This article is oriented towards Vegetarians and  is one of a series on vitamins and minerals essential to maintaining optimum health.

What It Is

Zinc is an essential mineral that is found in every cell in our body and plays many roles in the healthy functioning of our growth and development. Did you know that over a hundred enzymes rely on the presence of zinc to be effective in their specialized tasks?  This important mineral plays a critical role in the process of physical growth of teenagers, children, and even babies developing in the uterus.  It also works to keep our sense of taste and smell functioning correctly. Without zinc, even small deficiencies could impact the proper functioning of our immune system.  Zinc is used in the growth and maintenance of muscles.  It helps our body’s immune system to stay in shape as well as fighting skin problems such as acne, boils and sore throats. It is further required for cell division, and by the tissue of the hair, nails and skin in order to stay in top form. 

Convinced yet? Good!  Because from the earliest moments of growth and development, zinc is critical for optimal health throughout our lives.  To ensure proper nutrition, you should make a special effort to meet the recommended daily intake levels of this nutrient–your health and general well being rely on it.

Why You Need It

Deficiencies in zinc are often tied to a range of symptoms, from slow growth of babies in the uterus to the slowing growth of older children. A lack of zinc in children can interfere with the maturation of their reproductive organs, reproductive functions and processes, and can even contribute to impotence. Chronic diarrhea, poor appetite, significant weight loss, hair loss, and the slow healing of wounds are sometimes associated with zinc deficiencies. Open sores on the skin and in the mouth, strange tastes, and unusual or limited mental functioning of cognitive processes can also be signs of a zinc deficiency.

Because zinc is destroyed in the milling process and is also lost in cooking, there is often a shortage of zinc in people’s diet. A deficiency will result in an under-performing immune system, open to infections, allergies, night blindness, loss of smell, falling hair, white spots under finger nails, skin problems, sleep disturbances, and so on.  Men with a zinc shortage may have a problem with fertility, while women may experience irregular periods.

Where It’s Found

The bad news is that zinc unfairly favors the non-vegetarian:  Red meat and poultry, for example, provide the vast majority of zinc in the American diet, and oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food source. Even more to the vegetarian’s disadvantage, zinc absorption is greater from a diet high in animal protein than a diet rich in plant proteins so it’s harder for a vegetarian to get the same benefit from their zinc intake as those who choose to eat meat. Phytates, which are found in whole grain breads, cereals, legumes, can also decrease zinc absorption. 

The good news is that excellent sources of zinc for vegetarians do exist, and can be found in whole grains, nuts, eggs, seeds (especially pumpkin seeds) and brewer’s yeast.  Other adequate sources of zinc include beans, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products. 

Special considerations for Vegetarians

• Vegetarians need to be diligent about monitoring their day-to-day zinc levels. A dietary supplement containing zinc is often the easiest and best option, as it is more difficult to obtain all the necessary zinc from plant sources only. This is especially vital for children who are being raised in the vegetarian, and especially a Vegan lifestyle.  When looking for Vegetarian Vitamins, do your homework and make sure that you choose a formula specially prepared for vegetarians rather than a generic, off-the-shelf brand.  An excellent article on vegetarian vitamins and nutrition can be found on The Vegetarian Vitamin Guide.
  

• Recent research suggests that lozenges made from zinc gluconate can help shorten the length of a cold. Most forms of zinc work equally well, but to prevent a cold, use zinc lozenges or a zinc spray made of zinc gluconate. For recommended dosage, take 15 mg of zinc daily (the amount available in most multivitamins). Zinc can block copper absorption, so be sure that your supplement also contains 1 to 2 mg of copper.

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Jasper Eliot, a journalist and health advocate for The Vegetarian Vitamin Guide, focuses on vegetarian, supplementation and nutrition issues.