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A potential medicinal importance of zinc in human health and chronic disease

• January 2010
• Debjit Bhowmik, Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, Sampath Kumar
• ResearchGate

[6. HEALTH BENEFITS OF ZINC

6.1. Zinc, Testosterone and Men's Health

Zinc is necessary to maintain normal serum testosterone.

6.2. Zinc Boosts the Immune System

6.3. Zinc Cuts Short the Common Cold

6.4. Zinc Boosts Brain Activity

6.5. Zinc Heals and Protects Skin

6.6. Zinc Stimulates Taste, Smell

6.7. Zinc Improves Appetite

6.8. Zinc Improves Mood

6.9. Zinc and Pre-Menstrual Syndrome

Zinc may also help in the treatment of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS).

6.10. Zinc in Pregnancy and Lactation

It is critical that a pregnant woman satisfy her body's need for zinc. The official RDI for pregnant women is 19 milligrams per day. A report in the October 1992 American Journal of Epidemiology indicated that low zinc intake was associated with approximately a two-fold increase in risk of low birth weight, and low zinc intake earlier in pregnancy was associated with more than a trebling of pre-term delivery.

6.11. Zinc in Post-Menopausal Health

As a woman ages, her zinc status may decline for several reasons. Excess estrogen can lower serum zinc levels. Women using estrogen replacement therapy should check to be sure their zinc intake is adequate. Zinc deficiency appears to be common in older women. This may be in part because they eat less and in part because the food they consume is deficient in zinc. It is well known that the immune system weakens with age, and zinc deficiency may be partly to blame. Zinc is needed for night vision and may also slow the progression of macular degeneration. Macular Degeneration is a disorder of the retina that is the leading cause of severe loss of vision in older women.

6.12. Zinc Deficiency Linked To Anorexia and Bulimia

6.13. Pregnancy and Infertility

• Because of zinc's role in generating cells, it is essential for the developing fetus where cells are rapidly dividing.

• Adequate zinc in the pregnant mother's diet also reduces the risk of premature birth and other complications and has been shown to improve neonatal survival.

• There is believed to be a link between zinc deficiency during pregnancy and learning difficulties.

• Research has been undertaken into the possibility of treating male infertility with zinc therapy to increase sperm count and motility.

6.14. Immune System

Zinc plays an important role in regulating the production of cells in the body's immune system, which protects against infection and disease.

6.15. Brain Functions

• Zinc interacts with other chemicals to send messages to the sensory brain centre, enhancing memory and thinking skills.

• In the weeks following a head injury patients tend to have lower zinc levels which, when boosted by zinc supplements, are thought to give improved cognitive function.

• Zinc activates areas of the brain that receive and process information from taste and smell sensors.

• Insufficient zinc has been linked to anorexia, which responds well to zinc replacement treatment.

• Zinc deficiency is often found in mood disorder patients. Zinc sulphate, taken as a supplement, appears effective in reducing fatigue, mood swings and changes in appetite.

6.16. Skin Healing and Protection

6.17. Eyesight

Zinc is found in high concentrations in the retina of the eye. Evidence exists linking zinc deficiency with the deteriorating vision that comes with ageing.

6.18. Zinc in children

Zinc deficiency is common in children from developing countries due to lack of intake of animal foods, high dietary phylate content, inadequate food intake and increased faecal losses during diarrhea.

6.19. Zinc and Athletic Performance

Endurance athletes may develop a zinc deficiency because of dietary deficiencies and increased zinc demands and losses. A high carbohydrate diet has been used by endurance athletes in an attempt to enhance their performance. High carbohydrate diets are low in zinc. If zinc supplements are not being taken, low zinc levels are likely. Poor appetite is one potential sign of zinc deficiency. Because zinc is involved in the growth and development of taste buds, deficiency reduces taste and a poor appetite.

6.20. Zinc Monomethionine

Zinc Monomethionine is a 1:1 chelated complex of the antioxidants zinc and methionine. Human and animal studies have demonstrated that zinc monomethionine is absorbed better, retained longer and is more effective than other zinc supplements tested. Zinc monomethionine has been shown to enhance immunity, nourish the skin, and fight free radical damage.]

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