Zinc is needed for many of the chemical reactions which are going on inside us all the time at A micro-level. We get zinc from our diets but not getting enough can cause a wide variety of symptoms, some of which are very vague. Purchase a variety of quality Zinc vitamins from PPRX https://www.pprx.co.uk/?s=Zinc
Why do we need Zinc?
As well as many chemical reactions in our bodies, zinc is needed for:
- Our immune systems to work well to fight off infection.
- Healing of wounds.
- Growing.
- Building the proteins and molecules which are the basis of all our cells.
- Taste, smell and good vision.
Where do we get Zinc from?
Zinc is readily available in many foods including:
- Red meat.
- Chicken and other poultry.
- Seafood, particularly oysters (which are loaded with zinc), crab and lobster.
- Nuts.
- Grains, beans, lentils and split peas.
- Spinach.
- Dairy products – milk, yoghurt, cheese.
- Fortified breakfast cereal.
What are the causes of Z deficiency?
A poor diet can cause zinc deficiency. So, it is more common in malnourished children and adults and in people who are unable to eat a normal diet due to circumstances or illness. Lots of zinc intake is from meat and seafood, so vegetarians may be more prone to deficiency. The greater demand caused by pregnancy and breastfeeding may also cause zinc deficiency.
Problems with the guts can lead to problems absorbing zinc. This includes gut conditions such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and coeliac disease, and conditions where there is persisting diarrhoea.
People who drink excessive alcohol can also not absorb zinc normally. Long-term illnesses, such as chronic liver or kidney disease can also result in low absorption of zinc. High-dose iron supplements can also affect the way zinc is absorbed, leading to deficiency.
A rare inherited condition called acrodermatitis enteropathica is an occasional cause of zinc deficiency. In this condition, there is an absence of a transport protein which normally allows zinc absorption, resulting in severe deficiency. Where this is the case, symptoms begin soon after a baby is weaned off breast milk. A typical rash is often the first symptom.
What are the causes of Z excess?
The most common cause of zinc excess is taking too many zinc supplements. It is important not to take more than the advised dose.
Other causes are less common. If your kidneys are not working well (for example, if you have acute kidney injury) they do not get rid of excess zinc for you. In this case it can accumulate. Acute kidney injury does not mean you have had a physical trauma to your kidney; it is a sudden loss of kidney function, usually due to an illness such as a severe infection.
If you have an uncommon condition called haemochromatosis, you are more likely to get zinc overload. This is because you have high levels of iron, which can affect the way that zinc is absorbed and used.
Certain industrial compounds have high levels of zinc, and it is occasionally possible to get zinc poisoning through exposure to these substances. These include some pesticides and some components used in paints, dyes and rubber.
What are the symptoms of zinc deficiency?
Symptoms of zinc deficiency depend on how deficient you are. Symptoms may be mild if the zinc level is just a little low, but can be very severe if there is severe deficiency. Symptoms can include:
- Not wanting to eat.
- Losing weight.
- Loose stools (diarrhoea).
- Having no energy.
- Being more prone to infections, such as colds, coughs and chest infections.
- Losing your hair.
- Skin rashes.
- Problems with eyesight, taste or smell.
- Impotence.
In children and adolescents there also can be:
- Halting of growth.
- Delayed puberty.
- Development of learning difficulty.
Can we take Zinc and Vitamin C together
Vitamin C and Zinc play important roles in nutrition, immune defence and maintenance of health. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron and generally does not interfere or compete with other vitamins, so unlike taking calcium and magnesium — which compete with each other for absorption — you can safely combine vitamin C and zinc. Zinc may have antiviral activity, whether by improving immune cell function that counters viral infections or by reducing the ability of viruses to multiply. Some evidence suggests that combining vitamin C and zinc may limit the duration and severity of cold symptoms.
Browse the PPRX store for some of the top organic Vitamin brands today:
https://www.pprx.co.uk/?s=solgar
References:
https://patient.info/healthy-living/zinc-deficiency-excess-and-supplementation-leaflet
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493231/
https://bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-summaries/zinc-deficiency/
https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/zinc-sulfate/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22429343/
