
contain zinc as an active component due to zinc’s efficacy with hair growth.
Furthermore, zinc aids in maximizing muscle recovery.
Over-exercising can be harmful to your body. Too much stress on your muscles can wear and
tear the muscle at a cellular level. You will need to regenerate cells while you
are healing. That’s where zinc comes in; this nutrient is a massive help for those cells as
it actively participates in protein synthesis. This helps to rebuild your muscles quickly. When
abundant zinc is available, your body hastens the process of building stronger and bigger muscles.
Want to improve your memory? Look no further than zinc.
Our memory is so important; it helps us operate in the present and even think about the future. With
a good memory, it becomes easier to learn and live. But how is that possible? Well,
A tiny part of your brain, the hippocampus, is responsible for memory and learning.
Declarative memories are memories of facts and events, such as learning
a speech or memorizing lines for a play. Spatial memory is the memory of locations
and how they relate to one another, such as remembering the route to a specific place.
The hippocampus plays a role in processing and retrieving both types of memories. The right
hippocampus is thought to be particularly involved in spatial memory, such as remembering routes.
Zinc helps in many physiologic functions of the brain, especially nerve transmission.
Scientists were astonished to find a high zinc concentration around this brain area
because the hippocampal neurons attracted more free ionic zinc. They further found that zinc
helped the proper hippocampus functioning and kept most brain cells in tip-top shape.
In other words, the likelihood of you becoming more competent
increases when you feed more zinc to your brain.
But what happens when you are not able to get enough zinc?
You may be zinc deficient if you find food less palatable.
It may come off as quite surprising that adequate taste and smell perception depend on zinc!
Taste buds mediate the sense of taste on the tongue, which contains specialized
cells called taste receptor cells. Similarly, sense of smell is controlled by specialized
cells in the nose called olfactory receptor cells. The taste and the olfactory receptors
contain proteins that bind to the food and air molecules to trigger a brain response.
Zinc is required to properly function these enzymatic processes involved in the taste and
smell reception processes. That’s why zinc has been a potential treatment for taste disorders.
If zinc deficient, you could experience an altered sense of taste and smell. This can lead
to a reduced ability to detect certain flavors and aromas, and you may find that food tastes less
appealing. So if you are no longer enjoying your favorite pizza slice, you might be zinc deficient.
Do you find yourself dealing with blurred vision?
That’s because zinc deficiency can damage your retina and hasten the progression of
age-related macular degeneration. Let’s delve into the details.
The retina is the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye responsible for
converting light into electrical signals sent to the brain. You
require zinc for the optimal functioning of the enzymes involved in the visual process.
Zinc helps convert light into electrical signals that repair and regenerate the retina.
A zinc deficiency can lead to changes in the retina and may contribute to the development
and progression of AMD, age-related macular degeneration. AMD is a common eye disease that
affects the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for sharp,
central vision. It is a leading cause of vision loss in older
adults and is characterized by the gradual loss of central vision.
If you are experiencing blurred vision and are concerned about a potential zinc deficiency,
you must consult an ophthalmologist for further evaluation and treatment.
They can assess your zinc levels and determine the appropriate course of
action to address any deficiencies and help to protect your vision.
It’s essential to pay special attention to how fast your wounds and cuts heal.
Do they take more than a day or two? Maybe a few weeks? This might indicate a zinc deficiency. When
injured, your body begins a series of complex processes to repair the damaged tissue and
restore its function. This process is known as wound healing and involves several stages like
inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. Let's see how zinc is involved in all these stages.
Synthesis of collagen: Zinc is required to synthesize collagen,
a protein essential for the structural integrity of the skin and other tissues.
Collagen is present in the extracellular matrix, providing tissue support and strength.
Blood clotting: Zinc is involved in blood clotting,
which helps seal off the wound and prevent further bleeding. It
is necessary for various enzymes involved in the coagulation process to function correctly.
Immune system function: Zinc plays a role in immune system function and helps to protect
against infections. Immune cells like neutrophils and T cells must function to their full potential,
further aiding in preventing infections and accelerating the healing of wounds.
Cell proliferation and differentiation: Zinc is required to properly expand and differentiate
cells during the proliferation stage of wound healing. It helps to stimulate the growth of
new cells and promotes the formation of new blood vessels, which are necessary for wound healing.
Remodeling and maturation: During the maturation stage of wound healing,
zinc is involved in the synthesis of new collagen and the remodeling
of the extracellular matrix. It also helps strengthen tissue and improve its function.
Additionally, the skin holds about 5% of the total body zinc content.
It is crucial for building collagen. Dermatologists prescribe zinc supplements
for wounds after burns or diabetic ulcers.
Are you using the restroom more frequently?
If you lack zinc, you may become more prone to diarrhea. This is
typically common in developing countries where children face diarrheal illnesses.
Children and people living in developing countries generally have diets that may be low in zinc.
Watery, loose stools that occur frequently are the cardinal signs of diarrhea. Various factors,
including infections, inflammatory bowel disease, and food allergies, can cause it.
Zinc plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal lining. It is also
involved in producing necessary enzymes that aid the proper absorption and utilization of nutrients
in the body. When zinc levels are low, the body may not be able to absorb nutrients properly,
leading to diarrhea and other digestive problems. Zinc effectively helps to rebalance your gut.
17% of the global population is zinc deficient. That’s about up to 2 billion
people. You can avoid zinc deficiency by eating zinc-rich foods. But what are zinc-rich foods?
Whether you are a vegetarian or enjoy meat, we got you covered with some food options.
Treat yourself to oysters.
You can grill, broil or add poached oysters in a stew to
load up on zinc. You will get around 20 mg of zinc per hundred grams of oysters.
Next, enjoy a delicious beef steak.
One hundred grams of meat will give you about 8 mg of zinc.
Meat still plays a significant part in our diet. It is plentiful in micronutrients and
has a wealth of essential amino acids to sustain good health.
Grab some pumpkin seeds when you are on the go.
One hundred grams of pumpkin seeds have 8 mg of zinc. At the same time,
you can get 4 mg of this nutrient from the same quantity of almonds.
Make oatmeal your "breakfast buddy."
From the humblest oatmeal bowl to a decadent dessert,
oatmeal is all the rage. You can go all out by adding delicious flavors and exotic
toppings to make a perfect oatmeal dish, or enjoy it with a drizzle of milk. Either way,
you will get more than 2 mg of zinc per 100 grams of rolled uncooked oats.
Lastly, remember chickpeas.
They make the perfect protein-packed addition to any vegan salad. You can turn them into fantastic
side dishes that are inexpensive and super healthy. The ultimate smooth hummus for your pita
bread is also made with chickpeas. One hundred grams will give you around a milligram of zinc.
Besides these foods, you can enjoy lamb, crab, cheese, lobster,
muesli, chicken breasts, fortified cereal, yogurt, beans, and milk to get more zinc.
Now enough about zinc! Where do you stand on magnesium? Do you experience muscle
cramps or get tired quickly? You could be magnesium deficient. Let's keep the
conversation going and discuss more signs and symptoms of magnesium deficiency, shall we?
Check out t14 Warning Signs Your Body Needs More Magnesium! or 16 Clear Signs
Of Magnesium Deficiency You Should Not Ignore.
Go ahead. Click one, or better yet, watch both and learn how to avoid a magnesium crisis in your
system. Do you experience any zinc deficiency symptoms? Let us know in the comments below.