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Zinc

Zinc deficiency is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies. Zinc is required by more than 200 hundred enzymes and many chemical reactions in our body for their activity. So, even mild zinc deficiency can have enormous repercussions on a person's health.

In the late 1970s, a girl with leukemia, also suffering from recurrent colds and sore throats, was asked to suck on zinc tablets as if they were lozenges. She became symptom free in a matter of hours.

Zinc is a major protector of the immune system and an important disease fighter. It is essential for immune system function carried out by the white blood cells.

Nutritionists suggest that one of the reasons that the immune system becomes weaker with age is because zinc levels are lower at this time of life. Studies have shown that patients with AIDS have significantly lower blood levels of zinc when compared with a control group.

Dosage

The RDA for zinc is 15 milligrams daily for adults and 10 milligrams for children.

Nutritionists recommend a minimum daily intake of 10 to 15 milligrams in children, and 20 to 30 milligrams for adults, when there is a history of recurrent infections. The higher doses are needed to correct the deficiency quickly and reduce the incidence of infection. Take this for a period of 3 months.

Diet Sources for Zinc

The best dietary sources of zinc are:

Certain foods can affect the way that your body is able to absorb and use zinc. The following foods diminish the amount of zinc that you are able to absorb.

Safety

Large doses of zinc (doses around 300 milligrams daily) may have a negative effect on the immune system.

Prolonged use of zinc might harm people with AIDS or Alzheimer's disease (or people at risk for developing it).

Too much zinc also can suppress the body's copper levels. This is not desirable because copper also helps the body fight infections. Copper deficiency alters the immune function in a number of negative ways- decreased T cells and increase in the antibody - producing B cells.

If you're already taking a multimineral supplement, you're probably already getting adequate zinc and copper. Do not take more than 50 milligrams per day.

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