The Five Supplements Anyone Should Consider Taking - Part 5 - Zinc
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to diagnose or offer medical advice. Please consult your medical professional before committing to a supplement regime.
You can’t help but express some affection for zinc. It is the only element that is onomatopoeic (the sound of a word is associated with its meaning). If you say ‘iron’ or ‘oxygen’ it doesn’t tell you much about their properties, but when you say ‘zinc, zinc, zinc’ you can literally hear the metal sound of coins falling. It just has to be a hard metal.
In everyday life, zinc often sits quietly on a passenger seat, we don’t even notice it. It stops iron rusting, protects us from the sun and soothes sunburn, keeps dandruff at bay, combines with copper to make a very familiar gold-coloured alloy and, most importantly - keeps us alive.
Zinc is an essential mineral, we have to ingest it with food. The body cannot store zinc, so we need to ingest it regularly albeit in very small amounts. The average body contains about 2.5 grams and takes in about 15 milligrams per day. 49.5 per cent of all zinc in our body is located in the muscles.
The Role of Zinc
Zinc acts as a co-factor for over 300 enzymatic reactions including those that regulate vitamin D activation and thyroid function. Processes like turning DNA into RNA, as well as building proteins all need zinc. 10 per cent of all human protein is bound to zinc.
Zinc is strongly involved in insulin production and is a natural anti-inflammatory and a powerful antioxidant compound. It neutralizes free radicals or reactive oxygen species that might otherwise trigger cellular damage and insulin resistance.
Zinc is high in pancreatic beta cells where it plays an important role in the synthesis, storage, and release of insulin.
The Immune System Support
Research shows that taking zinc lozenges or syrup can make cold symptoms less severe and last for less time, especially if you take them in the first 24 hours.
By acting as an antioxidant and reducing inflammation, zinc can protect against chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Zinc can regulate inflammatory signalling pathways and actually inhibit the pro-inflammatory NF-kB pathway. Zinc has been shown to reduce the destruction of Beta Cells in the pancreas (caused by long-term inflammatory signalling and a heightened immune response) and thus improve insulin sensitivity and lower levels of glucose in the bloodstream.
(for geeks: NF-kB is a protein complex that controls the transcription of DNA, cytokine production and cell survival. It is found in almost all animal cell types and is involved in cellular responses to stimuli such as stress.)
Zinc deficiency
Incredibly, 2 billion people on the planet are deficient in zinc, mainly in the developing world. One of the major symptoms of zinc deficiency is growth retardation. This is especially important for kids, and pregnant and breastfeeding moms. Not having enough zinc also greatly influences the immune system. There can be a loss of taste and/or smell. Prostate, testosterone and skin problems are also high on the list.
Other deficiency symptoms can be diarrhoea, eye problems, depression, ulcers of the mouth and digestive system, bad breath, and age-related macular degeneration.
You can do an easy test at home. By placing two teaspoons of Zinc Tally in the mouth, a lack of taste or a delayed taste perception suggests a possible zinc insufficiency.
Micronutrient deficiency in agricultural soil can be replenished with mined minerals, but sadly many of these minerals, especially zinc, are used for industrial applications, not for crops, livestock or humans. The principal mining areas are in China, Australia and Peru. World production of zinc is more than 11 million tonnes a year, and some estimates suggest that at the current usage rate, there are approximately 21 years of reserves of zinc left.
Foods High in Zinc
Some foods have above-average levels of zinc, including herring, beef, lamb, sunflower seeds and cheese. Oysters, crab, and pumpkin seeds are good natural sources too.
Supplementation
A meta-analysis of 27 studies found that low-dose daily zinc supplementation taken for more than 3 months showed the greatest benefit for reducing diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk factors, significantly improving fasting blood glucose, insulin resistance, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, reports Stephanie Eckelkamp for Levels Health.
The RDA for zinc is 8 mg daily for women and 11 mg daily for men. You can supplement with more than that, but a dose of more than 40 mg is not recommended, with 25 mg per day being the cap for most metabolic benefits.
You should consider that long-term supplementation of zinc can interfere with copper and iron absorption. This is why many zinc supplements also include copper. Zinc can also interfere with some medications, especially antibiotics.
Forms of Zinc
As we have seen with magnesium, zinc comes in many different forms. Here are a few you will likely come across:
Zinc Picolinate: One of the more superior forms available in a supplemental form due to its excellent bioavailability in the body. Picolinic acid is an essential component in the process of allowing the absorption of zinc.
Zinc Gluconate: This form yields a very high amount that is absorbable. Approximately 7 milligrams are needed to yield just 1 milligram of elemental zinc. Due to its quick absorption, it works best to help prevent infection in the nasal and throat passages.
Zinc Carnosine: This form is chelated with carnosine, which means it is already bound and used more easily by the body. (For geeks: carnosine is a molecule, made up of the amino acids beta-alanine and histidine. It is highly concentrated in muscle and brain tissues.) Zinc Carnosine is shown to improve mucosal activity and support intestinal permeability. It can have positive effects on stomach ulcers. It also supports the normal carnosine effects in the body, especially in muscle cells and nerves, it aids intracellular tight junctions, glucose metabolism, and cell mediation activity.
Zinc Citrate: It is bound with citric acid to improve absorption but has still shown to be one of the less effective forms when it comes to bioavailability.
When you come across chelated zinc it simply means it contains zinc that's been attached to a chelating agent. Chelating agents are chemical compounds that bond with metal ions (such as zinc) to create a stable, water-soluble product that can be easily absorbed by the body. All the above-mentioned types of zinc are examples of chelated zinc, others might include zinc acetate and zinc monomethionine.
According to this article from ATP Science, when measuring the actual bioefficacy of zinc in the body both zinc gluconate and zinc citrate have been shown to be irrelevant despite the saturation of the tissues and serum levels.
Inhibitors and Enhancers of Zinc Absorption
If you have any type of digestive damage (i.e. Chron’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), etc.) or gastric bypass it can greatly reduce the absorption of zinc. Likewise, the use of antibiotics, lower stomach acid, diabetes and liver disease can reduce the absorption. However certain foods can impact the absorption as well.
Phytates (for geeks: mainly inositol hexaphosphates and pentaphosphates) found in grains, cereals, rice, and corn have a very negative impact on the body’s ability to absorb and utilize zinc from dietary intake. Soaking or sprouting can drastically reduce the phytate content.
Casein (in dairy products), cadmium (in shellfish, kidney, liver, mushrooms and root crops) and iron can also reduce zinc absorption. Interestingly, iron doesn’t have the same effect when it is present in the same food. Once, again, a proof that nature knows best.
If you aim to enhance the absorption of zinc most proteins will help, especially amino acids histidine (found in meat, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, grains) and methionine (in eggs, grains, nuts, and seeds), as well as organic acids such as citrate (found in citrus fruits). Vegetarians and vegans, or people on long-term restricted diets, are more likely to experience zinc deficiency.
Conclusion
Zinc is a ubiquitous mineral, crucial for keeping us alive, yet it often goes unnoticed. With a good variety of fresh, local foods, we can easily obtain sufficient levels. However, supplementation might surprise you with the positive effects on your energy levels and immune system support.
Resources:
https://au.atpscience.com/blogs/blog/why-do-we-need-zinc
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/zinc-supplements