1. Protect the brain. A study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that protein needs to keep the right shape in the body in order to function smoothly. Zinc plays an important role in maintaining the morphology of protein.
Zinc deficiency will cause protein to become abnormal protein, which will not only fail to play its due role, but will aggregate, leading to diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
2. Protect your heart. Studies have found that zinc can enhance the health of cardiovascular system. Zinc is responsible for regulating arterial blood pressure. People with zinc deficiency are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease. In addition, the antioxidant effect of zinc is helpful to stabilize all kinds of biofilm, and low zinc will lead to the change of biofilm stability and aggravate myocardial injury.
3. Protect the liver. Studies have found that zinc deficiency increases the risk of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and other chronic liver diseases. However, a study published in The Lancet by Dr. James Phillips, a professor of pathology at the University of Toronto and an expert at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, found that excessive zinc in the body can also increase the risk of severe chronic liver disease.
4. Assisting pregnancy. Studies have found that even a slight zinc deficiency during pregnancy can lead to terrible consequences, such as increased maternal morbidity, abnormal taste, prolonged pregnancy, difficult delivery, flaccid bleeding and increased fetal risk. A report of the World Health Organization 20 13 pointed out that zinc deficiency in pregnant women is harmful to the normal development of the fetus.
5. control sugar. A recent study by the University of Michigan found that zinc can effectively control type 2 diabetes. In patients with type 2 diabetes, an protein called amylin will form aggregation, which will prevent insulin-producing cells and affect blood sugar control. Trace element zinc can prevent the negative effect of amylin protein, thus stabilizing blood sugar level.
6. Enhance immune function. It is found that zinc deficiency is very common in elderly patients. Zinc deficiency can cause thymus atrophy, decreased thymic hormone and decreased activity, thus reducing vaccine response and immunity.
A study published in Cochrane Library found that zinc supplementation can enhance children's immunity and relieve infectious symptoms such as diarrhea.
7. Accelerate wound healing. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that zinc supplementation can make the wound heal faster and play a very important role in the treatment of early gastric ulcer. Oral zinc sulfate can improve the healing speed of surgical wounds by 3~4 times.
8. Shorten the treatment time of pneumonia. A study published by Johns Hopkins University in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that zinc plays a very important role in shortening the course of severe pneumonia in children and reducing the length of hospitalization.
According to the report of Mayo Clinic, the recommended daily intake of zinc for adult men and women is 1 1 mg and 8mg respectively, and that for lactating women is12mg per day. Foods with high protein (especially animal protein) are the main sources of zinc.
Extended data:
Zinc is an essential trace element for enhancing immunity and preventing diseases. Because it is not easy to be stored by the human body, it must be supplemented every day. American health guidelines instruct women to supplement 8 milligrams of zinc every day. The article "Health" in the United States recommends the following five common zinc-rich foods.
Beef. Every 3 ounces (about 85 grams) of braised beef contains 7 milligrams of zinc. Beef is also rich in protein (one serving of beef can meet half of protein's daily demand) and vitamin B 12, which is beneficial to nerve health. Braised beef or braised beef is a good choice, but too much red meat will increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease and other diseases, and you can eat it once a week.
Cashews. 1 oz (about 28g) Cashews contain zinc1.6mg.. Cashews also contain healthy fat, folic acid, B vitamins and vitamin K. Salt-free cashews are very healthy snacks and can also be eaten in stir-fried dishes or cold dishes.
Chicken. 3 ounces of cooked chicken contains 2.4 mg of zinc. Chicken is an important food source of vitamin B6, which is beneficial to the normal function of the brain. Chicken curry with yogurt is a good nutritional match.
Half a cup (about 100g) of cooked kidney beans contains 0.9 mg of zinc. Kidney beans also contain soluble and insoluble fiber, which is not only beneficial to the health of digestive system, but also can prevent blood sugar from soaring. After red kidney beans are cooked, adding olive oil and some fennel is a good slimming snack.
Almond. 1 oz almond contains 0.9 mg of zinc. Almonds are also rich in magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, which helps to protect eyes and enhance immunity. Eating a handful of almonds in the afternoon can resist hunger and prevent eating too much at dinner.
The manifestations of zinc deficiency in children:
1, anorexia: picky eaters, anorexia, refusing to eat, generally eating less, children are not hungry, do not take the initiative to eat;
2. Eat strange things. For example: biting nails, clothes, eating toys, hard objects, eating hair, scraps of paper, raw rice, wall ash, mud, sand, etc.
3. Slow growth and development, 3-6 cm lower in height and 2-3 kg lighter in weight than the same age group;
4, low immunity, frequent colds and fever, repeated respiratory infections such as tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, hyperhidrosis, night sweats, etc. ;
5. White spots appear on nails, and finger barbs appear on map tongue (irregular red and white patterns on tongue surface);
6. hyperactivity, slow reaction, inattention and poor learning ability;
7, vision problems: decreased vision, easy to lead to night vision difficulties, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and so on. ;
8, skin damage: when trauma occurs, the wound is not easy to heal; Susceptible to dermatitis and intractable eczema;
9. Adolescent sexual retardation, such as: male genitalia testicles and penis are too small, testosterone content is low, and sexual function is low; Female breast development and menstrual cramps are late; Both male and female pubic hair appear late.
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