Add Zing to your Life with Zinc

Vegetarians Need to Consume Twice the Recommended Levels to Fulfill Requirements

Zinc is a nutrient found in cells throughout our body and mandatory to stay healthy. It assists the immune system to safeguard our body from unwanted bacteria and viruses. Known to aid in the production of proteins and DNA, zinc also helps wounds heal and is also important for proper senses of taste and smell. Especially critical during pregnancy, infancy and childhood, the body needs zinc to grow and develop properly.

Sources of Zinc

Zinc is available in a variety of foods such as oysters, red meat, poultry, seafood such as crab and lobsters, fortified breakfast cereal, beans, nuts, whole grains and dairy products.

How Much is Good Enough?

The quantity of zinc required depends on a person’s age, sex and medical condition:

Life Stage	Recommended Amount
Birth up to 6 months	2 mg
Infants 7-12 months	3 mg
Children 1-3 years	3 mg
Children 4-8 years	5 mg
Children 9-13 years	8 mg
Teens 14-18 years (boys)	11 mg
Teens 14-18 years (girls)	9 mg
Adults (men)	11 mg
Adults (women)	8 mg
Pregnant teens	12mg
Pregnant women	11 mg
Breastfeeding teens	13 mg
Breastfeeding women	12 mg

Although most people get the required share of zinc from the foods they eat, certain individuals have trouble getting enough zinc:

• Individuals who have had gastrointestinal surgery or digestive disorders tend to absorb lesser quantities of zinc in the body as more is lost in the urine passed.
• Vegetarians find it difficult to acquire the recommended levels as they do not eat meat. Even the beans and grains that they consume have compounds that keep zinc from being fully absorbed in the body. Hence, they need to consume 50% more than the advised levels.
• Older breastfeeding infants do not have enough zinc as breastmilk does not supply the required quantities of zinc suitable for the infant’s age. Such infants must compensate it in the form of foods such as pureed meats or infant formulas.
•  Alcoholics as alcoholic beverages decreases the amount of zinc absorbed by the body and increases the quantity of zinc expelled in the form of urine.
• Individuals with sickle cell disease as they might need more zinc.

When You Don’t Get Enough Zinc

Although zinc deficiency is not so common, lacking enough of this nutrient in your body can result in delayed growth in infants and children, delayed sexual development in adolescents and impotence in men. Zinc deficiency can lead to hair loss, diarrhea, eye sores, skin sores and loss of appetite. Other problems include weight loss, delayed wound healing, decreased ability to taste food and lower alertness levels.

Even having too much of zinc in your body is harmful. Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach cramps, diarrhea and headaches are common symptoms of excess zinc in the body. Low copper levels, lower immunity and decreased levels of HDL cholesterol are commonly faced problems by such people.

It is better to acquire the recommended levels of zinc from healthy food sources instead of relying on supplements. Foods contain a combination of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibers and other nutrients needed for good health. Rarely, fortified foods and dietary supplements may provide nutrients that might otherwise be consumed in less-than-recommended amounts by the human body. For more information on eating a health diet with all the food groups accommodated in balanced quantities, please visit the website www.firsteatright.com.