The signs your body is deficient in vital mineral linked to development and immune function
Zinc is the second most abundant metal vitamin found in the body behind calcium, regulating metabolism, immune health, wound healing and cell growth.
But about one in six Americans don't get enough of it through foods like meat, eggs and dairy, as well as legumes and whole grains.
The body doesn't produce the mineral on its own, so food and supplements are key for getting enough. Deficiencies could lead to an increased risk of severe infections, infertility and even growth delays.
It's rare to be deficient in zinc, though people with eating disorders, substance use disorders or gastrointestinal conditions, as well as vegans and vegetarians, might be at a greater risk.
Additionally, older adults often consume fewer foods high in zinc, and their bodies may not absorb or utilize zinc as efficiently, increasing their risk of deficiency.
Doctors warn that too much zinc can be toxic, however, leading to nausea vomiting and headaches, so it's important to discuss with a professional before considering supplement use.
Slow-healing wounds
One of the most common symptoms for people who are deficient in zinc, especially in older adults, is slow-healing wounds.
Zinc is a control master of the immune system, especially in all stages of wound healing.
It helps promote platelet activity, which is essential for blood clotting, and has been shown to lower inflammation from damaged tissue.
It also plays a role in skin cell migration, replacing the outer layer of skin and rebuilding skin structure to close cuts and scrapes.
Additionally, the mineral has antioxidant properties, which protects cells from damage throughout the healing process.
Fast wound healing is critical because it prevents infections and other contaminants from entering through the open spaces and traveling to the bloodstream.
Experts recommend using topical zinc sulfate creams on wounds to speed up the healing process.
Hair loss
Notice hair clumps in the shower or signs of balding? Zinc - or a lack thereof - may be to blame.
One of zinc's many responsibilities includes regulating hair growth and hair follicle health by helping to produce keratin, a protein that provides the structural foundation for hair strands.
This means not getting enough may disrupt the hair growth cycle, as it makes hair follicles weaker.
Zinc may also regulate the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which can contribute to hair loss.
Over time, a zinc deficiency may cause hair thinning and shedding, eventually resulting in conditions like alopecia areata and male pattern baldness.
Acne
Acne and breakouts may be common among adolescents and teens in puberty, but a zinc deficiency in a person of any age may also lead to unsightly pimples. When expensive skincare products fail, it may be time to look at zinc intake.
Acne is one of the most common skin conditions in the US, affecting about 50million Americans.
One 2020 review found people with acne tend to have lower zinc levels than people without it. The researchers also found that zinc can help quell your breakouts, leaving you with fewer zits.
This could be because zinc has anti-inflammatory properties; similar to how it helps with wound healing, it reduces swelling and redness in the skin.
It has also been shown to fight bacteria that cause acne and regulate the production of sebum, which clogs pores and leads to breakouts.
Additionally, people with zinc deficiencies have more eczema flare-ups, rashes, and xerosis - dry and scaly skin.
These flare-ups occur because the uppermost layer of skin contains the most zinc compared to deeper skin layers.
Chronic disease and infections
Some evidence also suggests a lack of zinc may fuel chronic diseases.
Zinc plays a role in insulin synthesis, storage and secretion, so low amounts of it could inhibit the pancreas from producing enough insulin.
Without insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, eventually causing type 2 diabetes.
Zinc may also help reduce oxidative stress and strengthen the immune system by increasing the activity of T-cells and natural killer cells, key defenders that protect the body against infections.
Recent research has suggested zinc supplementation may help treat common infections like pneumonia.
Vision loss
Even your eyes may suffer if you don't get enough zinc.
Zinc aids in communication between the retinas and the brain. The retina is the light-sensitive layer of nerve tissue in the back of the eye that receives signals and sends them to the brain.
Without this line of communication, patients may suffer blurry or distorted vision that can eventually lead to complete blindness.
Zinc also helps vitamin A create a pigment called melanin, which protects the eye against UV radiation.
Zinc levels in the eyes naturally decline with age, but there is some evidence that supplements, when used in combination with antioxidant vitamins, slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), vision decline that comes with age.
Loss of taste
If your favorite foods suddenly taste a little off, zinc deficiency could be the reason.
Because zinc is required for cell growth and repair, a deficiency would slow the regeneration of taste buds, which naturally break down over time.
Fewer taste buds overall decreases the amount of taste receptors in the mouth, which can alter taste.
An enzyme called carbonic anhydrase VI, found in saliva, is also dependent on zinc, so this may also disrupt taste perception.
And not getting enough zinc disrupts communication between the brain and these diminished taste receptors.
Stunted growth
Zinc may not get much spotlight, but without it, growth in children can stall.
It is essential for healthy growth because of its influence on DNA replication and protein translation. Without enough, cells can't properly divide to make a child grow.
Zinc also stabilizes the structure of zinc finger proteins, which are transcription factors that bind DNA and control which genes are turned on or off.
This process is essential during bone formation, tissue growth and repair and embryonic development in the womb.
A lack of it can slow down growth and development, and deficiency-related symptoms, like loss of appetite and diarrhea, can compound the problem.
The mineral may also boost how well vitamin D supports bone health by helping bone cells make more DNA.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
30 minutes ago
- Reuters
Venus Williams on '26 plans: Shouldn't 'ever rule me out'
August 7 - Anyone who watched Venus Williams compete on the WTA Tour over the past three decades had to come away with at least one immutable truth. She is a fighter. Many of the tennis pundits and even Venus' most ardent supporters had to believe that the 2024 Miami Open would be her final hurrah. Her latest -- and most serious health issues -- surely would lead the seven-time Grand Slam champion to put the racquets in the closet. But not so fast. Williams earned a wild-card entry to the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. last month and knocked off 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns. Williams, 45, became the oldest player to earn a WTA singles victory since Martina Navratilova won a match at Wimbledon in 2004 as a 47-year-old. She would lose in the next round to Magdalena Frech, but proved to herself that 45 is just a number. "There's one thing that I know: You're never too young or too old to win or lose," Williams said as she prepares to compete in the WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati. "Winning and losing knows no age. All that matters is that I'm prepared and ready. And the longer I play, the more I get into it, the more I train, the better I get." One year ago, Williams, who was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome in 2011, fought a more serious health battle. She underwent surgery to remove fibroids and a large focal adenomyoma that was embedded in the muscle of her uterus. She posted this on Instagram recently: "I was told I was inoperable. I was told I could bleed to death on the table. I was told to get a surrogate and forget the hope to carry my own children. I was misdiagnosed. I went untreated for years and years and years. It's so important to advocate for your health! I suffered from severe anemia, debilitating pain, excessive bleeding and abnormally frequent menstrual cycles for many years. It affected my tennis and the trajectory of my career. I told my story so other women don't have to go through this and so they can get better sooner." The road to recovery was slow, but returning to the courts never left her thoughts. "At the end of the day, you have to live your life on your own terms," Williams said, as she prepares for an opening-round match against Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. "Your terms should be yours. It doesn't matter what anyone else says or what anyone else thinks. If you get to live life on your own terms, that's a life well-lived, and I firmly believe in that. "And I do what I do because I want to live life the way I want to, unapologetically, with no regrets and on my terms. ... Make your terms and don't surrender." After Cincinnati, Venus will compete in the 2025 US Open, partnering with Reilly Opelka in the new mixed doubles format and, hopefully, earning a wild-card entry into singles competition. Will that be Venus' final tennis chapter? Probably not. Could she compete again at age 46 in 2026? "I don't think you should ever rule me out," she said. --Field Level Media
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
UK warned it risks exodus of 'disillusioned' doctors
Nearly one in five doctors is considering quitting in the UK, new figures show, while one in eight is thinking about leaving the country to work abroad. The General Medical Council (GMC), which commissioned the research, is warning that plans to cut hospital waiting lists will be at risk unless more is done to retain them. By July 2029, the prime minister has said 92% of patients needing routine hospital treatment like hip and knee replacements will be seen within 18 weeks. "[Poor staff retention] could threaten government ambitions to reduce waiting times and deliver better care to patients," warned the authors of the GMC's latest report. The main reason doctors gave for considering moving abroad was they are "treated better" in other countries, while the second most common reason was better pay. Some 43% said they had researched career opportunities in other countries, while 15% reported taking "hard steps" towards moving abroad, like applying for roles or contacting recruiters. "Like any profession, doctors who are disillusioned with their careers will start looking elsewhere," said Charlie Massey, chief executive of the GMC. "Doctors need to be satisfied, supported, and see a hopeful future for themselves, or we may risk losing their talent and expertise altogether." 3:13 The report - which comes after a recent five-day walkout by resident doctors - is based on the responses of 4,697 doctors around the UK and also explores how they feel about career progression. One in three said they are unable to progress their education, training and careers in the way they want. Those who didn't feel like their careers were progressing were at higher risk of burnout and were less satisfied with their work. The GMC blamed workloads, competition for jobs, and lack of senior support for development for adversely impacting the career progression of UK doctors. 2:51 'Legitimate complaints' The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged doctors had suffered "more than a decade of neglect". "Doctors have legitimate complaints about their conditions, including issues with training bottlenecks and career progression," said a spokesperson. "We want to work with them to address these and improve their working lives, which includes our plans set out in the 10 Year Health Plan to prioritise UK graduates and increase speciality training posts. "This government is committed to improving career opportunities and working conditions, bringing in ways to recognise and reward talent - as well as freeing up clinicians' time by cutting red tape."
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Depression, suicides, overdoses: broad impacts of US wildfires revealed in study
New research looking at the aftermath of some of the deadliest wildfires to have struck the US in recent years has shed light on the devastating effects the disasters have on human health, with impacts that extend far beyond the official death toll and injury counts. Three studies published this week examine the long-term fallout from the Maui and Los Angeles wildfires, including depression, suicide and overdose deaths, lung damage, and deaths caused by healthcare disruptions. The August 2023 Hawaii blazes killed more than 100 people, in what was the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century, and destroyed the town of Lahaina. The fires that tore through the LA communities of Altadena and the Pacific Palisades earlier this year killed 31 people and destroyed more than 18,000 structures. Some of the new research found that the Maui fire left one in five people with lung damage, and as many as half with symptoms of depression. That study, co-led by Ruben Juarez of the University of Hawaii, looked at more than 1,100 adults six to 14 months after the Maui fire. It found lower lung function in people in areas close to the fire compared with those in lower-exposure areas, with about 22% experiencing below-normal lung function. Additionally, about 40% of people reported their health had declined since the fires, according to the study, and close to half mentioned increased fatigue and weakness, eye irritation and lung-related symptoms. 'It's a stark reminder that wildfires can leave an invisible but lasting scar on respiratory health, long after the flames are gone,' Juarez told the Associated Press in an email. During the month of the fire, 13 suicides were reported in the area, nearly double the normal suicide and overdose death rates, another study found. The study of the Los Angeles fires, led by researchers in Finland, concluded that in addition to at least 30 deaths attributed to the fire, more than 400 deaths between January and February could be blamed on the event because of interruptions in healthcare and other factors. Dr Jonathan Patz, a University of Wisconsin environmental public health researcher who was not involved with the research, said the studies add 'a really important piece to the understanding of the true health risks from these extreme climatic events'. As the climate crisis fuels worsening disasters across the US, from flooding to deadly wildfires, scientists are trying to gain a better understanding of the impacts of extreme weather events. Research into the effects of wildfire smoke has surged in recent years as massive blazes have caused orange skies and unhealthy air for millions of people from the west coast to New York. A 2021 study found that breathing wildfire smoke during pregnancy raises the risk of premature birth. Research published earlier this year found the climate crisis contributed to about 15,000 deaths from exposure to small particulate matter from wildfires and cost about $160bn between 2006 and 2020. Another study, published in 2024, determined that wildfire smoke prematurely killed more than 50,000 people in California over a decade. Kristie Ebi of the University of Washington noted that there is a growing understanding that wildfire smoke can be more toxic than standard air pollution. 'It's not just leaves and branches and trees' that are burned, she said. 'It's buildings. It's gasoline stations. It's old houses that have asbestos in them. It's automobiles. There are lots of components of wildfire smoke.' She said the study of the Maui fire suggests 'this toxicity is affecting people's long-term lung function', but noted more research is needed to look at cause and effect. Meanwhile, the research calculating rates of suicide and overdose deaths in Maui and Hawaii's four other counties found a 97% increase in both on Maui during the month of the wildfires. The total number of suicide and overdose deaths was 13 that month, most of them suicides. That's a significant increase, Ebi said. They also found a 46% increase in such deaths in all five counties, which may have been influenced by displaced Maui residents migrating to other islands, the authors said. But rates fell in the following months. In addition to the studies published this week, a new report from the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO), which is based on nearly a year of data from surveys of 950 people, documented the challenges that persist for those affected by the Maui fire. Two years later, some have found permanent housing and greater economic stability, but many people are still displaced and have faced long-term income loss and high rent burdens. While permanent housing is increasing, poverty rates in the region have almost doubled as full-time employment has not yet fully returned to pre-fire levels and nearly 60% of households report lower income. 'Our findings show two realities unfolding side by side,' said Daniela Bond-Smith, a UHERO research economist. 'Some households are finding new footing – moving into stable housing, returning to work and regaining stability. But others are still living with deep uncertainty, especially those with limited support and population groups who had already been marginalized prior to the fires.'
