Health

    Zinc is found in almost every cell in the body, and it is contained in more than 200 enzymes. Zinc is important for a healthy immune system, for healing cuts and wounds, and for maintaining your sense of taste and smell. It also provides normal growth during childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy. Meat and poultry provide the majority of zinc intake in an American diet. Also beans, nuts, and dairy products contain zinc. Oysters contain the most zinc by weight, but in an American diet beef is more popular. The body easily absorbs zinc found in the meat of oysters. 

     Zinc deficiency happens when zinc intake is insufficient. Signs of zinc deficiency are poor appetite, weight loss, delay of healing wounds, taste abnormalities, and mental lethargy. As these symptoms worsen there are also possibility of diarrhea, hair loss, recurrent infections, and a form of skin disorder, dermatitis. Zinc deficiently has also been linked to growth problems in children. Zinc deficient animals requires 50% more food to gain the same weight of an animal supported with adequate amount of zinc.

    Anyone with low calorie intake is at a higher risk for having a low zinc intake. Vegetarians who consume a variety of legumes and nuts will probably meet their zinc requirements; those vegetarians who do not eat legumes and nuts will be at a higher risk of zinc deficiency.

Zinc supplements improve the growth rate in children. When pregnant, zinc deficiency can delay fetal growth, also breastfeeding increases the risk of zinc deficiency because the greater need for zinc during lactation.

Zinc deficiency is associated with alcoholism, which is due to lower food intake while intoxicated.

Table of Food Sources of Zinc

Food	Milligrams	%DV*
Oysters, 6 medium	76.4	510
Beef shank, lean only, cooked 3 oz	8.9	60
Beef chuck, lean only, cooked, 3 oz	7.4	45
Beef tenderloin, lean only, cooked, 3 oz	4.8	30
Pork shoulder, lean only, cooked, 3 oz	4.7	25
Pork tenderloin, lean only, cooked, 3 oz	2.2	15
Chicken leg, cooked, 3 oz	2.4	15
Baked beans, canned, 1/2 c	1.8	10
Cashews, dry roasted w/out salt, 1 oz	1.6	10
Pecans, dry roasted w/out salt, 1 oz	1.6	10
Raisin bran, 1 oz	1.5	10
Almonds, dry roasted, unblanched, w/out salt, 1 oz	1.4	9
Chickpeas, mature seeds, canned, 1/2 c	1.3	9
Mixed nuts, dry roasted w/peanuts, w/out salt, 1 oz	1.1	5
Chicken breast, cooked, 3 oz	1.1	5
Bran muffin, 1 medium	1.1	5
Walnuts, black, dried, 1 oz	1.0	5
Milk, 1 c	1.0	5
Yogurt, 1 c	1.0	5
Kidney beans, 1/2 c cooked	0.9	5
Cheese, cheddar, 1 oz	0.9	5
Peas, green, boiled, 1/2 c	0.8	5
Oatmeal, instant, 1 packet	0.8	5
Flounder/sole, cooked, 3 oz	0.5	5

HOME