Zinc

Zinc is a trace mineral that the human body holds in our skeletal muscles and bones.   We also have zinc in our organs like the kidney, liver and pancreas; and in our hair, skin, prostate, testes, teeth, and blood cells.   However, even though it's crucial to our bodies, it isn't as popular as other minerals.

Benefits

Zinc being an essential trace mineral is necessary for proper health.  The following benefits are what you can expect when using zinc vs. not using it.

1. Immune system:  Not getting zinc in your diet will reduce immune health within weeks, the good news is this can be reversed after introducing it back into the body.
2. Skin health:   A study found when young men were deficient in zinc they would have flareups in acne after only 12 days.   Other issues seemed to flare up like fungus, canker sores, and rashes as well.  Once again, when zinc was put back into the person's diet everything was reversed.
3. Senses:  Researchers found that 15% of elderly individuals who lost their sense of smell, or taste, had an iron deficiency.   If you have grandparents, make sure you check up on them to make sure these types of sensory symptoms do not start coming on, as it could mean their zinc is too low.
4. Fertility:  A study on young males showed that when they switched their diets to one with too little zinc, their sperm quality and quantity dropped.  When going back to balanced diets, their sperm rebounded.

Foods that have zinc

The processed food heavy American diet can leave a person easily deficient in many minerals and vitamins.  Luckily, zinc is found in so many foods that only the elderly and children are at most risk in developed countries.  The best sources for zinc are beef, sesame and pumpkin seeds, lentils, cashews, turkey, quinoa, and garbanzo beans.

Side effects

Zinc should never be overdosed, and it should never be sniffed into the nose via nose sprays.  Zicam nose spray had reports of 100+ persons who had loss of smell after usage.

Dosage

Zinc is a very important mineral, but it must be used in conjunction with other minerals, especially copper, to balance things out.  To accomplish this, proper diet and supplementation is needed.  Assuming a person already has a balanced diet, adding in a small dosage of zinc is essential for an athlete.  I recommend using 100-200mcg per day as part of your supplement stack.

Where to find

N2joint rx contains 200mcgs of Zinc per serving, plus dozens of additional ingredients.  This makes it a very potent joint support supplement.  I use it daily and double dose on my leg days due to my knees.

Forums

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References

• Zinc and its importance for human health: An integrative review
• Zinc requirements and the risks and benefits of zinc supplementation
• Zinc
• Zinc Deficiency
• Zinc and its importance for human health: An integrative review
• Zinc in Infection and Inflammation