One of the important nutritional elements which your body needs but is often overlooked by professionals is Zinc.
Zinc is importnat to your health for several reasons:
- It boosts the immune system
- It helps wounds to heal faster
- It maintains a keen sense of smell and sense of taste
- And it’s especially important during pregnancy and adolescence for healthy development
Zinc Deficiency, in which a person consumes less than the recommended dose of 11 mg for adult males and 8 mg for women can cause major problems espcially in terms of tissue connectivity.
To make sure you’re getting enough Zinc, you need to make sure your diet includes Zinc rich foods such as:
- beef
- lamb
- pork
- crabmeat
- turkey
- chicken
- lobster
- clams
- salmon
Overall, Zinc tends to be plentiful in protein rich foods, so it’s easy for meat and fish eaters to get their fair share of it.
For vegetarians, non-meat sources of Zinc include:
- milk and cheese
- yeast
- Pumpkin seeds (very rich in Zinc)
- Peanuts
- Beans
- wholegrain cereals
- brown rice
- whole wheat bread
- potato
- yogurt
If you’re a vegetarian you need to be more alert to the possibility that you’re not getting enough Zinc as it is present more in meat. Furthermore, Zinc which comes from animal protein is absorbed far better in the body than that which comes from plant protein. If you are a vegetarian, you should consider adding more Vitamin C, E, and B6 to your diet as these help the body to absorb Zinc much better.
Overall, if you’re a meat eater you probably don’t need to take Zinc supplements of any kind. You should not have Zinc deficiency if you just eat sensibly. Vegetarians are more vulnerable so supplements may be in order.
