Zinc is an important nutrient when
it comes to your immune
system. The recommended daily
amount of zinc is 8 mg for
adult women and 11 mg for men.
About 12% of Americans don't
get enough zinc in their
diets, and that percentage
rises to 40% for those over
65. In some cases, taking
extra zinc may help shorten
how long you're sick, like
with the common cold.
Researchers have found people
who started taking 75 mg zinc
lozenges within 24 hours of
the first cold symptoms,
we're less likely to still
have symptoms a week later.
But there haven't been any
studies suggesting zinc being
used as a preventative
measure for the cold virus.
As for taking a zinc supplement, vegetarians may
be more likely to need one,
because meats are the best
source of zinc. If you're not
a vegetarian, oysters are
your best bet for natural
zinc. A serving of six
oysters contains four times
your daily value of zinc.
Other sources include ground
beef and steak. For
vegetarians, the options are
limited in size and amount of
zinc. They include soy beans,
nuts and yogurt.
