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What do you know about zinc and what is the recommended daily dose for zinc in the human body?

zinc human body

What do you know about zinc and what is the recommended daily dose for zinc in the human body?

zinc stresstabs
Zinc sulfate dose: 15 milligrams
Zinc-rich foods: Cooked oysters, beef, lamb, eggs, whole grains, nuts, yogurt
When you think of zinc, think of productivity. From helping to create new skin and sperm cells to boosting the immune system, this mineral works overtime to make the cells it needs to stay healthy. Healing, growth, pregnancy, and lactation are situations where there is an increased need for zinc due to the need for more cells.

A classic example is immune defense. Before your body can fight off a foreign invader, zinc and chemicals called zinc-dependent enzymes work together to help build new cells of the immune system and turn them into a combat element. That is why zinc is useful to defend against viral infections. Zinc's effect on your immune system can even help you get through busy and stressful times when you don't eat well or avoid the gym. Similarly, too much zinc, just 25 milligrams a day in one study, has been found to lower immunity.

zinc In human body

Zinc's rapid cell replication skills are helpful when you have cuts or wounds. It is vital for the production of collagen, the connective tissue that helps heal wounds. Without zinc, wounds do not heal as quickly. Although research is preliminary, some doctors recommend zinc to treat an enlarged prostate. High levels of zinc in pumpkin seeds have been shown to help reduce the size of the prostate in studies. In addition to eating a handful of pumpkin seeds every day, sprinkling pumpkin seed oil on salads, meat, or chicken can help.

Even several key enzymes that protect and preserve your vision cannot form without zinc. A large national trial found that people who took a combination of antioxidants and zinc reduced their risk of developing age-related macular degeneration by 25%, even though they are at high risk of contracting the disease.

Putting aside the benefits of zinc, most Americans simply don't get enough of it. In fact, one study found that 30 percent of healthy older people are zinc deficient.

zinc indications

Another potential problem: Increased calcium intake, recommended to prevent osteoporosis, removes some zinc from the body. In a study of postmenopausal women, giving them an additional 890 milligrams of calcium a day reduced their zinc absorption. Signs of possible deficiency include impaired immunity, weight loss, swelling, loss of appetite, rashes and other skin changes, bedsores, hair loss, decreased sense of smell or taste, absence of menstrual periods, and depression.

While zinc is best obtained from food, you can choose from several zinc supplements. But be careful not to take too much. More is not necessarily better. Excessive amounts can cause nausea, headaches, lethargy, and irritability. In fact, taking more than 2,000 milligrams of zinc sulfate is known to cause stomach irritation and vomiting.

zinc maximum dose

Even taking between 30 and 150 milligrams of zinc daily for several weeks interferes with the absorption of copper and can cause copper deficiency. (For this reason, doctors often recommend that those who use zinc supplements take additional copper, in a ratio of 1 milligram copper to 10 milligrams zinc.) More than 30 milligrams of zinc a day can increase your risk of developing anemia. Such high doses have also been found to lower HDL levels, the "good" cholesterol, while increasing LDL levels, the "bad" cholesterol.

(However, a doctor may recommend such high amounts to treat Wilson's disease, a condition that involves excess copper in the body.) Increasing dietary zinc has been shown to markedly decrease mental function in people with Alzheimer's disease.

Although small amounts of zinc can help the prostate, researchers are discovering that more than 100 milligrams of zinc a day can lead to prostate cancer.

zinc health risks

In a study of 47,000 men, the National Cancer Institute found that those who took more than 100 milligrams of zinc daily had twice the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer, compared to men who did not take zinc.

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