What Does Zinc Do For the Body and Mind?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Happens When You Have a Zinc Deficiency?What Causes a Zinc Deficiency?Body BenefitsMind BenefitsZinc-Containing Foods

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Happens When You Have a Zinc Deficiency?

What Causes a Zinc Deficiency?

Body Benefits

Mind Benefits

Zinc-Containing Foods

Close

Zinc is a nutrient that can be found in several foods. It’s also anessential mineral your body and mindneed to function optimally. It is a trace mineral meaning you only need a small amount, but it is vital for many chemical reactions in the body involving cell growth, healing, and immune function.

This article will look at what zinc does for the body and mind and why you need to include the recommended daily requirement in your diet.

In children, zinc deficiency could slow down growth and development. Some symptoms of zinc deficiency include:

Several things could be responsible for causing a zinc deficiency, from developing certain medical conditions to changes in diet. Some of the most common reasons or factors that put you at risk of developing a zinc deficiency include:

Benefits of Zinc for Your Body

Zinc has several benefits for your body. It’s beneficial and crucial for the optimal functioning of several bodily functions. Some of the most important benefits of zinc include:

Benefits of Zinc for Your Mind

A lot of focus is often put on the benefits of zinc for your body. However, zinc is also very beneficial for your mind. Some of the benefits of zinc for your mind include:

Children and adults need to get adequate amounts of zinc, no matter their age or sex. The recommended daily intake for children is between three to eight milligrams daily. For adults, the recommended daily intake is eight to eleven milligrams.

Zinc-Rich Food SourcesThe following foods are excellent sources of zinc:FishBeansNutsRed meatOystersDairyFortified breakfast cerealsWhole grains

Zinc-Rich Food Sources

The following foods are excellent sources of zinc:FishBeansNutsRed meatOystersDairyFortified breakfast cerealsWhole grains

The following foods are excellent sources of zinc:

For people who don’t have access to enough zinc through foods, taking zinc supplements is an option you should consider. It’s essential to take these supplements exactly as prescribed because consuming an excess of zinc could lead to zinc toxicity.

Symptoms of zinc toxicity include:

A Word From Verywell

If you think you might be low on zinc, it’s best to consult your physician and they can assess this and can help guide you so you can safely introduce more zinc into your diet if necessary.

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15 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mount Sinai Health System.Zinc information.National Library of Medicine.Zinc in Diet.Oregon State University.Zinc.Shankar AH, Prasad AS.Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1998;68(2):447S-463S.Lin PH, Sermersheim M, Li H, Lee PHU, Steinberg SM, Ma J.Zinc in wound healing modulation. Nutrients. 2018;10(1):16.Prasad AS. Zinc:An antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent: Role of zinc in degenerative disorders of aging.Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. 2014;28(4):364-371.Bajait C, Thawani V.Role of zinc in pediatric diarrhea.Indian Journal of Pharmacology. 2011;43(3):232.O’Connor JP, Kanjilal D, Teitelbaum M, Lin SS, Cottrell JA.Zinc as a therapeutic agent in bone regeneration.Materials. 2020;13(10):2211.Mazaheri Nia L, Iravani M, Abedi P, Cheraghian B.Effect of zinc on testosterone levels and sexual function of postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 2021;47(8):804-813.Hemilä H.Zinc lozenges and the common cold: a meta-analysis comparing zinc acetate and zinc gluconate, and the role of zinc dosage.JRSM Open. 2017;8(5):205427041769429.National Eye Institute.AREDS/AREDS2 Clinical Trials.Supplementation with zinc in rats enhances memory and reverses an age-dependent increase in plasma copper.Behavioural Brain Research. 2017;333:179-183.Portbury SD, Adlard PA.Zinc signal in brain diseases.Int J Mol Sci.2017;18(12):2506.National Institutes of Health.Zinc.Harvard School of Public Health.Zinc.

15 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mount Sinai Health System.Zinc information.National Library of Medicine.Zinc in Diet.Oregon State University.Zinc.Shankar AH, Prasad AS.Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1998;68(2):447S-463S.Lin PH, Sermersheim M, Li H, Lee PHU, Steinberg SM, Ma J.Zinc in wound healing modulation. Nutrients. 2018;10(1):16.Prasad AS. Zinc:An antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent: Role of zinc in degenerative disorders of aging.Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. 2014;28(4):364-371.Bajait C, Thawani V.Role of zinc in pediatric diarrhea.Indian Journal of Pharmacology. 2011;43(3):232.O’Connor JP, Kanjilal D, Teitelbaum M, Lin SS, Cottrell JA.Zinc as a therapeutic agent in bone regeneration.Materials. 2020;13(10):2211.Mazaheri Nia L, Iravani M, Abedi P, Cheraghian B.Effect of zinc on testosterone levels and sexual function of postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 2021;47(8):804-813.Hemilä H.Zinc lozenges and the common cold: a meta-analysis comparing zinc acetate and zinc gluconate, and the role of zinc dosage.JRSM Open. 2017;8(5):205427041769429.National Eye Institute.AREDS/AREDS2 Clinical Trials.Supplementation with zinc in rats enhances memory and reverses an age-dependent increase in plasma copper.Behavioural Brain Research. 2017;333:179-183.Portbury SD, Adlard PA.Zinc signal in brain diseases.Int J Mol Sci.2017;18(12):2506.National Institutes of Health.Zinc.Harvard School of Public Health.Zinc.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Mount Sinai Health System.Zinc information.National Library of Medicine.Zinc in Diet.Oregon State University.Zinc.Shankar AH, Prasad AS.Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1998;68(2):447S-463S.Lin PH, Sermersheim M, Li H, Lee PHU, Steinberg SM, Ma J.Zinc in wound healing modulation. Nutrients. 2018;10(1):16.Prasad AS. Zinc:An antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent: Role of zinc in degenerative disorders of aging.Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. 2014;28(4):364-371.Bajait C, Thawani V.Role of zinc in pediatric diarrhea.Indian Journal of Pharmacology. 2011;43(3):232.O’Connor JP, Kanjilal D, Teitelbaum M, Lin SS, Cottrell JA.Zinc as a therapeutic agent in bone regeneration.Materials. 2020;13(10):2211.Mazaheri Nia L, Iravani M, Abedi P, Cheraghian B.Effect of zinc on testosterone levels and sexual function of postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 2021;47(8):804-813.Hemilä H.Zinc lozenges and the common cold: a meta-analysis comparing zinc acetate and zinc gluconate, and the role of zinc dosage.JRSM Open. 2017;8(5):205427041769429.National Eye Institute.AREDS/AREDS2 Clinical Trials.Supplementation with zinc in rats enhances memory and reverses an age-dependent increase in plasma copper.Behavioural Brain Research. 2017;333:179-183.Portbury SD, Adlard PA.Zinc signal in brain diseases.Int J Mol Sci.2017;18(12):2506.National Institutes of Health.Zinc.Harvard School of Public Health.Zinc.

Mount Sinai Health System.Zinc information.

National Library of Medicine.Zinc in Diet.

Oregon State University.Zinc.

Shankar AH, Prasad AS.Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1998;68(2):447S-463S.

Lin PH, Sermersheim M, Li H, Lee PHU, Steinberg SM, Ma J.Zinc in wound healing modulation. Nutrients. 2018;10(1):16.

Prasad AS. Zinc:An antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent: Role of zinc in degenerative disorders of aging.Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. 2014;28(4):364-371.

Bajait C, Thawani V.Role of zinc in pediatric diarrhea.Indian Journal of Pharmacology. 2011;43(3):232.

O’Connor JP, Kanjilal D, Teitelbaum M, Lin SS, Cottrell JA.Zinc as a therapeutic agent in bone regeneration.Materials. 2020;13(10):2211.

Mazaheri Nia L, Iravani M, Abedi P, Cheraghian B.Effect of zinc on testosterone levels and sexual function of postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 2021;47(8):804-813.

Hemilä H.Zinc lozenges and the common cold: a meta-analysis comparing zinc acetate and zinc gluconate, and the role of zinc dosage.JRSM Open. 2017;8(5):205427041769429.

National Eye Institute.AREDS/AREDS2 Clinical Trials.

Supplementation with zinc in rats enhances memory and reverses an age-dependent increase in plasma copper.Behavioural Brain Research. 2017;333:179-183.

Portbury SD, Adlard PA.Zinc signal in brain diseases.Int J Mol Sci.2017;18(12):2506.

National Institutes of Health.Zinc.

Harvard School of Public Health.Zinc.

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