Phytate, which is present in staple foods like cereals, corn and rice, has a strong negative effect on zinc absorption from composite meals. Inositol hexaphosphates and pentaphosphates are the phytate forms that exert these negative effects, whereas the lower phosphates have no or little effect on zinc absorption.
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.
4.2.
Phytate, which is a natural component of plants, severely decreases intestinal zinc bioavailability and is regarded as the main nutritional inhibitor of zinc absorption.
Phytic acid impairs mineral absorption
For example, snacking on nuts between meals could reduce the amount of iron, zinc, and calcium you absorb from these nuts but not from the meal you eat a few hours later. However, when you eat high phytate foods with most of your meals, mineral deficiencies may develop over time.
Although the cause in some cases may be inadequate dietary intake of zinc, inhibitors of zinc absorption are most likely the most common causative factor. Phytate, which is present in staple foods like cereals, corn and rice, has a strong negative effect on zinc absorption from composite meals.
Consume lots of sugar or high fructose corn syrup and you will risk depleting zinc as well as vitamin C, calcium, chromium, copper, and magnesium.
Zinc Concerns
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.
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.
that combine the two. Magnesium helps your body regulate its zinc levels, while zinc enables it to absorb magnesium more efficiently. Zinc will only hinder absorption when taken in abnormally high doses (around 142 mg of zinc per day).
A high oat-bran intake does not impair zinc absorption in humans when added to a low-fiber animal protein-based diet.
Dairy products can have a reasonable contribution for dietary zinc intake in Western diets, where dairy consumption is high. However, the co-ingestion of dairy products can also improve zinc absorption from other food products.
Also important to note that alcohol, coffee, and sugar deplete zinc while chocolate and some tea are high in copper.
A high-protein diet will usually contain enough zinc. Meats such as beef, pork, lamb, and chicken are all good sources of zinc. Nuts, whole grains, legumes, and yeast also contain zinc. Zinc supplements are available in multivitamins, or as zinc gluconate, zinc sulfate, or zinc acetate.
Changing the diet to foods that are rich in zinc can be used to provide the body with the mineral. Some foods which help to cure zinc deficiency are red meat, poultry, seeds, wheat germ, wild rice, oysters etc. Baked beans, cashews, peas, and almonds can also act as alternatives.
There are no negative vitamin interactions when taking vitamin C. Just like zinc, you can take other vitamins with vitamin C. In fact, vitamin C promotes iron absorption from foods, which means it is actually beneficial to take to get the proper nutrients from other food.
Zinc is best absorbed when taken with a meal that contains protein. The best sources of zinc are oysters (richest source), red meats, poultry, cheese (ricotta, Swiss, gouda), shrimp, crab, and other shellfish.
The results suggest that ascorbic acid does not affect the absorption of normal dietary levels of zinc and calcium.
Lectins in legumes (beans, peanuts, soybeans), whole grains—can interfere with the absorption of calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc.
The largest body of evidence demonstrates stress-induced depletion of magnesium and zinc, although several studies (both human and animal) demonstrate the effects of stress on calcium and iron concentrations.
Carbohydrate-rich foods have a lower zinc content to start with, and their relatively high phytate content serves to reduce the absorption of what zinc they do contain. Mild zinc deficiency, thought to be common in athletes, is difficult to detect because of the lack of definitive indicators of zinc status.
Immunosuppressant medications -- Since zinc may make the immune system stronger, it should not be taken with corticosteroids (such a prednisone), cyclosporine, or other medications intended to suppress the immune system.
Dairy products (milk and cheese) and brown bread decreased zinc absorption, as indicated by a significant drop in peak serum zinc levels. Zinc absorption was decreased when zinc was given in the fasting state with the same amounts of purified phosphate or phytate as those found in foods above.