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Zinc – How to Support Reproduction, Early Development, Immunity and More!

You might have heard that zinc helps us fight colds and that it supports prostate health. Yes, zinc is very important for both male and female reproductive health, and for our immune system, but it has a big role in many other functions too.

Zinc is a key nutrient that helps our cells grow and multiply, which is why our little ones need it during pregnancy, infancy and childhood for proper growth and development. 

We use zinc to make DNA and proteins, in fact, 1 in every 10 proteins in our body are zinc proteins. Our brain needs zinc to generate neurons from pregnancy through adulthood, and our neurons use zinc to release neurotransmitters, including those that impact our mood. We also use zinc for wound healing, to have a proper sense of taste and smell, and to package and secrete insulin. 

57% of the zinc in our body is in our muscles, and one of its important functions is to help us build and maintain skeletal muscles. And 29% is in our bones, where it supports bone regeneration by promoting the multiplication of our bone-building cells, the osteoblasts.

When it comes to our immune system, zinc is essential for cell proliferation, helping our immune cells grow and divide, thus allowing us to have a stronger army of natural killer cells, T cells and B cells. Plus, zinc is also an antioxidant, so it protects the cells in our body from the damage caused by free radicals.

Our body can’t store zinc, so we need to ingest it daily. The good news is that zinc is present in legumes, whole grains, and different seeds and nuts. Check out some of these sources below and try our personalized calculator to see how much zinc you and your loved ones need.

Top Whole-Food, Plant-Based Sources

Hover over each food below to see how much zinc you can get with one serving. Click on each food’s picture to visit its interactive page with a personalized calculator of all the nutrition you can get from one serving, more information about how it supports our body, tips to choose and prepare it, interesting facts, and more!

Oats

Oats

1 cup dry = 26% DV

Link
Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds

1/4 c dried kernels = 23% DV

Link
Lentils

Lentils

1 cup cooked = 23% DV

Link
Chickpeas

Chickpeas

1 c cooked = 23% DV

Link
White Beans

White Beans

1 cup cooked = 21% DV

Link
Quinoa

Quinoa

1 cup cooked = 18% DV

Link
Soybeans

Soybeans

Edamame 1 c = 19% DV | Mature 1 c cooked = 18% DV

Link

Zinc Personalized Calculator

See how much zinc you and your family members need, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.

Terminology:

  • Daily Value (DV): The recommended amount of nutrients to consume each day for individuals who are 4 years old or older.
  • Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA): The recommended amount of nutrients to consume each day according to the individual’s age, gender, and whether a woman is pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Upper Intake Level (UL): The highest amount of nutrient intake that will not pose adverse health effects on most individuals.

Important Things to Know

Hover over each of the interesting facts below to flip the tiles and learn more details.

Check out the interesting facts below! Tap on the red triangles to flip the tiles and learn more details.

Zinc can reduce the duration and severity of the common cold.

According to multiple studies, lozenges containing 10 to 15 mg of zinc can shorten colds by three days, as long as they don’t include binders like citric acid. We do need to take them every 2 waking hours starting within the first 24 hours since the onset of symptoms. Learn more.

Copper and zinc compete for absorption in our body.

Copper and zinc use the same binding proteins in our cells for absorption, which means that they compete against each other.

A plant-based diet tips the scales towards copper, because it is more prevalent in foods rich in both nutrients. This makes the case for supplementing some of our zinc. If you do, limit the amount to 40 mg/day (the UL established by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025) to avoid getting too much zinc which could in turn result in a copper deficiency. For men, this study recommends not exceeding 25 mg/day.

Iron and calcium supplements could cause a zinc deficiency. 

Calcium and iron also compete with zinc for absorption. This means that taking high amounts of calcium or iron supplements could lead to a zinc deficiency. Talk to your doctor if you need to take supplements for medical reasons.

The more phytates we eat, the more zinc we may be able to absorb from plants.

This is because a diet rich in phytates is also a diet rich in fiber, and fiber helps us grow good bacteria in our gut. The good bacteria are then able to break down the phytates allowing us to absorb more minerals that had bound to these phytates, including zinc.

Less than 50% of older people are getting enough zinc.

Zinc deficiency is more common among older people, typically because they are not getting enough zinc through their diet. They may also have some zinc absorption problems due to interactions with supplements and medications, or due to health problems.

Zinc deficiency may be related to a decline in their immune functions. There is also a correlation between zinc deficiency and cognitive decline, neurodegeneration, and risk of stroke. In men, it may also be related to prostate health issues. See next tile.

Prostate enlargement and cancer may be caused by zinc deficiency.

Over 50% of men 60+ and about 90% of men between 70 and 80 years old suffer from prostate enlargement, which is a risk factor for developing prostate cancer, the second most common type of cancer in men.

Both have been linked to zinc deficiency that could be caused by dietary deficiencies or by zinc absorption decline. Learn more.

While zinc supplementation may seem like a good idea, this 30-year follow-up study showed that taking 75 mg/day or taking supplements for over 15 years was linked to the development of lethal or aggressive prostate cancer. The same study notes that taking supplements of less than 25 mg/day may be relatively safe.

So, deficiency is bad, and taking too much through supplementation seems to be a risk as well. Talk to your doctor about your prostate health, your zinc levels, and how you can maintain proper levels through a balanced diet.

Zinc can reduce the duration and severity of the common cold.

According to multiple studies, lozenges containing 10 to 15 mg of zinc can shorten colds by three days, as long as they don’t include binders like citric acid. We do need to take them every 2 waking hours starting within the first 24 hours since the onset of symptoms. Learn more.

Copper and zinc compete for absorption in our body.

Copper and zinc use the same binding proteins in our cells for absorption, which means that they compete against each other.

A plant-based diet tips the scales towards copper, because it is more prevalent in foods rich in both nutrients. This makes the case for supplementing some of our zinc. If you do, limit the amount to 40 mg/day (the UL established by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025) to avoid getting too much zinc which could in turn result in a copper deficiency. For men, this study recommends not exceeding 25 mg/day.

Iron and calcium supplements could cause a zinc deficiency. 

Calcium and iron also compete with zinc for absorption. This means that taking high amounts of calcium or iron supplements could lead to a zinc deficiency. Talk to your doctor if you need to take supplements for medical reasons.

The more phytates we eat, the more zinc we may be able to absorb from plants.

This is because a diet rich in phytates is also a diet rich in fiber, and fiber helps us grow good bacteria in our gut. The good bacteria are then able to break down the phytates allowing us to absorb more minerals that had bound to these phytates, including zinc.

Less than 50% of older people are getting enough zinc.

Zinc deficiency is more common among older people, typically because they are not getting enough zinc through their diet. They may also have some zinc absorption problems due to interactions with supplements and medications, or due to health problems.

Zinc deficiency may be related to a decline in their immune functions. There is also a correlation between zinc deficiency and cognitive decline, neurodegeneration, and risk of stroke. In men, it may also be related to prostate health issues. See next tile.

Prostate enlargement and cancer may be caused by zinc deficiency.

Over 50% of men 60+ and about 90% of men between 70 and 80 years old suffer from prostate enlargement, which is a risk factor for developing prostate cancer, the second most common type of cancer in men.

Both have been linked to zinc deficiency that could be caused by dietary deficiencies or by zinc absorption decline. Learn more.

While zinc supplementation may seem like a good idea, this 30-year follow-up study showed that taking 75 mg/day or taking supplements for over 15 years was linked to the development of lethal or aggressive prostate cancer. The same study notes that taking supplements of less than 25 mg/day may be relatively safe.

So, deficiency is bad, and taking too much through supplementation seems to be a risk as well. Talk to your doctor about your prostate health, your zinc levels, and how you can maintain proper levels through a balanced diet.

Comparison of Zinc Sources

You may be wondering about other potential sources of zinc, such as supplements and meat. Below we make a quick and simple comparison between the three options.

Best source!
Plant-Based
Zinc absorption from plants could be limited to 20% due to phytates. Aim at getting 50% more than your RDA until you develop the gut bacteria that breaks phytates down.
Soaking and sprouting beans and grains helps, and adding onions or garlic increases absorption by up to 50% from legumes and 160% from grains!
Supplements
Supplements high in zinc may inhibit copper absorption, leading to deficiency.
Staying under 25 mg/day is relatively safe, while going over 75 mg/day could lead to aggressive prostate cancer.
Zinc supplements on an empty stomach can cause nausea.
Intranasal gels, sprays and swabs may cause permanent loss of smell.
Animal-based
Zinc is present in many animal-based foods, especially in shellfish and beef, however, we typically only absorb about 30%.
Shellfish is very high in microplastics, and regular consumption of beef is linked to a higher risk of cancer and heart disease.

References