SISYPHUS PUBLICATIONS ONLINE
The 200 Essential Enzymes That
Prove Zinc Is Vital For Health
Zinc is one of the many trace
minerals required by the body, but the fact that it’s required in relatively
small amounts should not be allowed to obscure its significance. It’s required
by the body for the production of more than 200 essential enzymes, one of the
most crucial of these being superoxide dismutase, a vital anti-oxidant.
The
particular importance of superoxide dismutase lies in its role in mopping up the
superoxide free radicals which are released upon the metabolism of oxygen within
cells, literally with every breath we take. Superoxide free radicals react with
other by-products of energy production to form hydroxyl, the most damaging free
radical of all, and to attack the mitochondria of the cells themselves.
Since
it is the mitochondria which ultimately produce the energy for all the body’s
vital reactions, mitochondrial damage due to free radicals can only mean the
production of less and less energy and the gradual deterioration and
degeneration of the entire organism.
As well
as being vital for the body’s manufacture of anti-oxidants, zinc also helps the
immune system to regulate the process by which
defective or worn out cells are killed off by the body before they have chance
to multiply themselves and perhaps ultimately become cancerous. These functions alone would make
it one of
the key micronutrients which are vital to the body’s long-term health.
But
there’s much more to zinc than this, because it’s now known to be necessary for the production of the
white blood cells which are one of the body’s first lines of defence against
infection, and for the proper functioning of the thymus gland which is heavily
involved in the regulation of the immune system. So zinc is crucial not just in staving
off long-term degeneration, but in fighting off acute infections.
And this
well documented value as an immune system booster has given zinc great
popularity as a cold and flu remedy, although the effectiveness of the many
lozenges sold for this purpose once illness is established remains open to
question. But the importance of a
healthy immune system in preventing infection in the first place is not in
doubt. And it’s here that an
adequate supply of zinc is essential.
Although
the typical requirement for zinc is only 15 mg a day, it is surprisingly easy to
fall below this. Indeed some
estimates suggest that typical dietary intakes may be as low as 9 mg for women
and 13 mg for men, and even this may be poorly absorbed so some nutritionists
recommend aiming for an intake of around 25 mg to ensure an adequate
supply.
It
also needs to be remembered that certain groups of people with depressed immune
systems, such as HIV sufferers, diabetics and alcoholics may have an increased
requirement for zinc. But by far
the largest such group is comprised of the over 65s. And it should be realised that the
consequence of a zinc deficiency may be much more serious for these older
individuals, given that their immune systems are likely in any case to be less
effective than those of healthy young adults.
So
the conclusion appears to be straightforward: ensuring that the diet is adequate
in zinc is vital to the efficiency of the immune system, and therefore to
long-term health and well being.
But as always with the human body, the full story isn’t quite so
simple. The body functions
holistically, and an excess of any one nutrient may well lead to a deficiency in
another. Taking in too much iron,
for example, may in itself lead to a deficiency in zinc. But in the case of an excess of zinc
(defined by the US Food and Nutrition Board as more than 40 mg a day), the
associated deficiency is of copper.
Deficiency
in copper is rarely severe enough to produce clinical symptoms, but this should
not obscure the important functions of this trace mineral. As with zinc, adequate supplies of
copper are vital for the production of anti-oxidant enzymes and energy within
the body’s cells. Sub-clinical
deficiencies have also been implicated in cases of mild anaemia and depression
of the immune system.
The
best way to counter these risks is, of course, to consume a diet rich in both
zinc and copper. Red meat,
particularly beef, and shellfish are known as good animal sources, whilst nuts
and beans offer a useful source for vegetarians. Whole grains are a useful additional
plant source of copper. Plant
sources of zinc, however, are less well absorbed by the body than those derived
from animal sources, and so this is a nutrient which may require particular
attention for those following a vegetarian diet.
But given the poverty of modern Western diets in both vitamins
and minerals, supplementation may in any case be necessary to ensure the health
of the immune system, particularly, as discussed above, for the over 65s. Various forms of specific zinc
supplement are readily available, but it is probably wiser to ensure that any
supplementation of zinc is taken in a properly balanced multi-mineral
formulation also containing an appropriate amount of copper.
Steve Smith
July 2007