Legumes Are a Vegetarian-Friendly Source of Zinc Of these foods, 1 cup of lentils, which offers 2.52 mg per cup, is an excellent source, while good sources include the same serving sizes of cooked edamame (2.13 mg), black beans (1.93 mg), and canned chickpeas (1.66 mg).
Sources of Zinc. The richest food sources of zinc include meat, fish, and seafood [3]. Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food, but beef contributes 20% of zinc intakes from food in the United States because it is commonly consumed [7]. Eggs and dairy products also contain zinc [3].
Chickpeas
Chickpeas, in particular, are your best bet for zinc if you're looking to take advantage of legumes' other health benefits. mg of zinc: A half-cup serving of chickpeas contains about 1.3 mg of zinc, which translates to about 1 mg per 100 g of chickpeas.
The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) contains essential minerals, such as iron, zinc, calcium, and phosphorus. Normally, its iron and zinc contents range from 18.8 – 82.4 mg of Fe/g and from 32.6 to 70.2 mg of Zn/kg (7, 8).
Sources of zinc include beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, walnuts, cashew nuts, chia seeds, ground linseed, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, wholemeal bread and quinoa.
High zinc fruits include avocados, blackberries, pomegranates, raspberries, guavas, cantaloupes, apricots, peaches, kiwifruit, and blueberries. These fruits provide 2-12% of the daily value per cup. The list below gives the 10 best high zinc fruits ranked by a common serving size.
Men need ten milligrams of zinc daily, while women need seven milligrams. The avocado, which contains roughly 1.2 milligrams of zinc per serving, has the greatest zinc content of any fruit.
Lectins in legumes (beans, peanuts, soybeans), whole grains—can interfere with the absorption of calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc.
Vegetables high in zinc include shiitake mushrooms, green peas, spinach, lima beans, lentil sprouts, asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, okra, and sweet corn.
What are the best sources of zinc? The best source of zinc is oysters, but it's also plentiful in red meat and poultry. Other good sources are beans, nuts, crab, lobster, whole grains, breakfast cereals, and dairy products. The following foods are good sources of zinc.
Moong Dal. Moong dal is one of the most widely consumed dal across India and serves as an excellent source of zinc. In just 100 gms of cooked moong dal, one can get about 2.6 mg zinc which provides up to 24 per cent of the daily requirement.
About the accumulation of Zn in the edible part of carrot, it was found that, due to increase in the Zn content in the soil, the plants generally have higher concentrations of this element, demonstrating that fertilization practice can increase the availability of Zn to plants, which is potentially absorbed.
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.
Vegetarians tend to eat higher levels of legumes, soybeans, beans, nuts, and whole-grain food products. While they are healthful food choices, they can impair the body's ability to absorb zinc due to the presence of phytates. These substances bind to zinc, so the body cannot absorb it.
Phytate, which is a natural component of plants, severely decreases intestinal zinc bioavailability and is regarded as the main nutritional inhibitor of zinc absorption.
Chickpeas and Other Legumes
Legumes, including beans and nuts, contain significant amounts of zinc. Chickpeas are a great source of this nutrient. One serving of chickpeas (100 grams) contains 1.5 milligrams of zinc, and a half-cup of kidney beans has 0.9 milligrams.
Broccoli. Each 1/2 cup of cooked broccoli contains about . 25 mg zinc. “The total amount zinc in broccoli is certainly on the low end of this list,” says Mason.
Although bananas are rich in carbohydrate, fiber, protein, fat, and vitamins A, C, and B6 they are largely deficient of iron (Fe), iodine, and zinc (Zn).
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.
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.
Caffeine may reduce the absorption of manganese, zinc and copper. It also increases the excretion of the minerals magnesium, potassium, sodium and phosphate. There is also evidence that caffeine interferes with the action of vitamin A.
Blueberries contain iron, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K. Each of these is a component of bone. Adequate intake of these minerals and vitamins contributes to building and maintaining bone structure and strength.
Egg is rich in phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and contains moderate amounts of sodium (142 mg per 100 g of whole egg) (Table 3). It also contains all essential trace elements including copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc (Table 3), with egg yolk being the major contributor to iron and zinc supply.
It contains mineral content
Green apples are rich in iron, manganese, potassium, copper, zinc and many other minerals. These minerals are essential for human health. The iron in apples helps to raise blood oxygen levels and boosts metabolism.