When it comes to the minerals your body needs to function, zinc rarely makes the headlines. Calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium love to steal the spotlight, but your body needs zinc too.
We’re about to fill you in on all it does for you and why you should take this lesser-talked-about mineral more seriously from now on!
What Is Zinc And What Is It Good For?
Zinc is a trace mineral, meaning that, unlike the macrominerals above, your body requires smaller quantities of it. That said, zinc's impact on your body is anything but small!
Firstly, it plays a crucial role in enhancing your metabolism and helps enzymes turn food into the energy your body needs to function properly. It’s also pretty vital for your immune system. By helping your cells communicate and respond more quickly, zinc helps keep your defences strong and prepared to fight off any infections that come your way. Plus, it’s essential for cell growth and repair - which means it’ll help wounds heal and tissues regenerate after an injury.
Zinc Benefits You Need To Know About
What is zinc good for? For such a tiny part of your mineral intake, it does a heck of a lot. We’ve covered the basics, but let’s dive a little deeper.
Zinc boosts your energy levels: If you’re feeling sluggish and lacking the drive to get on with your day, count on zinc to keep your energy levels consistent from morning until night.
Supports a strong immune system: When infections threaten to invade your immune system, zinc provides the behind-the-scenes support you need to fight them off.
Promotes healthy, glowy skin: Whether your skin’s looking a little dull or you suffer from intermittent breakouts, by regulating oil production and supporting healing from within, zinc can help balance out your skin for a cleaner, glowier complexion.
Speeds up wound healing: From cuts and scrapes to post-workout recovery, when it comes to tissue repair, zinc plays a big role. How? By enabling your cells to quickly regenerate so your body will recuperate much more efficiently
Keeps your metabolism functioning at peak level: Zinc works hand-in-hand with hundreds of enzymes that handle everything from digesting daily nutrients to building brand new cells.
Supports growth and repair: Alongside immune health and wound healing, zinc helps to smoothly, efficiently, and constantly rebuild damaged skin, muscles, and hair cells,
Encourages overall wellness: From supporting cognitive brain function right through to aiding reproductive health, a little bit of zinc truly goes a long way in making sure you and your body are continuously thriving with maximum energy.
Top Zinc Benefits for Men
If you thought this trace mineral was only beneficial for women, think again because zinc is a key player in men’s health too.
Firstly, zinc supports healthy testosterone levels. This is important for muscle recovery after exercise, maintaining energy levels throughout the day, and even feeds into fertility. It also helps men's immune systems stay strong, assisting the body in fighting off illness and speeding up every type of recovery. Therefore, keeping your zinc levels stable can make a noticeable difference in your daily performance, your mood, and your overall well-being.
Top Zinc Benefits for Women
For women, zinc is a multitasking mineral that supports hormonal balance, the health of skin (and appearance), and, just like for men, reproductive health. It does this by regulating hormone production, which can encourage a regular menstrual cycle and even ease PMS symptoms for some. As for your skin, zinc promotes clear, healthy skin by reducing inflammation and supporting collagen production. This gets more and more important as we age and our bodies’ ability to produce collagen naturally slows down. Additionally, zinc lends a hand in fertility and pregnancy, especially when it comes to things like healthy cell growth and development for both mother and baby.
What Are Some Zinc Deficiency Symptoms?
Now you know the benefits, you’re probably wondering what happens when zinc levels drop too low. Well, the effects can show up in several ways.
Commonly reported zinc deficiency symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Hair loss
- Injuries/wounds healing more slowly than usual
- And a noticeably weaker-than-usual immune system.
You might also notice your nails becoming more brittle and even subtle changes to your taste buds or your appetite. Some even complain of more frequent colds.
Why? Because zinc affects so many systems in the body that even a very small deficiency can impact how you feel day to day. The solution? Learn to recognise these symptoms early. That way you can start to make simple yet impactful diet or lifestyle changes before any of these issues become long-term problems.
What Are Some Foods High in Zinc?
Thanks to this list of foods, both animal and plant-based, you can get a good dose of zinc from your daily meal intake.
Love seafood? You’re in luck. Shellfish is a great source of zinc with oysters topping the list and offering more zinc per serving than any other food. If that’s not your thing, red meat, and poultry are also excellent sources for getting your daily zinc intake.
For vegetarians, or those on the lookout for plant-based options for foods high in zinc, pumpkin seeds, lentils, chickpeas, and nuts are all great choices. Luckily, these foods are easy to add on top of salads, to consume as a snack, and can even be added to meals you already have as a tasty, and super healthy, side.
Support your body and beneficial zinc levels by combining different variations of these foods within your diet throughout the week.
Should You Take a Zinc Supplement?
The recommended daily amount of zinc is around 8mg for women, and slightly higher at 11mg for men. Whilst many people find a balanced diet provides all the zinc intake they need (remember, it’s a trace mineral!), some struggle to get enough from food alone.
If that sounds like you, you might want to consider introducing a supplement, like our Daily Health Boost Multivitamin Strips into your daily routine. They contain 3mg of zinc which can be particularly helpful if you’re vegetarian or vegan, or have a particular health condition which you know affects your zinc absorption.
If you’re still not sure whether or not you could use more (or less!) zinc, we’ll always recommend asking your healthcare provider for advice. After all, more isn’t always better and too much zinc can lead to nausea and may even interfere with other minerals in your body.
So what have we learned? Zinc is a small but mighty mineral. It supports more bodily functions than you likely realised, and when the balance is out of whack - you’ll probably feel it! Luckily, we’ve also learned ways to manage that and know what to look out for going forward. If you need any more advice or we’ve got you wondering about the other minerals your body relies on to stay happy and healthy - check out our wellness hub to support your daily wellness the best you can!
