What is the Benefit of Zinc to the Human Body? – What foods provide zinc?
Zinc is a mineral that the body needs for several functions. You can get zinc from food or supplements. Zinc helps wounds heal and keeps your immune system healthy, among other things.
What foods provide zinc?
Foods high in zinc include seafood, beef, pork, yogurt, turkey, cheese, beans, and peas.
How much zinc do I need?
The amount of zinc you need each day depends on your age. The average daily recommended intake for adult men 19 years and older is 11 milligrams (mg). The average daily recommended intake for adult women 19 years and older is 8 mg. Teen boys 14 to 18 years old should get 16 mg each day.
Teen girls 14 to 18 years old should get 13 mg daily. The recommended intake for children 9 to 13 years is 12 mg daily. Kids 4 to 8 years need 8 mg of zinc a day, and kids 1 to 3 years need 5 mg daily.
What are the signs and symptoms of zinc deficiency?
Symptoms of zinc deficiency can include depressed immune function, poor wound healing, and diarrhea. Zinc deficiency is also associated with delayed sexual maturation in boys.
Do I have enough zinc?
If you eat a varied diet, your chances are good for getting the recommended daily amount of zinc from foods. However, if you have digestive problems or take medications that interfere with zinc absorption, you may need to get more zinc from supplements.
What are the possible side effects of too much zinc?
Too much zinc can decrease the amount of copper in your body. This can lead to anemia and weaken bones. It also decreases the ability of vitamin E to protect cells from damage. Large amounts of zinc can also injure the cells in your stomach and intestines.
Risks of zinc poisoning include:
-Anemia (low levels of red blood cells) and low copper, calcium, and vitamin E levels in the body.
-Severe vomiting and diarrhea. -Bloody stools. -Liver and kidney damage. -A decreased function of the pancreas. -Nausea, stomach cramps, and vomiting.
-Call your health care provider if you have any of these symptoms and you think you may be having a problem with zinc.
Obtaining zinc from dietary sources is considered safe based on the amounts obtained from food or supplements that are not likely to cause toxicity in healthy individuals. The only known risk to zinc toxicity is from exposure via the skin by wearing clothing contaminated with high levels.
If you have invested a large amount of zinc or over time, your body may develop a deficiency of certain nutrients if it has too much zinc. The following are some nutrients that may be affected by exposure to too much zinc:
-Copper.
-Iron
-Vitamin A
-Vitamin C
-Zinc (C, D) There is not enough information about how much zinc is safe if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. If you are pregnant, please be sure to talk with your health care provider before using dietary supplements that contain zinc. It is not known if taking zinc is safe during breastfeeding.
-It is not likely that the small amounts of zinc present in these products would cause problems, but large amounts can interfere with how your body absorbs other nutrients.
-If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your provider before taking this product.
Dietary supplements containing Zinc:
-Zinc is also contained in some dietary supplements.
-Before taking any dietary supplement containing zinc, be sure to tell your health care provider if you are taking any other dietary supplement or prescription drug since this may increase the chance of side effects.
-Talk with your health care provider before taking any dietary supplement that contains zinc.
-Talk with your provider before you take any dietary supplement containing zinc if you are pregnant or breastfeeding since the long-term effects are unknown at this time.
-Excessive use of zinc can cause a copper deficiency in some men, which may lead to anemia, low sperm count, infertility problems, and diminished physical performance. Therefore, dietary supplements containing zinc should not be used in men for more than 6 months.
-The following groups of people should talk with their health care provider before taking a dietary supplement called Zinc:
-People who have had an organ transplant.
-People with HIV/AIDS.
-People with kidney disease or low blood pressure.
-People with diabetes mellitus or high blood sugar levels.
-Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
-The elderly, are more likely to have health problems related to zinc toxicity.
zinc side effects:
Zinc is found in all the tissues of the body. It has many functions, one of which is to act as an antioxidant in the cells. This helps protect our bodies from free radicals that would normally damage cells and cause cancer. Zinc also works with vitamin A helping us fight infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungus. The most common symptoms for a zinc deficiency are:
Zinc, in the past few decades, has been popping up as a mineral that can help prevent and treat the common cold. It is in this area where zinc shows its many other great benefits when it comes to helping people stay healthy. In order to get the most from these effects, it means being aware of the many zinc side effects, benefits, supplements, and treatments for this great mineral that does so much good.
Zinc is considered safe when taken by mouth in the recommended dosages. However, zinc can cause some side effects such as an upset stomach. These are mild unless you take too much zinc. Other possible zinc side effects are a metallic taste in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, and stomach pain.
For some people, these side effects are not a big deal. For others, they are so unpleasant that taking zinc is not the best option for them. However, if you have an alternative source of zinc are experiencing very mild symptoms it might be worth giving this mineral supplement a try.
Taking a higher dosage of zinc is only recommended for a short time.
Here are some possible serious side effects to keep in mind:
-allergic reactions (which may occur at the first few doses)
-kidney problems
-low copper levels, which can result in anemia, osteoporosis, and bone pain
-hepatitis (liver inflammation)
-increased risk of lung cancer and prostate cancer in smokers, who should avoid zinc supplements altogether. Taking zinc can also affect how your body absorbs other medicines you may be taking. So let your doctor know if you plan to take a supplement with zinc.
Zinc interacts with many different medications. These interactions can result in either an increased or decreased effectiveness of the drug. Some medications that affect zinc levels and should not be taken with any supplemental zinc are:
-anticonvulsants such as phenobarbital and carbamazepine
-tuberculosis drugs such as isoniazid and rifabutin
-antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS
-digoxin, a medication used for heart conditions
If you are taking any of these medications, make sure to talk with your doctor before starting a zinc supplement.
Zinc can also affect how well other supplements work in the body. For example, calcium supplements might not work as well if you are taking zinc.
Routine supplementation (daily doses) with zinc is not recommended. If you do take a supplement, make sure to only take it for short periods of time. And be aware that the side effects can become more likely when taking supplements in this way.
Long-term use may lead to other health problems related to a lack of other important minerals.
Zinc is found in all tissues and it does much more than help prevent colds. The common cold is just one of the many reasons that this mineral supplement has been researched so thoroughly recently.
Benefits of zinc:
-boosts immunity
-reduces inflammation
-improves wound healing and cell division
-promotes growth during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence It is important to get sufficient zinc through your diet. Zinc can be found in many foods including meats (beef, chicken, lamb), beans (soybeans), nuts (almonds, cashews), seafood (oysters, crab), whole grains (wheat germ, bran), and fortified cereals.
Zinc is essential to the proper function of many structures in the body. And when getting enough zinc through food sources you can avoid many of the side effects that are possible when using supplements. For example, nausea can be avoided by chewing zinc lozenges slowly or sucking on the tablet instead of swallowing it whole.
If you are pregnant, you need to get 22 milligrams of zinc each day.
Lozenges containing zinc are no better than a placebo for treating cold symptoms, according to one study.
-slight boost in immunity
-reduces the risk of diarrhea in children (zinc is sometimes given to infants for this reason)
-helps wound healing and cell division
-boosts male fertility
Zinc lozenges or syrup might be useful for treating cold symptoms. Although there is no evidence that they work better than a placebo, the research has been mixed. There is some evidence for zinc acetate lozenges, but not zinc gluconate lozenges.
zinc benefits for skin:
-reduces acne
-improves wound healing
-treats rosacea
-reduces sun damage and may reduce skin aging
-helps treat Diaper rash (zinc oxide) is sometimes used to protect the skin against wetness. It can be found in diaper creams, barrier creams, ointments, powders, and skin folds.
Does zinc help prevent colds?
Many studies have found that people who take zinc supplements are somewhat less likely to get a cold if they are exposed to the virus – the usual cause of the common cold. But it seems that this effect is limited to very small doses given within 24 hours after exposure.
zinc acetate lozenges can shorten the length of a cold by 1 day.
-low amounts make it through the body unchanged, which means that you need to take high doses if you want to see any effect
-overdose can cause nausea or diarrhea
-doesn’t have much effect on how long a cold lasts beyond what is caused by a placebo