6 Clear Signs of Zinc Deficiency
1.
You’re Sick a Lot
Mayo Clinic research suggests that zinc is
vital to immune health, but research on its
impact on immune function is limited.
For instance, limited studies link zinc gluconate
levels to healthy immune cells.
Further studies claim that low levels of zinc
can compromise immune health and leave us
susceptible to various bacterial and viral
infections (i.e., skin infections, gastritis,
ulcers, and flu).
2.
Appetite Loss
Do foods you normally enjoy suddenly taste
lackluster?
You may have low zinc stores.
Numerous studies link diminished ability to
taste and smell foods (dysgeusia and anosmia)
with zinc deficiency.
Zinc is closely related to both taste and
smell so nutritional deficiency can lead to
appetite changes, particularly among those
60-years of age and older.
According to the FamilyPhysician.com patients
often mistake smell and taste loss with “flavor”.
If you experience appetite changes, you may
have a zinc deficiency (or an upper respiratory
infection, head trauma, or oral infection)
3.
Stunted Growth in Children
WebMD.com points out that the biggest indication
of zinc deficiency can be seen in children
who are underweight and lacking in height
among children in the same age group.
This is because the mineral plays an essential
role in cell growth, brain development, immune
system process, memory, attention span, and
reproductive growth.
A 2002 report published in the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition noted that 6 percent
of U.S. girls and 10-percent of boys are zinc
deficient.
Children’s zinc stores can be balanced by
adding seafood, cereal, dried beans, red meat,
and whole grains to their diet.
4.
Hair Loss
Ladies and gents who’ve notice a wee bit
more hair in their hair brush, on their pillow,
and in the shower post-lather may want to
get a doctor to test their zinc levels.
While hair loss can be linked to numerous
conditions (i.e., hypothyroidism, anemia,
lupus, and pure hereditary hair loss), zinc
deficiency can also result in more than normal
hair thinning and loss.
If you’re zinc deficient you’ll likely
experience eye and skin issues, and diarrhea
as well as hair loss.
5.
You Already Have One of these Conditions…
Patients with an autoimmune disease (i.e.,
Colitis or Rheumatoid Arthritis), Wilson’s
Disease, a neurological disorder (i.e., Alzheimer’s
Disease), atherosclerosis (artery disease),
or diabetes may already be predisposed to
zinc deficiency according to oncologists at
Wayne State University.
For instance, zinc deficiency leads to lowered
immunity and leave the body exposed to inflammation
and the negative effects of oxidative stress,
which has been associated with so many chronic
diseases and conditions.
6.
Hearing Loss
In addition to your sense of taste and smell,
a zinc deficiency can also diminish your hearing.
A 2015 study published by the National Institutes
of Heath, found that 12-percent of 100 patients
with hearing loss were zinc deficient (due
to inflammatory and oxidative stress in the
inner ear).
Likewise, a previous National Institutes of
Health report from 2011 noted that when a
group of 66 hearing loss patients were administered
zinc supplements, they experienced significant
hearing improvements.
