Zinc influences your body’s growth, development and immunity, as it’s an essential nutrient for healthy bodily function. Initially considered to be rare, zinc deficiency is very common, estimated to affect about two billion people worldwide. It’s the fifth leading cause for the loss of healthy life years in developing countries, and in industrial countries, it affects mainly the elderly.
To address micronutrient deficiencies, in 2003 South Africa mandated a national food fortification programme, fortifying wheat flour and maize meal with vitamin A, iron and zinc. Zinc is also one of the most popular vitamins bought by South Africans preventatively for Covid-19, after Vitamin C, even though the efficacy of vitamin supplementation for Covid is yet to be established.
So, why do we need this trace element?
1. Zinc is involved in cellular metabolism and cell division.
2. Zinc is needed for the catalytic activity of about 100 enzymes, some of which are involved in energy metabolism.
3. Zinc is essential for the maintenance of immune function. As a regulator of cellular function, zinc signals directly affect all immune cells, generating both innate and adaptive antiviral responses.
4. Zinc helps maintain the integrity of skin and mucosal membranes, making it essential for wound healing.
5. Zinc is necessary for protein synthesis.
6. Zinc is necessary for DNA synthesis.
7. Zinc supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence.
8. Zinc is required for proper sense of taste and smell.
Sources of zinc
The body does not store zinc, so we get zinc from food or supplements. It can be found in the following foods:
• Oysters
• Red meat
• Poultry
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Baked beans
• Yoghurt
• Chickpeas
• Oatmeal
• Milk
Inadequate zinc levels can be due to low dietary intake, or possibly due to the consumption of zinc-absorption inhibitors, such as phytate (present in whole-grain bread, cereals, corn and rice), iron (only if given together as a supplement), cadmium and calcium.
Recommended dosage and supplementation
In South Africa, the Recommended Daily Amount of zinc is 11 mg for adults, though the individual recommended dose depends on your age, gender, pregnancy and breastfeeding status. Excessive zinc intake can lead to side effects and toxicity.
Though generally safe, zinc supplements can interact with several medications, including some antibiotics, so consult with your healthcare provider when taking medication and supplements. It also interacts with iron and copper; high zinc intake can inhibit copper absorption.
Certain groups are at risk of having zinc inadequacy, and may need supplementation:
• People who have had gastrointestinal surgery and have digestive disorders (such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, short bowel syndrome and malabsorption syndrome).
• People who have chronic liver disease, chronic renal disease, sickle cell disease, diabetes and malignancy.
• Vegetarians and vegans, who don’t eat meat and usually eat high levels of legumes and whole grains, which contain phytates that inhibit zinc absorption.
• Pregnant women, due to the high foetal requirement for zinc.
• Breastfeeding women, since lactation depletes zinc stores.
• Older infants who are exclusively breastfed.
• Alcoholics, because the ethanol in alcohol decreases zinc absorption and increases urinary zinc excretion.
• The elderly, since many studies have indicated that zinc levels decline with age.
Zinc supplementation has been used as a treatment for severe zinc deficiency (for its role in immune function), diarrhea (especially for children), wound healing, the common cold and age-related macular1 degeneration. For a cold, if zinc is taken within 24 hours after symptoms appear, it may reduce the severity and longevity of the symptoms.
When choosing your supplement, always check if there is a full list of ingredients on the product, a package insert, a valid company address with contact details and compliance to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), which is a prerequisite for health product manufacturing. Click here for further info.
