Zinc is a real multi-tasker of a mineral with a whole host of benefits for our general health including our skin and hair but it is super easy to go short.
And some of us are at a big risk of zinc deficiency with big consequences!!
So in this practical guide to the benefits of zinc, I'll cover everything I've learned from going short including :
- Signs Of Deficiency
- Groups At Risk
- Key Benefits
- Family Health Boosts
- How Much Zinc We Need
- Foods Rich In Zinc
- Other Nutrients In The Zinc Team
- Other Ways To Boost Zinc
I hope the guide helps you keep your zinc at healthy levels. Do bookmark or save on Pinterest for quick reference.
NB I have NO medical qualifications. This is NOT medical advice.
Table of Contents
Symptoms of Zinc Deficiency
If your body’s running low on zinc, it will let you know. Here’s what to watch for:
- Frequent Colds
- Slow Healing
- Hair Trouble
- Skin Issues
- Tiredness
- Taste Or Smell Off
- Erratic Periods
- Mood Swings
- Weak Nails
Frequent Colds
You catch every bug going around - your immune system’s waving a huge white flag that something is wrong.
Slow Healing
Any cuts or scrapes or scratches seem to take forever and a day to close up.
Hair Trouble
Thinning, shedding, or brittle strands are a clear sign your scalp’s not happy.
Skin Issues
If you have acne that won’t quit or random dry patches or rashes popping up, it could well be your skin telling you it desperately needs more zinc.
Tiredness
If your energy's gone and you feel like death warmed up even after a long night's sleep you may be short on zinc.
Taste or Smell Off
Weirdly, if food tastes blah or you can’t even smell your coffee in the morning a shortfall in zinc could be the problem.
Erratic Periods
If your periods never hit a regular cycle or won't stick to their normal cycle - and you are way off perimenopause - low zinc can be the culprit.
Mood Swings
If you keep feeling randomly cranky or brain fog rolls in more than usual low zinc could be the root cause.
Weak Nails
Nails so weak they can tear like paper are yet another small but often significant sign of low zinc.
Groups At Risk Of Zinc Deficiency
Some groups have a tougher time getting enough zinc - here’s who:
- Vegetarians & Vegans
- Pregnant or Nursing Mothers
- Older Women (50+)
- Picky Eaters
- Gut Issue Folks
- Heavy Drinkers
Vegetarians & Vegans
Plants do contain zinc but it is harder to absorb than from meat - beans and grains don't completely cut it.
Pregnant Or Nursing Mothers
When you are pregnant or nursing your baby’s feeding on your zinc for growth, which can leave you short.
Older Women (50+)
Zinc absorption drops with age and menopause and lots of mid-life diets to tackle our slowing metabolism actually skimp on zinc-rich foods.
Picky Eaters
If you or your kids are fussy eaters and dodge meat and seafood - or just variety in general!! - you’re really rolling the dice on zinc deficiency,
Gut Issue Folks
Conditions like IBS or SIBO can really mess with zinc uptake. If you've had either condition for a while you're at risk of running low.
Heavy Drinkers
Alcohol flushes zinc out - party too hard, pay later is I'm afraid all too true when it comes to zinc!
Key Zinc Benefits
The good news is that getting zinc back in our diet can have big benefits fast. Zinc really does have our back - and more - covered. Here’s where it shines:
- Gut
- Colds
- Skin
- Hair
- Nails
- Eyes
- Immune System
Gut Repair
Zinc helps repair out gut lining - which can mean less bloating, gastritis, IBS or confusing leaky gut woes.
Colds
Zinc hits viruses where it hurts, by boosting our immune crew and can cut colds shorter which can mean fewer knock on sinus and throat infections.
Skin
Zinc fights acne by calming oil glands and inflammation so fewer zits and smoother face. Healthy zinc levels also help heal dry or cracked spots.
Hair
Zinc strengthens the actual roots of our hair to stop hair shedding and keep our locks stay thick and shiny.
Nails
No more brittle or paper thin peeling nails - zinc builds them tough!
Healing
Zinc speeds up repair - whether cuts, burns, post-workout recovery or convalescing from bugs.
Eyes
Zinc can help keep vision sharp as we age - think night driving ease and less blurred squinting at labels!
Immune System
Zinc powers up white blood cells - our germ-busting army - to see off everyday lurgies of all sorts.
All in all healthy zinc levels give us a full-body tune-up that gets skin glowing, hair glossy and keeps bugs at bay.
Family Health Boosts
Zinc also has some extra tricks up its sleeve for specific members of our families including :
- Teen Girls
- Mothers
- Fathers
- Kids
- Grandparents
Teen Girls
Zinc helps keep estrogen and progesterone in line - fewer PMS rollercoasters or period chaos.
Mothers
Zinc helps eggs and ovaries stay healthy - key if you’re trying for a baby.
Fathers
For wannabe fathers zinc is a great wingman for stronger sperm and for keeping testosterone levels healthy to help dads skip the midlife slump.
Kids
Zinc fuels all those stunning growth spurts our kids hit and fuels brain power as they soak up new stuff.
Grandparents
Zinc can help fight age-related immune dips which can mean less flu and more everyday pep in their step!
How Much Zinc Do I Need?
OK, we've seen all these amazing benefits of zinc but how much do we need for well balanced levels that don't leave us running short?
Well the CDC recommendations for daily zinc intake in our diet are :
- Kids 4-8 years : 5mg
- Kids 9-13 years : 8mg
- Teen girls : 9mg
- Teen boys : 11mg
- Adult women : 8mg
- Adult men : 11mg
- Pregnant women : 11-12mg
- Breastfeeding women : 12-13mg
Zinc doesn't hang around in our body like iron so we want steadyish amounts daily NOT big weekly spikes.
NB you can have too much zinc. Confirm your levels with blood test and aim for healthy NOT crazy levels.
Zinc Rich Food
Right, so if tests show we are running short on zinc what's best to eat?
Well these are all good places to start :
- Oysters (occasionally!!)
- Chuck Roast
- Other Red Meat
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Shellfish
- Oily Fish
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Other Seeds
- Nuts
Oysters
Oysters are the zinc jackpot with up to 60 mg in a small serving. Good for a quick boost but it is way too much in one sitting to be overdoing. If you love oysters like me keep them as a treat!
Chuck Steak
A good old, great value chuck steak is one of the best sources of zinc with 7-8mg. Check out these deliciously easy chuck steak recipes to build this zinc boost into your family meal plan.
Red Meat Cuts
Zinc levels vary not just by the type of meat but the cut. These red meat cuts are all good sources of zinc :
- Beef short ribs : 7mg
- Lamb shoulder : 6.5mg
- Beef sirloin / topside : 6mg
- Lamb leg : 5.5mg
- Pork shoulder : 5mg
- Venison : 5mg
Red meat can obviously be expensive but good quality ground beef - in quick ground beef recipes - is great value and can deliver a healthy 6mg hit of zinc.
Pumpkin Seeds
There's up to 7mg of zinc in 3oz of pumpkin seeds and 2-3 mg per small handful. That's a handy snackable boost for plant eaters. And surprisingly pumpkin seeds are a handy way to clear pinworms - who knew!?
Shellfish
Other shellfish that give us a steady hit of zinc in a small 3oz helping include :
- Crab : 4-6mg
- Mussels : 2-3mg
- Cockles : 2-3mg
- Shrimp : 1-2mg
Oily Fish
Oily fish won't give us as big a hit as red meat but combined with eggs and seeds they can help us hit a decent daily helping with a 3oz serving :
- Anchovies : 2.5mg
- Sardines : 2mg
- Mackerel : 1.5mg
- Herring : 1.3mg
- Wild Salmon : 1.2mg
Poultry & Game
White meat typically has only ⅓rd of the zinc of red meat but is a reasonable source combined with others especially if you're prepared to be a bit more adventurous with what you eat :
- Turkey Thigh : 4mg
- Chicken & Turkey Liver : 3.5mg
- Chicken Thigh : 3mg
- Rabbit : 2.5mg
- Pheasant : 2mg
- Chicken : 2mg
Unfortunately, lots of cheap chicken may not hit even this much zinc as rapidly raised, factory farmed chickens have less chance to build up leg strength and store zinc in their thighs.
If like me you keep backyard hens, you'll know chickens love digging - little chance to dig means less zinc stored!!
Eggs
Eggs have roughly 0.5mg of zinc per egg so you can't use them as a major source but they keep levels up.
Other Seeds
You may have seen lists claiming seeds are high in zinc. They are but we can only absorb ⅓-1/2 at most of that zinc because of pesky antinutrients like phytic acid in the seeds.
So they are a useful addition to other sources but not enough on their own :
- Hemp : 3mg
- Sesame : 2mg
- Sunflower : 2mg
- Chia : 1.5mg
- Flax : 1.5mg
Nuts
Nuts like cashews and almonds typically have a good 1-2mg of zinc per handful but it is harder to absorb so we won't get most of that.
Nutrients Zinc Teams Up With
It is easy to think of vitamins and minerals as individual athletes doing their own thing - it's better to see them as part of a team who truly triumph by working incredibly closely together.
To enjoy all the benefits of zinc we need to make sure we're not going short on the rest of the team.
These are key players on zinc's team :
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- B3 (Niacinamide)
- Vitamin C
- Quercetin
- Vitamin D
Calcium
Zinc helps bones use calcium better for a stronger, less brittle skeleton.
Magnesium
Magnesium and zinc work together to calm nerves and ease muscles which means less stress and fewer cramps.
B3 (Niacinamide)
Zinc aids B3 in skin repair - they are a double act for treating acne or fading redness faster.
Vitamin C
They fight colds together with zinc killing germs whilst C powers immunity.
Quercetin
This plant compound also teams with zinc to zap viruses - C, Zinc & quercetin are a cold-fighting tag team.
Vitamin D
Zinc helps D kickstart immune cells.
Foods That Can Block Zinc
You might not have come across antinutrients but they are compounds usually in plant food that hog zinc - and other nutrients - or kick it out.
Sadly, these antinutrients are found in some of our favourite healthy food!
So if you want a good hit of zinc in your food don't combine it with these :
- Whole Grains: Wheat, oats contain phytates that grab zinc tight.
- Beans & Lentils: Same deal - phytates lock up the zinc.
- Spinach: Oxalates snag both zinc and calcium in our meals.
- Coffee & Tea: Tannins slow zinc uptake if gulped with food.
The other thing we have to watch for ironically is dairy. We've seen that calcium is a key member of zinc's team but if we drink a whole load of milk with a zinc rich meal they can fall out and start competing with each other!
Other Ways To Boost Zinc
It really does make sense to include zinc in a nutrient rich everyday diet but if we are struggling there are other ways to boost zinc levels :
- Zinc Supplements
- Ionic Zinc
- Topical Zinc
Zinc Supplements
NIH recommended guidelines for zinc supplements are :
- Maintenance : 5-15mg/day with some from diet
- Deficiency : 20-40mg/day short term only
- Immune Boost : e.g. for a cold 20-40mg/day short term only
40mg/day is the upper intake level advised by NIH as levels above can :
- Suppress immunity
- Diminish copper
- Cause nausea.
It is always best to get your actual levels tested before taking any supplements and to be very careful about exceeding the maintenance levels without medical guidance.
Typical zinc supplement guidelines are :
- To take 30 minutes before or 2 hours after eating.
- Separately from supplements for : iron, copper, calcium.
- Separately from antibiotics.
- Within 24 hours of cold symptoms in 6 hourly doses.
Ionic Zinc
Ionic Zinc is zinc you can buy in a liquid form - usually zinc sulfate or citrate - broken down into tiny charged bits your body can grab fast, no digestion needed. It comes in drops or sprays, which are often flavoured.
There's a bit of a debate about if it's worth it or not but some studies show it is absorbed better if you have :
- Gut Health Issues : e.g. SIBO, IBS, gastritis or a leaky gut that might block absorption.
- Cold or Flu
Topical Zinc
Zinc can actually be applied as a topical treatment for skin problems and some people see it as a skincare saviour when slapped on:
- Acne
- Wounds
- Eczema
- Dandruff
Acne
Zinc oxide creams (e.g. diaper rash stuff) dabbed on overnight can calm red, angry pimples by reducing oil and bacteria.
Wounds
Over the counter zinc ointments can speed healing of scapes and sunburn mending skin fast.
Eczema
Zinc lotions sooth itch and dryness and ease flare-ups
Dandruff
Zinc shampoos - e.g. for dandruff can strengthen scalp and reduce fungal infection.
And there you go, everything I learned about the benefits of zinc in a healthy diet from a long time suffering the symptoms of zinc deficiency.
I hope it helps but remember I do NOT have medical qualifications so see a doctor for qualified medical advice.
Do bookmark the guide or save it on Pinterest to come back to.
And for more practical health tips check out my other healthy living posts and follow me on Pinterest.
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