But which ones are actually worth your time – and money? Zinc has popped up in many recent conversations about preventing illness. The problem is, however, that few supplements are actually proven to have a direct effect on cold viruses.
Zinc affects everything from healing to our sense of taste and smell.
It also supports healthy bone development, DNA production and fertility. She adds that “it also helps to maintain our senses of taste and smell,” and “the NHS highlights zinc’s role in growth and development, especially in children”.
Our bodies don’t make zinc – we need to consume it
It’s found in every cell and is second only to iron in abundance in the body. However, we cannot produce zinc ourselves, or store it in our bodies in large quantities. We have to ingest it regularly through food to keep our levels within a healthy range.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 9.5mg a day for men (aged 19 to 64 years) and 7mg a day for women. If you don’t know what that looks like in practical terms, Shafqat explains that “most people in the UK are getting enough zinc”.
square LIFESTYLE ‘My toddler gags at the sight of food’: The little known eating disorder on the rise
Read More
Claims that zinc supplements can specifically cure a cold are not supported by medical evidence, but a systematic review in 2024 found that they may reduce the length of the common cold (if taken early enough). The issue here, though, is caveats around variations in type, dose and duration of treatment. This is far from conclusive.
“Supplements can be useful in certain situations, especially for children I work with who often have very restrictive diets, for people with health conditions that affect nutrient absorption, or when there’s a medically diagnosed deficiency,” she says. “But for most people, I always recommend focusing on getting zinc from food first.” This means that you will not only get the benefit of increased zinc but you will also get the other nutritional benefits from eating a varied diet.
The food-first approach is easier than it seems
Both the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care say that “you should be able to get all the zinc you need by eating a varied and balanced diet”.
“People on vegan or vegetarian diets should include a variety of these foods every day. To increase zinc absorption, eat fermented soya such as tempeh and miso, soak dried beans then rinse before cooking, and sprout grains and seeds.”
Hence then, the article about the expert guide to zinc the mineral that stops you getting sick was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The expert guide to zinc, the mineral that stops you getting sick )
Also on site :