The element marked with the symbol Zn on the periodic table is not just a memory from school chemistry – it’s a key dietary component responsible for healthy skin, hair, and nails. However, its deficiency is not just an aesthetic problem – zinc is also responsible for the effective functioning of the endocrine and immune systems. Check with us what to watch out for and how to supplement zinc!
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Symptoms of zinc deficiency
Zinc is probably the second element after iron whose deficiencies significantly affect the health of the entire body. It is an element of many enzymes crucial for proper bodily function, e.g., RNA and DNA polymerase. It is also responsible for proper protein and hormone synthesis, red blood cell formation, proper functioning of mucous membranes and skin, but also… the brain, as zinc ions are found within the synaptic terminals of neurons.
Due to the many functions that require zinc, its deficiency in the body immediately shows quite visible symptoms, including, for example:
- ailments resulting from impaired skin function, such as acne, peeling, poor healing, and sometimes spontaneous formation of wounds and stretch marks;
- visible hair thinning and nail weakening, caused by slowed cell turnover;
- in children and adolescents, also slowed or arrested growth – related to slowed growth hormone synthesis and cell turnover processes,
- weakened immunity – resulting, among other things, from impaired protection provided by mucous membranes, but also from slower brain function, reacting with delay to signals from the immune system,
- weakened sense of smell and taste – zinc is also responsible for the synthesis of protein found in taste and smell receptors, so its deficiency can manifest as disturbances in these senses,
- accelerated senile degradation of vision – may be a result of long-term deficiency,
- hormonal problems – zinc is involved, among others, in insulin synthesis, but also in processes related to its release and storage.
Causes of zinc deficiency
Zinc deficiency in the body can be a direct result of lifestyle, as well as an indirect result of another condition. The most common causes include:
- a diet poor in zinc, e.g., a poorly balanced vegetarian and vegan diet, high-fat, low-protein diets, with too many highly processed products, excessive sugar intake, etc.
- absorption disorders – zinc is mostly absorbed in the small intestine, a small percentage is obtained in the large intestine, and trace amounts are obtained through the skin. For this reason, any absorption disorder in the small intestine, as well as chronic digestive system diseases or eating disorders preventing food from passing beyond the stomach, e.g., bulimia, can lead to zinc deficiencies,
- exertion and stimulants – absorption disorders can result from excessive alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking,
- increased demand due to life situation – hard physical work, competitive sports, and stress contribute to impaired absorption, and at the same time increase the body’s demand for this element. A similar correlation – poorer zinc absorption and higher demand – occurs in pregnant and breastfeeding women. In their case, an additional difficulty arises: zinc absorption is hampered by folic acid and calcium, whose increased dosage is also crucial for the proper course of pregnancy .
How to supplement zinc deficiency?
If you suspect a zinc deficiency, the best way to supplement it is to expand your diet – as we mentioned, most zinc is taken from food, which is why changing your diet and oral supplementation are the two most effective ways to replenish the deficiency.
It is worth alleviating an existing deficiency by stocking up on dietary supplements containing not only zinc (preferably in more than one form), but also amino acids involved in its absorption. An example of a good composition is BestProtect, containing 15 mg of zinc in two forms (including highly absorbable gluconate) and L-lysine hydrochloride, which is involved in the absorption of minerals. Importantly, it is an amino acid that the body cannot produce on its own. This dose slightly exceeds the recommended dose for women outside pregnancy and breastfeeding (8-11 mg/day) and men, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women (up to 13 mg/day). Thanks to this, it can be effective in supplementing zinc deficiency in the body.
Along with supplementation, it is worth introducing gradual changes in your dietary habits, e.g., reducing sugar intake and highly processed products that hinder the absorption of the element. Next, you can include products high in zinc in your diet, e.g.:
- fish,
- seafood such as shrimp and oysters,
- mushrooms,
- legumes,
- egg yolks (and preferably whole eggs – protein provides the amino acids necessary for absorption),
- whole grain products, as well as those containing pumpkin seeds, sesame, sunflower seeds, and wheat bran,
- tomatoes, parsley, cabbage vegetables,
- dark cocoa.
Importantly, even when the deficiency is replenished and supplementation is stopped, it is necessary to continue including zinc-rich products in your daily diet – this time as a preventive measure. The highest concentration of zinc has been noted in oysters, which can contain up to 16 mg per 100 g of product.
How long does it take to correct a deficiency?
Considering that both excess and deficiency of zinc have harmful effects on the human body, this is a fully valid question. The answer depends on:
- the level of deficiency that has occurred in the body,
- age,
- gender,
- activity,
- co-existing diseases affecting zinc absorption,
- the bioavailability of zinc in consumed food and supplements.
We can consider the moment of zinc replenishment to be the situation where the skin, hair, and nails strengthen – this results from the way our body functions, which uses priorities when distributing nutrients. In the case of extreme deficiency, it will first replenish zinc in the brain, then in other internal organs and mucous membranes – this will be noticed, for example, as an improvement in the ability to taste, but also as strengthened immunity. Finally, deficiencies in skin and hair cells will be replenished. Depending on the level of deficiency and the bioavailability of supplements and zinc in our diet, replenishment can take from several weeks to even several months.
It is worth noting here: zinc excess is usually recorded with long-term supplementation of doses many times exceeding the daily requirement and the maximum safe dose for consumption (above 50 mg/day)6. Supplementation in doses close to the daily requirement has a very small chance of causing zinc poisoning – and can bring many benefits.
Who is most at risk of zinc deficiency?
Do you have a zinc deficiency? Only a doctor can answer this question with one hundred percent certainty after ordering appropriate laboratory tests and gathering your environmental history. However, if your skin is peeling, your hair is thinning, and you also feel that you get sick much more often, there may be such a risk. Pay attention to zinc in your diet and consider supplementation also if you belong to one of the following groups naturally at risk of zinc deficiency:
- you have recently switched to a vegetarian or vegan diet and have not yet introduced plant sources of zinc or consume too little of them,
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding,
- you are a person with diagnosed metabolic disorders, especially intestinal diseases,
- you are a person struggling with an addiction that reduces the body’s ability to absorb minerals,
- you are an athlete during intensive preparation for competitions.
Bibliography:
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