These are the symptoms of a zinc deficiency

The most important points in brief

• Surprisingly, zinc is found in very many foods.
• Nevertheless, zinc deficiency is not uncommon, which is often due to an unbalanced diet.
• In addition, you usually need more zinc than you can get from eating.
• Often, unused zinc is flushed out with the urine.

Even babies and children need zinc through their diet. It is 1.5 to 2.5 milligrams in babies, and children up to ten years of age should consume up to six milligrams. The amount increases to eight milligrams for girls and nine for boys by the age of 13. In addition, it is eight to eleven milligrams in older girls and women, and nine to fourteen milligrams in pubescent boys. Pregnant women should increase their dose to up to 13, nursing mothers up to 14 milligrams.

Zinc: important for the metabolism

The metabolism in the human organism is urgently dependent on zinc. Many processes that take place in the body absolutely need this trace element. Because humans cannot produce this metal themselves, it has to be supplied from the outside, either through food or via dietary supplements.

Vegetarians and vegans tend to be more affected by zinc deficiency than people who eat meat and animal products. This is because the trace element is found in large quantities mainly in fish and meat, but also in eggs and cheese. But zinc is also found in some plant foods - for example in pecans, peanuts and walnuts, in various legumes (peas, lentils, white beans), in oil seeds (sunflower and pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds) and in oat flakes. Sourdough products also contain zinc.

Zinc Deficiency: Causes and Symptoms

Sometimes it's just inflammation or illness that decimates the zinc balance. Malnutrition is also a cause. Pregnant and breastfeeding women also tend to have an insufficient supply of zinc because they need a particularly large amount of nutrients. And finally, poisons like nicotine and alcohol - just like drugs - are detrimental to the nutrient balance and thus also to the zinc level. Because alcohol is a ureter, a lot of zinc that has not yet been used by the body is simply washed out with the urine. But how does a zinc deficiency manifest itself? There is, of course, not one incidence. But anyone who complains about many of the symptoms listed below may really suffer from an undersupply of zinc:

• Common colds: the body needs zinc in order to be able to produce immune cells. If he doesn't get the nutrients, he can get frequent colds.
• Skin problems: Whether dry skin, psoriasis or neurodermatitis - zinc deficiency can be the cause. Herpes and acne can also be the result.
• Brittle nails and hair loss: These symptoms, too, often indicate a zinc deficiency. Because the metal is in high concentration in our hair, we often notice the deficiency here first.
• Exhaustion: Those who are often tired and exhausted are missing something - possibly zinc (or other nutrients and vitamins).

Last but not least, a zinc deficiency can also disturb the hormonal balance in the body, as the hormone metabolism is directly influenced by this mineral. The human sexual organs need zinc just as badly as the nervous system and the thyroid gland. With the right nutritional supplements you can ensure that zinc deficiency does not lead to health problems for you.