What Is Zinc

The Many Benefits of Zinc | A to Z Health N Beauty

Zinc supplements became popular after some studies showed they can reduce the length and severity of the common cold. But zinc does so much more than fight respiratory viruses; it’s involved in over 100 different reactions in the body. What is the importance of zinc, and how much do you need in your diet?

Benefits of Zinc: It’s a Very Active Mineral in the Body

Zinc is found in every tissue in the body, and the list of bodily activities that zinc is involved with is numerous. One of its most important functions of zinc is to keep the immune system healthy. This may account for its ability to keep cold symptoms at bay, although research in this area hasn’t been conclusive. It’s also important for bone growth and mineralization, wound healing, fertility and is intimately involved in the sense of taste and smell. Some research even suggests that getting enough dietary zinc is important for warding off type 2 diabetes.

Zinc supplements are sometimes touted as a way to increase sexual desire and stamina for men. Although zinc is involved in sperm production, the exact role it plays in sexual function is poorly understood. It does play a role in regulating testosterone production, and low testosterone levels are linked with lack of sexual desire, which may explain why it boosts libido.

One study showed that men who ate a diet low in zinc had lower muscle strength and endurance than men who ate a diet high in this mineral. So, zinc may be a particularly important vitamin for men. Research is also looking at the role it may play in reducing the risk of prostate cancer, one of the most common cancers in men.

The Importance of Zinc: Who Needs a Supplement?

With zinc playing such an important role in the body, you may wonder whether you’re getting enough of it. Most people get enough zinc in their diet to avoid a deficiency, but up to 30% of people may not be getting optimal amounts. Since zinc is found in greater amounts in animal products, vegetarians may be at risk of having inadequate zinc levels. People at both ends of the age spectrum, the young and the old, are also more likely to have sub-optimal zinc levels.

How much zinc do you need in your diet daily? Adult males should get 11 milligrams per day, while non-pregnant women need 8 milligrams per day. A zinc supplement may be appropriate if you’re unable to get adequate amounts through diet, but supplementing with zinc reduces absorption of copper, which can lead to anemia and problems involving the nervous system. It can also reduce absorption of calcium.

Zinc

Wells's principles and applications of chemistry, for the use of academies, high-schools, and colleges: introducing the latest results of scientific discovery and research, and arranged with special reference to the practical application of chemistry to the arts and employment of common life. With two hundred and forty illustrations

Production and properties of zinc, a treatise on the occurrence and distribution of zinc ore, the commercial and technical conditions affecting the production of the spelter, its chemical and physical properties and uses in the arts, together with a historical and statistical review of the industry

CHEMISTRY

A million of facts, of correct data, and elementary constants, in the entire circle of sciences, and on all subjects of speculation and practice