What are the Benefits and Side Effects of Zinc?
Dietician and Nutritionist, Jaslok Hospital, 13 years of experience
English हिन्दी Bengali العربية
What is the meaning of Zinc?
Zinc is a mineral found in nature that is beneficial for human beings. It is considered an essential nutrient for the body as it helps the body perform numerous processes such as making genes, DNA, and proteins inside the cells and immune function.
The body does not produce zinc naturally and sometimes, a severe zinc deficiency can harm the human body. Hence people are advised by doctors to take health supplements containing zinc. However, zinc can also be easily replenished through a variety of foods.
Let us explain the good food sources of zinc and the role of zinc in detail in this article.
- What is Zinc?
- What are the health benefits of Zinc?
- What foods provide zinc?
- What is the recommended intake of zinc?
- What are the side effects of Zinc?
What is Zinc?
Zinc is a mineral that is found in all our cells and it helps us stay healthy. The human body needs zinc to perform various processes like immune function, synthesis of protein, synthesis of DNA, gene expression, and healing of wounds. Pregnant women and children especially need zinc to enable proper growth and development of the body.
What are the health benefits of Zinc?
- Zinc is very beneficial for making the human body strong. It helps in boosting immunity and fighting infections and destroying cancer cells. If there is a severe deficiency of zinc in the body, then the immune system becomes weak. Therefore, it is essential to include zinc in your diet. ( Know more about – Foods to eat to increase immunity)
- It reduces the risk of infection and respiratory problems.
- Zinc helps prevent diseases caused by malaria and other parasites.
- According to research, zinc is also beneficial for ophthalmic issues like cataracts and night blindness. ( Know more about- What is Cataract Surgery? )
- Zinc is effective for treating asthma, high blood pressure.
- Diarrhea in children can be treated with the help of zinc tablets.
- Zinc plays an important role in curing the problem of acne. Therefore, include zinc-rich foods in your diet to improve your skin condition. Zinc sulfate is considered an effective treatment for acne and pimples. ( Know more about- What are the causes of skin inflammation ? )
- Zinc proves to be effective for common problems like colds.
There are many hospitals and ophthalmologists in India where Cataract Surgery is done with great success.
What foods provide zinc?
Zinc is found in a wide variety of foods that can provide the necessary daily requirement of zinc.
- For Non-Vegetarians, items such as meat (red meat), poultry, seafood such as oysters, crab, and lobsters have high amounts of zinc.
- For Vegetarians, items such as whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, nuts, and dairy products have high zinc content. Some beans and grains eaten by vegetarians have compounds that prevent zinc from being absorbed by the body. Hence, vegetarians need to eat 50% more zinc than the recommended amounts as per the National Institute of Health (NIH)1
What is the recommended intake of zinc?
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH)1, the following is the recommended amount of zinc intake in milligrams (mg) needed each day depending on your age.
| Life Stage | Recommended Amount |
| Birth to 6 months | 2 mg |
| Infants 7–12 months | 3 mg |
| Children 1–3 years | 3 mg |
| Children 4–8 years | 5 mg |
| Children 9–13 years | 8 mg |
| Teens 14–18 years (boys) | 11 mg |
| Teens 14–18 years (girls) | 9 mg |
| Adults (men) | 11 mg |
| Adults (women) | 8 mg |
| Pregnant teens | 12 mg |
| Pregnant women | 11 mg |
| Breastfeeding teens | 13 mg |
| Breastfeeding women | 12 mg |
Any intake of zinc health supplements should only be as per the advice of a registered dietitian or your general physician.
What are the side effects of Zinc?
For some people, taking too much zinc can have some side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney problems, stomach problems.
Some other problems associated with excess zinc intake are:
- Fever, cough, fatigue, abdominal pain.
- People who have AIDS and HIV should use zinc with caution. Zinc may further increase the risk of infections for people with AIDS. ( Know more about- What are the symptoms of STDs ? )
- People with diabetes should use zinc in moderation. Excess zinc intake can increase blood sugar levels.
- It is safe for pregnant women and lactating women to consume zinc in moderation. Apart from this, taking it in excess can cause damage.( Know more about- Diet Plan for Pregnant Women )
We hope we could answer your queries about the Benefits and Side effects of Zinc through this article.
If you want more information about foods to be consumed for zinc deficiency, please contact a Dietitian.
We only aim to give you information through this article and do not recommend medication or treatment in any way. Only a doctor can give you the best advice.
Reference:
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements.
