Zinc supplements aid your body in many vital processes. From contributing to a normal metabolism, to helping with the normal function of the immune system. It’s important that you have the right levels of this essential nutrient to help support your balanced lifestyle.
Table of Contents:
- What is Zinc?
- Reasons to Supplement Zinc
- Signs of Zinc Deficiency
- Who are Zinc Supplements Good for?
- How Much Zinc per Day
- Sources of Zinc
- Magnesium and Zinc
- Supplementing Zinc with BetterYou
What is Zinc?
Before delving into the benefits of zinc, it’s important to understand what zinc is. Zinc is a mineral, with the chemical symbol Zn. Zinc cannot be produced or stored by the body, which means you have to supply your body through your diet and zinc supplementation.
9 Reasons You Should Be Supplementing Zinc
This mineral is essential for many vital processes within the body. Here are 9 zinc benefits you could experience with supplements:
- Immune Function - Zinc can be taken as an immunity supplement. In fact, zinc supplements are good for inhibiting the replication of the rhinovirus and have been tested in trials for treatment against the common cold.
- Wound Healing - This vital mineral can aid the body with wound healing, helping membrane repair as well as supporting coagulation. This is in addition to vitamin K which also helps with wound healing.
- Growth and Development - By aiding cell division, zinc supplements are good for growth and development due to your body being made entirely of cells. This makes zinc especially good as a children’s supplement, helping their growing bodies.
- Aids Fertility - Those trying to conceive will find zinc supplements are good for contributing to normal fertility and reproduction. Ensure you take a conception supplement with zinc when supporting your reproductive health.
- Gene Expression - Genes are made up of smaller sections including RNA. Zinc helps produce RNA by speeding up the reaction. Due to this, zinc supplements are good for gene expression. Gene expression is how the body “reads” information about the cells and products it makes, allowing your body to adapt and create proteins.
- Enzymatic Reactions - As zinc is good for every cell in the body, it is also essential to enzyme reactions. These reactions cover everything from building muscle, to removing toxins from the body.
- Protein Synthesis - Supporting protein synthesis is another benefit that zinc supplements are good for. Zinc helps to regulate the structures of the elements that go into making proteins.
- DNA Synthesis - Aiding cell division, zinc supplements are good for DNA synthesis as they stabilise the elements that make up DNA.
- Anti-inflammatory - Zinc supplements are good for reducing oxidative stress caused by free-radicals, this in turn can help to reduce inflammation.
Ensuring you have sufficient levels of zinc and are not suffering from a mineral deficiency is essential to experience the benefits of this vital mineral.
6 Signs of Zinc Deficiency
Supplementing zinc can help you fight mineral deficiencies. Zinc deficiency causes a number of detrimental problems for your health. These are the signs that you may be low in zinc:
- Non-healing wounds - this could also be a sign of vitamin C deficiency
- Tiredness, which could also be a symptom of sleep deprivation
- Diarrhoea
- Loss of appetite
- Unusual weight loss
- Decreased smell or taste
Reducing these symptoms can be done by supplementing zinc to fight your deficiency. However, if you are concerned about your health in any way, or think you may be experiencing low mineral levels, you should consult your doctor before taking supplements.
Who Are Zinc Supplements Good For?
Many of us will find we have a deficiency of zinc and so some people may find they benefit from supplementation. Those most at risk of deficiency include:
- Those with gastrointestinal diseases
- Vegetarians and vegans
- Pregnant and breastfeeding
- Those who are malnourished
- People with kidney disease
How Much Zinc to Take Per Day
Depending on your age and whether or not you are pregnant/breastfeeding affects the dosage of zinc supplements you should be taking. Identify the recommended daily intake, and always stay below the tolerable upper limit for zinc - which is 40mg for adults.
According to the NHS, for those aged 19 to 64 years, the daily recommended intake of zinc is:
- 9.5mg for men
- 7mg for women
Please note, that those who are pregnant should not take our Immune Health Daily Oral Spray due to the vitamin A content, unless otherwise advised by your GP.
What are Good Sources of Zinc?
To benefit from zinc it’s essential to keep levels at an optimum and supplements can help you do this. As your body cannot make zinc, you must ingest zinc in other ways. The main sources for zinc include:
- Zinc Supplements
- Shellfish
- Fish
- Red and White Meat
- Whole grains, including oats and brown rice
- Legumes including lentils and chickpeas
- Nuts and Seeds
- Milk, cheese and other dairy products
- Eggs
- Specific vegetables, including kale and mushrooms
Those who follow restricted diets may find it more difficult to keep nutrient levels high enough. BetterYou’s ranges of vegetarian supplements, vegan supplements, pregnancy supplements, and breastfeeding supplements could help to keep your vitamin and mineral levels at the right level.
Taking Zinc and Magnesium Together
Taking zinc supplements and magnesium together can provide many good consequences such as increased immune defences. Magnesium supplements can help to regulate zinc levels, whilst zinc encourages your body to efficiently absorb magnesium. Magnesium and zinc can be taken together to experience these benefits. However, too high levels of zinc could negatively impact magnesium absorption, leading to a magnesium deficiency. Which is why it’s important to stay to recommended dosages of both, so you can experience both zinc and magnesium benefits.
Supplement Zinc with BetterYou
Our range of oral sprays contains the Immune Health Daily Oral Spray. This is a vitamin and mineral supplement that is crafted to aid the immune system to be in full defence. The spray formulation of this food supplement means it is delivered effectively into the bloodstream through the soft tissue in the mouth.
The immunity spray also contains vitamin A, vitamin C, and Vitamin D. All of which help to keep the immune system at its optimum. The spray also contains the mineral selenium which has many benefits, including supporting immune function, the maintenance of normal hair, and nails, and protects the cells from oxidative stress.
