Zinc
- What is zinc?
- How does zinc contribute to our health and wellbeing?
- How can you increase your intake of zinc?
- Want to know more?
What is Zinc?
Zinc is an essential mineral in the diet. It helps with wound healing, is involved with maintaining taste and smell and is needed for many reactions to occur within the body.
How does zinc contribute to our health and wellbeing?
Zinc benefits include:
- Skin health and wound healing: Zinc is part of many reactions in the body. Zinc is an essential mineral that is a component of more than 300 enzymes needed to repair wounds
- Supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence
- Facilitates normal taste, smell and sight
- Provides hard structure of the bones
- Assists sexual maturation and reproduction – concentrated in sperm and prostate
How can you increase your intake of zinc?
Zinc can be found in a variety of food including wholegrain breads and cereals, rolled oats, unprocessed bran, rice, legumes and nuts. Zinc is also found in a range of animal foods including oysters, beef and offal, with smaller amounts present in white meat, fish and low fat dairy foods.
Practical ideas to increase your zinc intake:
- Eat at least 2 slices of wholegrain breads or cereals everyday
- Try some lean roast meat and salad on wholegrain bread for lunch
- Adding a can of four bean mix to salads or casseroles
- Enjoy a seafood pasta with a saucy tomato base
- Make a delicious low fat smoothie or snack on low fat yoghurt