Zinc from animal foods like red meat, fish, and poultry is more readily absorbed by the body than zinc from plant foods. Zinc is best absorbed when taken with a meal that contains protein.
Legumes, whole grains and some other plant foods contain compounds called phytates, which interfere with zinc absorption. If you consume a lot of fiber -- especially if you get most of it from breads and cereals -- you probably also consume a lot of phytates, which may make it harder for you to meet your zinc needs.
People who drink excessive alcohol can also not absorb zinc normally. Long-term illnesses, such as chronic liver or kidney disease can also result in low absorption of zinc. High-dose iron supplements can also affect the way zinc is absorbed, leading to deficiency.
As mentioned, zinc is an essential cofactor to have the desired functions of vitamin D. Similarly, vitamin D can also influence zinc absorption and homeostasis by regulating its transporters.
The results suggest that ascorbic acid does not affect the absorption of normal dietary levels of zinc and calcium.
You can get zinc through your diet and supplements. Thus, taking as much zinc as you should, as well as taking magnesium supplements can help to encourage mineral absorption.
If you're not getting enough zinc in your diet, you may have side effects such as hair loss, lack of alertness, and a reduced sense of taste and smell. Zinc deficiency is rare in the United States, but it still occurs in some people.
Chelated zinc is more easily absorbed by your body than zinc on its own. Before adding a zinc supplement to your diet, discuss your plans with a doctor. They can help make sure that you're taking the proper dose and that the supplement won't negatively interact with other medications you're using.
Zinc Concerns
Phytates, an antioxidant in coffee, may inhibit absorption of zinc. Coffee has been found to affect the bio-availability of zinc, in lab tests, by up to 21 percent or 32 percent. The recommended daily intakes of zinc for men is 11 milligrams each day and 8 milligrams for women.
A high oat-bran intake does not impair zinc absorption in humans when added to a low-fiber animal protein-based diet.
Negative zinc balances in study A and positive zinc balances in study B were observed in both tea and no tea dietary treatments. Tea consumption showed a small but not statistically significant adverse affect on zinc bioavailability in humans.
Magnesium assists your body in regulating zinc levels, but high intakes of zinc can be detrimental to magnesium absorption – only abnormally high doses (around 142 mg of zinc per day) will reduce magnesium absorption.
No interactions were found between turmeric and Zinc.
Zinc. Zinc is often part of multivitamins but is also taken alone or in combination with vitamin C. Its absorption is most effective on an empty stomach, but it can cause stomach upsets. In this case it should be taken with a meal and therefore not late at night.
Vitamin C and zinc each benefit various systems in the body but they both support the immune system and reduce the risk of disease. Taking these two nutrients together gives a joint boost to your immune system.
Are you having problems with thinning hair or hair loss? If so, it could be because you have too much zinc in your diet. There have been many studies that show how too much zinc can lead to hair loss and other issues.
Zinc absorption does not only depend on an adequate dietary intake, but is also greatly affected by its intestinal availability from the diet.
Treatments for low zinc
“At the hospital, we either give IV push zinc or recommend 220 mg zinc sulfate daily for 14 days,” Dr. Hunnes explains. Patients will start to feel better quite quickly, though. “Depending on how severe the deficiency is, it may take a few days to fix,” she says.
To help treat a zinc deficiency, you can start by eating foods that have zinc. Oysters are rich in zinc, but you can also get it from foods like red meat, nuts, and beans. Some people may need to take dietary supplements.
Interactions between your drugs
No interactions were found between Vitamin D3 and Zinc.
Do not take zinc supplements and copper, iron, or phosphorus supplements at the same time. It is best to space doses of these products 2 hours apart, to get the full benefit from each dietary supplement.
Results showed that iron and zinc uptakes from both cooked and raw cereals were significantly increased in the presence of both garlic and onion, with increases up to 70 percent recorded.
In the case of raw green gram, garlic enhanced the bioaccessibility of zinc to an extent of 9.8% at the higher level, while in cooked green gram the percent increase in zinc bioaccessibility was 14.5 and 19.1 at the two levels, respectively.
Zinc deficiency can happen in people who have problems absorbing nutrients, for example, older people and those who have some gut diseases. Some medicines can also increase the loss of zinc through urine.
They can work together, boosting and enhancing absorption, or sometimes work against each other, competing for absorption. Zinc and magnesium are synergistic minerals that work together when taken at the right dosages.