Zinc in food and its role in a human body

Zinc in food and its role in a human body

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The human body contains a set of important and useful minerals among which there is a zinc.

In our article we will tell why there is a shortcoming and surplus of this element what products contain most of all zinc.

Zinc role in an organism

Zinc plays very important role in our organism.

Let's consider for what it is necessary:

  • promotes reduction of emergence of inflammations, stimulates healing of wounds;
  • thanks to it skin hormones are actively produced, quickly there are restoration processes, functioning of sebaceous glands is normalized;
  • contributes to the expeditious development of leukocytes and other antibodies that leads to increase in immunity;
  • thanks to it teeth and a bone tissue become stronger;
  • promotes development and the splitting of proteins, fats and carbohydrates;
  • thanks to it adrenal glands, a hypophysis, ovaries and testicles work better;
  • with its help prostate hormones are produced, there is a vitamin A synthesis;
  • is the integral element for full functioning of a brain and nervous system.

Important! Special attention to contents in an organism of Zn should be paid during pregnancy as this microcell promotes cell fission of DNA and development of bone tissues of the kid.

Close connection of zinc with others macro - and minerals

It was described above for what the human body needs zinc. That its assimilation happened effectively, it is necessary to consider its communication with other elements.

Let's consider how different micro and macrocells influence its assimilation:

  • for increase in bioavailability of Zn it is necessary to combine it with vitamin A;
  • for strengthening of pharmacological properties it is worth combining it with calcium, lithium and phosphorus;
  • because of the competition on absorption between Zn and copper the surplus of the second can result the first in deficiency;
  • if the diet contains not enough protein, cadmium and lead lead to decrease in concentration of Zn in an organism;
  • if along with Zn to accept calcium, copper, iron and manganese, then zinc it will be slowly acquired;
  • the lack of Zn provokes deficiency of vitamin E;
  • tin promotes delay of absorption of Zn;
  • at acceptance of the medicines containing tetracycline, the element is removed more actively;
  • if there is a zinc insufficiency, it is not recommended to accept folic acid as it slows down assimilation of Zn;
  • if at the same time to accept Zn and Fe, the second element will be acquired more slowly.

Zinc consumption rates

For normal functioning of an organism it is very important to eat products with zinc. Let's consider how many the norm on the date of this element for different age categories is:

  • girls up to 6 months — 2 mg;
  • boys up to 6 months — 3 mg;
  • children up to 3 years — 3-4 mg;
  • children of 4-8 years — 5 mg;
  • teenagers of 9-13 years — 8 mg;
  • girls of 14-18 years — 9 mg;
  • young men of 14-18 years — 11 mg;
  • women of 19-50 years — 12 mg;
  • men of 19-50 years — 15 mg;
  • men of 50-80 years — 13 mg;
  • women of 50-70 years — 10 mg;
  • pregnant women — 14-15 mg;
  • the feeding mothers — 17-20 mg.

Daily to receive norm, it is worth knowing in what products there is a lot of zinc. We will tell about it in the following sections.

Whether you know? The organism of the adult average person contains about 2.5 g of Zn.

What products contain a lot of zinc?

There is a number of vegetable and animal products, concentration of Zn in which is quite big. Very important their nobility not only regularly to fill quantity of this element in an organism, but also not to allow its surplus which can also do harm to an organism.

Learn also for what the organism needs cod-liver oil, thiamine, B2, F, lecithin, silicon, pantothenic acid, U, V, D, E.

Vegetable products

We bring to your attention the list of the vegetable products containing zinc in a large number (on 1 kg):

  • apples, oranges, lemons, grapefruits, fig, green vegetables — 250 mkg;
  • honey — 300 mkg;
  • currant, raspberry, dates — 2000-5000 mkg;
  • oat, barley grain, treacle, cocoa — 2000-5000 mkg;
  • wheat bran, the sprouted wheat — 13000-20000 mkg.

With high content of Zn also carry sesame, mushrooms, peanut, pumpkin sunflower seeds to products.

Animal products

Let's consider what animal products contain a large amount of zinc. We bring to your attention the list of products with concentration of zinc in 100 g of an edible part:

  • beef liver — 5000 mkg;
  • pork liver — 4000 mkg;
  • meat (beef) — 3240 mkg;
  • egg yolk — 3105 mkg;
  • cheeses — 3000 mkg;
  • rabbit meat — 2310 mkg;
  • grouper — 1534 mkg.

Important! You monitor the maintenance of Zn in blood and do not allow its surplus as it promotes increase in cholesterol.

The products containing zinc and selenium

Well to feel, it is necessary to fill up an organism with useful elements regularly. The products rich with zinc, selenium, magnesium and iodine are especially important for each organism.

Zinc and selenium are in such products:

  • mushrooms;
  • seafood;
  • liver;
  • eggs;
  • sunflower seeds;
  • cheese;
  • bean;
  • nuts;
  • milk;
  • carrots.

The products containing zinc and copper

Let's list products as a part of what there is a lot of zinc and copper:

  • eggs;
  • seafood;
  • fermented milk products;
  • sunflower seeds;
  • meat;
  • liver;
  • cocoa;
  • beet;
  • bean cultures;
  • nuts.

The reasons and symptoms of shortage of zinc in an organism

There is a lot of reasons which affect concentration of an element in an organism:

  • gastrointestinal diseases;
  • liver diseases;
  • plentiful sweating;
  • excessive psychoemotional loadings;
  • unbalanced food;
  • helminthic invasions;
  • alcoholism;
  • presence of crescent and cellular anemia;
  • presence of malignant tumors;
  • problems with functioning of a pancreas;
  • presence of chronic inflammatory diseases of internals and set of other reasons.

All organism suffers from the shortage of zinc. Carry such phenomena to deficiency symptoms of this element:

  • memory worsens, the absent-mindedness appears;
  • loss of appetite and sleep disorder is observed;
  • the person becomes depressed, sluggish, the working capacity decreases;
  • presence of frequent catarrhal, fungal and viral diseases — herpes, a SARS, stomatitises, candidiases is noted;
  • there are ulcers and inflammations on mucous membranes — they utonchatsya, can easily be damaged, wounds heal very slowly;
  • there are eye diseases — conjunctivitis, keratit, turbidity of a cornea;
  • skin becomes dry, for a short period can there will be many wrinkles, rashes are observed, skin reddens, is shelled;
  • hair and nails become dry and fragile;
  • the menstrual cycle is broken, there is an imbalance of sex hormones;
  • the potency at men decreases, there is a premature ejaculation.

The deficiency of a microcell is especially dangerous to women as he is capable to break normal functioning of a reproductive system and to cause secondary infertility.

Whether you know? In the ancient time zinc was considered as beauty source: women practiced rubbing in in face skin of pearls which contain a large number of this microcell in Ancient China, and Cleopatra regularly took baths from goat milk.

Therefore it is very important to learn in what products there is a lot of zinc and also calcium and iron, and it is obligatory to include them in the menu.

The reasons and symptomatology of excess of zinc in an organism

Despite huge amount of useful properties, excessive quantity of Zn in an organism it can be very dangerous. Carry to the reasons for the increased concentration of an element:

  • unbalanced, improper feeding;
  • long reception of vitamin complexes, dietary supplements;
  • intoxication at zinc steam inhalation;
  • violations in metabolism.

The surplus of Zn is characterized by the following symptoms:

  • the integrity of epidermis is broken;
  • nails become fragile;
  • hair weaken and begin to drop out actively;
  • existence of hypersensibility of a stomach to food;
  • nausea;
  • existence of immunodeficiencies;
  • concentration in blood of iron, cadmium and copper decreases;
  • the pancreas does not cope with the function;
  • there are problems with a prostate;
  • liver diseases develop.

Proceeding from such information, it becomes clear that to accept thoughtlessly the products containing Zn it is impossible.

Today on counters of shops it is possible to find goods on which packing it is specified what quantity of any given elements is available in structure.

There are even special zinc-containing products for diabetics allowing to maintain the necessary concentration of an element.

Features of digestion of zinc

You already know where there is a zinc, however for its correct assimilation it is worth paying attention to such moments:

  1. Assimilation of a microcell comes better from animal products as they contain a lot of protein. Vegetable food has the phytin acid which is slowing down this process in structure.
  2. For the best absorption it is worth combining the use of Zn with such elements as calcium, phosphorus and vitamin A.
  3. B12 vitamin can help with assimilation therefore the use of a liver, red meat, dairy products, mineral complexes as a part of which there are vitamins of group B and Zn is recommended.
  4. Consumption of tea, coffee drinks, salts, sugar, alcohol slows down assimilation of an element.
  5. Iron and copper at simultaneous reception with Zn are acquired slowly.

Important! Zinc — one of youth minerals, and at its shortcoming the processes of aging begin to happen much more actively.

Rules of processing and preparation of products for preservation of minerals

To keep the maximum concentration of elements in products, it is necessary to know some rules of their processing and preparation. Let's consider them:

  1. For washing use flowing water. At strong pollution you should not leave vegetables and fruit, especially if they are already cut, in water more than 10 minutes — the longer products will be is in water, the more useful substances will remain in it.
  2. Most of all vitamins and minerals are under a thin skin of vegetables and fruit therefore when cleaning it is necessary to try to cut off a thin layer.
  3. You clean and cut products just before their heat treatment or the use.
  4. Do not use such method as frying for preparation — at it there is a destruction of all vitamins and elements.
  5. You steam products or bake in an oven.
  6. If you cook products — put them in a pan gradually not to digest as a part of vitamins when processing is all the same lost. For example, if you cook soup, at first put in a pan meat, then roots, in the last turn — vegetables.
  7. When cooking vegetables lower them in boiling, but not in cold water.
  8. Use the enameled, glass or corrosion-proof ware for cooking.

Having studied our article, you learned in what food there is most of all zinc what fruit and vegetables have to be present at your menu surely.

Whether you know? Zinc directly participates in 200 processes which happen in a human body.

The balanced food will allow to maintain the necessary quantity of necessary elements in an organism and will provide you great health.

Author: «MirrorInfo» Dream Team

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