Zinc
The Immune Health Mineral
If you ever walk down the cough and cold aisle, you will undoubtably see many different types of products that contain zinc: zinc gummies, zinc lozenges, or zinc tablets. No matter what form you choose to buy, zinc is well known to help with immune health (and other health conditions).
Like Vitamins D and C, Zinc is considered an essential nutrient— or one that the body cannot produce on its own. Zinc is involved in over 300 different body processes including healing wounds, forming DNA and protein, and cell division. Most zinc consumption comes through the diet--oysters, unroasted pumpkin seeds, lamb, grass-fed beef (or any other type of meat), and hemp seeds are all examples of foods with high levels of zinc. It’s estimated that 10% of individuals in the United States are deficient in zinc while 50% of the world population is deficient. The updated (2018) daily value for zinc is 11 milligrams.
There are many different forms of zinc. These include zinc gluconate, zinc citrate, zinc acetate, zinc sulfate, zinc picolinate, and zinc amino acid chelates. An older study showed that zinc picolinate is more readily absorbed than the other forms. For vegetarians and vegans, zinc amino acid chelates (zinc bisglycinate or zinc orotate) are better absorbed. A diet high in plants naturally prohibits the absorption of zinc. Studies have shown that zinc amino acid chelates allow better absorption with a plant focused diet. The rest of the zinc forms are comparable to one another, in terms of absorption. All forms have varying levels of elemental zinc, so pay attention to the products label to see how much elemental zinc is present. For example, 385 milligrams of zinc gluconate and 146 milligrams of zinc citrate contain the same amount of elemental zinc (50 milligrams). Most labels (like this one) will show the amount of elemental zinc.
Zinc is most studied for immune health. Studies have shown that taking 23 milligrams of elemental zinc every two (waking) hours helps reduce the duration and the severity of the common cold. (Note: this dosage amount is only safe for the short-term management of the cold.) Research has shown that zinc acetate is the most effective to reducing the severity of colds but is not significantly better than zinc gluconate. Most immune health products contain zinc gluconate. Even though zinc treats upper respiratory symptoms of the cold, it has not been studied for its efficacy in helping treat symptoms of COVID-19.
In addition to immune health, zinc is also known to help in libido/male health. Have you ever wondered why oysters are considered an aphrodisiac? Oysters are high in zinc. For men, a zinc deficiency is correlated to lower testosterone levels, erectile disfunction, and low sperm count levels. Zinc is also known to decrease depression (for those that do not respond to anti-depressants), helps reduce symptoms of acne, and may help promote blood sugar management.
For long term health, it is important not to supersede 40 milligrams of zinc. Too much zinc leads to copper deficiencies, nausea, and other gastrointestinal issues. Athletes need to account for zinc deficiencies as it is normally excreted through sweat. Electrolyte supplements (like this one) will have a form of zinc in the formula to account for this.
What things do you do to fight the common cold? Is supplementing with zinc part of your regimen?
Any suggested products are purely the writer’s own opinion and does not imply affiliation with the brand.