Zinc is a very important mineral for maintaining health because it participates in more than 300 chemical reactions in the body, so when it is weak in the body it can cause several changes, including the immune system and hormone production.
The main sources of zinc are animal foods such as oysters, shrimp and veal, chicken, fish and liver.Wheat germs, whole grains, nuts, cereals, vegetables and tubers are also rich in zinc, but fruits and vegetables in general, despite the presence of zinc, are not the best sources because they do not allow a good absorption of this mineral.
- There are several reasons for the importance of eating zinc-rich foods.
- However.
- Some of the most important include:.
However, because zinc is involved in most body reactions, it has other important actions, especially at the neural and hormonal level.
Zinc is a mineral that is not produced by the human body, so it must be ingested by food. Foods that contain more zinc include animal foods, such as oysters, beef and liver, however, some plant-based foods are also a good choice, such as almond and pumpkin seeds, so a diet that includes this type of food is sufficient to keep zinc levels regulated.
However, when there is a lack of zinc in the body, in addition to food, it may also be necessary to supplement with zinc, but in this case it is very important that there is the advice of a doctor or nutritionist, since excess zinc can also end up being harmful.
See a list of the 15 richest zinc-rich foods
Healthy people who eat a variety of foods rarely lack zinc, however, the only way to be sure if there is a lack of zinc in the body is to do a blood or urine test to quantify the amount of this mineral.zinc in the blood is 70 to 120 mg/dL and up to 900 g/g in the urine.
Zinc deficiency can also lead to symptoms such as:
In addition to a low-zinc diet, lack of zinc is more common in people who have haemodialysis sessions or who have a severe or persistent case of diarrhea, some medications can also cause this deficiency and include: antihypertensives, thiazide diuretics, omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate, for example.
Just as a deficiency is harmful, excess zinc can also be harmful to health and cause symptoms such as fatigue, fever and stomach pain, some situations that can lead to this increase are excessive zinc supplementation and in the case of diseases such as chronic heart failure, osteosarcoma or atherosclerosis, for example.