Zinc is an essential mineral for a healthy immune system.You might have heard about using zinc lozenges to help decrease the duration of a cold. Zinc, one of the essential minerals that we must get from food or supplements, plays several important roles in health. It's involved in...
Protein synthesis
Cell division
Growth and development
A normal sense of taste and smell
Immune function
Zinc is also a crucial component of over 100 enzymes.Gatekeeper for our Immune SystemsZinc is often called the gatekeeper of our immune systems because the optimum function of almost all immune cells rely on zinc as an essential component. Zinc plays a role in our body’s immune defense against viruses and pathogens, and it also helps protect our bodies against an overactive immune system that might be implicated in chronic inflammation, allergies, or autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and age-related macular degeneration.A Few Zinc Tips:
Plan to choose a variety of foods each day that are good sources of zinc to meet your daily needs. Foods that contain zinc are also excellent sources of other important nutrients. Here's a sample menu...
Breakfast with 1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup milk, and 1 ounce of almonds
Lunch with a sandwich with 2 slices whole grain bread, 1 ounce Swiss cheese, and 2 ounces sliced turkey plus a salad
Dinner with 3 ounces roast beef, ½ cup green peas, and 1 small potato
All this meet the zinc needs for most adults.
If you’re not able to meet your zinc needs through food, consider a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement that contains zinc, but only after discussing using a supplement with your physician.
By Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES, CPT, CHWC#BEST21References:
National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/ updated 7-15-20; accessed 11-28-20
Wessels I, Maywald M, Rink L. Zinc as a Gatekeeper of Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017;9(12):1286. Published 2017 Nov 25. doi:10.3390/nu9121286
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Food Data Central. Oysters, steamed. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1099136/nutrients published 10-30-20; accessed 11-28-20
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source. Are Anti-Nutrients Harmful? https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/anti-nutrients/ accessed 11-28-20
Wessels I, Rolles B, Rink L. The Potential Impact of Zinc Supplementation on COVID-19 Pathogenesis. Front Immunol. 2020;11:1712. Published 2020 Jul 10. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.01712
Stephanie Ronco has been editing for Food and Health Communications since 2011. She graduated from Colorado College magna cum laude with distinction in Comparative Literature. She was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 2008.
What is Zinc? What is Zinc's Role in the Immune System?
Zinc is an essential mineral for a healthy immune system.You might have heard about using zinc lozenges to help decrease the duration of a cold. Zinc, one of the essential minerals that we must get from food or supplements, plays several important roles in health. It's involved in...
Zinc is also a crucial component of over 100 enzymes.Gatekeeper for our Immune SystemsZinc is often called the gatekeeper of our immune systems because the optimum function of almost all immune cells rely on zinc as an essential component. Zinc plays a role in our body’s immune defense against viruses and pathogens, and it also helps protect our bodies against an overactive immune system that might be implicated in chronic inflammation, allergies, or autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and age-related macular degeneration.A Few Zinc Tips:
Want to learn more about zinc? Don't miss...
By Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES, CPT, CHWC#BEST21References:
#BEST21
Stephanie Ronco has been editing for Food and Health Communications since 2011. She graduated from Colorado College magna cum laude with distinction in Comparative Literature. She was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 2008.
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