Highest foods and greatest sources of zinc (download as a PDF Foods high in zinc)

Zinc is an essential mineral so you need to obtain it from the diet as your body cannot make it.  This mineral is involved in approximately 100 enzymatic reactions in the body and plays a role in immunity, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis and cell division.  Zinc is also required for a proper sense of taste and smell as well as growth and development during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence.

This mineral is essential for men’s health.  Zinc plays a role in fertility by helping to improve the quality of sperm (1).  Research has shown that men with lower levels of seminal zinc had lower sperm counts as well as more abnormal sperm, which may be due to the protection of zinc against oxidative damage.

Zinc may also help to protect the health of the prostate.  Men with low levels of zinc in their diet tend to have higher chances of developing and enlarged prostate, which is known as benign prostate hyperplasia or BHP (2).

Zinc has long been associated with immunity and the common cold and some evidence points towards the benefits of this mineral in lessoning the symptoms by way of zinc lozenges (3).  Zinc also not only increases the production of white blood cells that fight infection, but also helps them fight more aggressively. It also increases killer cells that fight against cancer and helps white cells release more antibodies.  Zinc increases the number of infection-fighting T-cells, especially in elderly people who are often deficient in zinc and whose immune system may weaken with age (4).

Skin and hair health may also benefit from gleaning enough zinc from your diet.  Zinc plays an important role in overall skin health, and it may also treat eczema, psoriasis, dandruff, burns and boils (5).  This essential mineral also helps skin wounds heal faster.  Low intake of zinc has also been associated with hair loss (6)

Like many nutrients, zinc also acts as an antioxidant in the body.  Antioxidants help to reduce the damage done by excess free radicals that can increase cell aging and build up as a result of a poor diet, lifestyle and environmental factors. Antioxidants also play a role in reducing inflammation in the body.  Prolonged inflammation is thought to be at the root of many serious health conditions such as heart disease and cancer.

 

How much do you need?

UK Adult men require 9.5mg per day

UK Adult women require 7mg per day

 

Average intakes in the UK

Women consume more zinc than men

Most men and women have intakes above 100% of the RNI for zinc

9% of adult men have very low intakes of zinc

10% of teenage boys have very low intakes of zinc

 

Groups most at risk of deficiency  

The bioavailability of zinc from vegetarian diets is lower than from non-vegetarian diets because vegetarians do not eat meat, which is high in bioavailable zinc. Vegetarians and vegans also typically eat high levels of legumes and whole grains, which contain phytates that bind zinc and can inhibit its absorption.

Vegetarians can sometimes require more zinc than non-vegetarians. Certain food preparation techniques can help to reduce the binding of zinc by phytates and increase its bioavailability such as soaking beans, grains, and seeds in water for several hours before cooking them and allowing them to sit after soaking until sprouts form. Vegetarians and vegans can also increase their zinc intake by consuming more leavened grain products (such as bread) than unleavened products (such as crackers) because leavening partially breaks down the phytates; thus, the body absorbs more zinc from leavened grains than unleavened grains.

Alcoholics can have low levels of zinc because alcohol decreases intestinal absorption and increases urinary excretion of zinc.  Alcoholism can also affect food intake, which can limit the amount of zinc consumed.

Be aware that high intakes of zinc intakes can inhibit copper absorption, sometimes producing copper deficiency and associated anemia so be wary of supplement containing very high doses of this mineral.

 

How to increase your intake of zinc 

• Add seeds as a topping to salads, cereals and porridge
• Include plenty of dried herbs and spices to your meals
• Include shellfish in your diet, which can be used to make salads, stews and stir-fry’s
• Include plenty of pulses and lentils in your diet, which can be added to salads, stews, casseroles, soups or made into dips
• Cocoa powder is high in zinc so the occasional treat of high cocoa dark chocolate is a good source of try making a cup of cocoa or homemade nut milks flavoured with this ancient ingredient
• Try switching to wholegrains such as breads, rice and pseudo grains such as quinoa
• Oats are high in zinc and make great breakfasts or toppings for sweet dishes such as crumbles and even savoury toppings
• Nuts and seeds are high in zinc so try making your own healthy granola or flapjacks
• Go veggie a few times each week and swap meat for tofu or Quorn
• Eggs are the breakfast of champions and also make a great snack when boiled (try serving with smoked paprika, celery salt or tabasco sauce)
• Don’t skip breakfast! Even a small bowl of your favourite wholegrain cereal can add a useful source of zinc to the diet. You can also use cereals as savoury topping

 

Foods highest in zinc (data taken from McCance and Widdowson)

 

Food	Portion size (g)	Mg per serving	Mg per 100g
Shellfish
Raw oysters	80	47.4	59.2
Boiled lobster	100	5.5	5.5
Boiled lobster	100	2.5	2.5
Cooked mussels	100	2.3	2.3
Boiled prawns	100	2.2	2.2
Sardines canned in oil	50	1.1	2.2
Anchovies canned in oil	10	0.3	3
Meat and offal
Fried calf’s liver	100	15.9	15.9
Lamb neck fillet grilled	100	6.4	6.4
Grilled sirloin steak	100	4.3	4.3
Fried chicken liver	100	3.8	3.8
Grilled pork steak	100	2.9	2.9
Roast turkey	100	2.5	2.5
Grilled gammon steak	100	2.2	2.2
Ham	100	1.8	1.8
Grilled back bacon	50	1.6	3.1
Roast chicken	100	1.5	1.5
Pulses
Cooked aduki beans	80	1.8	2.3
Tempeh	100	1.8	1.8
Cooked chickpeas	80	1.0	1.2
Cooked red kidney beans	80	0.8	1
Cooked pinto beans	80	0.8	1
Cooked lentils	80	0.8	1
Tofu	100	0.7	0.7
Miso	30	1.0	3.3
Grains
Quinoa	180	5.9	3.3
Wheatgerm	30	5.1	17
Wholegrain rice(boiled)	180	3.2	1.8
Wholemeal bread	80	1.3	1.6
Oats	50	1.2	2.3
Oatcakes	40	1.3	3.3
Dark rye flour	30	0.9	3
Cereals
All bran	40	2.4	6
Bran flakes	40	1.0	2.5
Shredded wheat	40	0.9	2.3
Muesli	40	0.9	2.3
Weetabix	40	0.8	2
Special K	40	0.8	2
Fruit n fibre	40	0.6	1.5
Cheese and eggs
Parmesan cheese	30	1.5	5.1
Eggs	100	1.3	1.3
Edam	30	1.1	3.8
Cheddar cheese	30	0.7	2.3
Brie	30	0.6	2
Goats cheese	30	0.3	1
Nuts and seeds
Cashew nuts	25	1.5	5.9
Pecan nuts	25	1.3	5.3
Brazil nuts	25	1.1	4.2
Peanut butter	30	1.1	3.5
Peanuts	25	0.9	3.5
Tahini	15	0.8	5.4
Almonds	25	0.8	3.2
Poppy seeds	5	0.4	8.5
Pumpkin seeds	5	0.3	6.6
Pine nuts	5	0.3	6.5
Cocoa powder	15	1.0	6.9
Sesame seeds	5	0.3	5.3
Sunflower seeds	5	0.3	5.1
Vegetables
Quorn	100	7.0	7
Dried mushrooms	40	1.9	4.8
Frozen peas	80	0.7	0.9
Seaweed (nori)	10	0.6	6.4
Asparagus	80	0.6	0.7
Spinach	80	0.6	0.7
Okra	80	0.5	0.6
Brussels sprouts	80	0.4	0.5
Sundried tomatoes	40	0.3	0.8
Mushrooms	80	0.3	0.4
Parsnips	80	0.2	0.3
Endive	80	0.2	0.2
Herbs and spices
Dried chervil	5	0.4	8.8
Fenugreek	5	0.3	6.9
Dried thyme	5	0.3	6.2
Dried basil	5	0.3	5.8
Mustard seeds	5	0.2	4.7
Dried oregano	5	0.2	4.4
Cumin seeds	5	0.2	4.2
Curry powder	5	0.2	3.7
Dried cardamom	5	0.1	2.6

 

    References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19285597
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114577/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3136969/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2702361/
5. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/drp/2014/709152/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3870206/

 

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