Zinc Supplements
vs.
Zinc Rich Foods
Zinc supplements have become increasingly popular over recent years as nutritional science has confirmed the key role of zinc in supporting the immune system and other health requirements. Zinc deficiency is in fact one of the prevalent problems in modern developed countries due to the tendency for many folks to consume processed food based diets that fail to include hardly any of the major food types that provide any worthwhile amounts of zinc in the diet. This is why zinc supplements have become widely marketed and a profitable line for supplements manufacturers. But evidently a better way to achieve adequate zinc in your diet would be to make sure enough natural foods are included in your 'daily menus'. At present, although recognized as vital to immune health there is no official daily amount or intake recommended for zinc, but it is thought that an average adult (not including pregnant or lactating women) should consume around 15-20mg per day. Obviously you should always consult your doctor before increasing intake of minerals or vitamins, or even making drastic to your diet, to be sure that they concur that any choices you make a are safe and sensible... but assuming you have done this then the types of foods you could try to eat a little more of, that are sources of zinc, include: Best sources of zinc better than simply taking zinc supplements:Oysters and shellfish contain zinc but are not to everyone's taste or pocket! If you can eat nuts, some can be a good source of zinc -- such as cashews. Pine nuts, which are not really nuts but seeds, used in making pesto for pasta dishes or sprinkling on salads are good zinc providers. Other popular and easy items to add to dishes include brewer's yeast and wheat germ and wheat bran. For comparison purposes, the figures below relate to the amount of mineral zinc in a 100 grams of each food. Evidently you may well consume far less than 100 grams of any one food, but would achieve a good zinc intake through choosing a sensible combination of foods in the dishes you eat in the meals you have each day: List of Foods High in Zinc:| Sources of Zinc | Milligrams/100g |
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| Oysters | 25+ | | Shellfish | 20 | | Brewers Yeast | 17 | | Wheat Germ | 17 | | Wheat Bran | 16 | | All Bran Cereals | 6.8 | | Pine Nuts | 6.5 | | Pecan Nuts | 6.5 | | Liver | 6.0 | | Cashew Nuts | 5.7 | | Parmesan Cheese | 5.2 | | Fish | 3.0 | | Eggs | 2.0 |
Zinc works alongside Vitamin C to support a healthy immune system and making sure that natural sources of both nutrients is a good idea for improving your resistance to infections throughout the year and particularly at peak times for colds and flu, such as during the winter period.
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