Most adults are slightly zinc deficient

You probably need more!  Zinc is found in almost every cell of the human body. It supports a healthy immune system, wound healing and promote the senses of taste and smell. Besides maintaining the immune system, zinc  can also reduce an enlarged prostate. Most adults do not get enough zinc from their diets and this is especially true for seniors who may not absorb zinc as efficiently as younger people.  Vegetarians are probably zinc deficient because some plant based foods block zinc absorbtion and beef is one of  the riches sources of zinc.  Oysters are also a good source of zinc.  The RDA for zinc is 11 mg per day for males and 8 mg per day for females.

Higher zinc dosage  may be necessary for seniors.

For individuals over 65 there is no recommendation for higher doses although average zinc intake tends to be lower than the RDA and there are several circumstances which might decrease an older person’s ability to absorb zinc from the diet:

1. Aging individuals may not absorb zinc as readily as younger individuals

2. Aging individuals may suffer more frequent occurrences of diseases which change zinc utilization.

3. Aging individuals my have increased usage of drugs which increase zinc excretion and cause mild zinc deficiency.

4. Vegetarians may need supplementation because zinc absorption is lower from plant sources than from animal ones.

So you can see that there are many reasons to suspect that supplementation for zinc is essential for good health especially as you age.  Zinc deficiency of even a small degree can affect the immune system and loss of zinc from biological membranes can contribute to increased damage from oxidation. Because zinc is so important to good health and inexpensive, there is no reason not to supplement.

Originally posted 2010-08-31 07:23:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter