Zinc for Immunity

Zinc is a mineral that is important to the body in many ways, it helps to keep the immune system strong, helps heal wounds and supports growth. In the past five years, more and more evidence has emerged on the potential benefits of zinc supplementation on immune health, so here are a few ways that zinc can help boost your immunity.

Why do people take zinc?
Zinc has become a popular treatment for the common cold. According to a report by Wang et al (2020), zinc supplementation could reduce cold duration by ~2.25 days in healthy adults and decrease the severity of the cold. Zinc has also been proven to fight infection and heal wounds.

Alongside zinc supplements, topical zinc can be used to treat skin irritations such as acne and eczema.

Can you get zinc naturally from foods?
Many foods are naturally rich in zinc, making it easy for most people to consume adequate amounts.

Foods highest in zinc include:

• Red meat
• Beans and nuts
• Fish
• Legumes
• Whole grains

How does zinc help your immune system?
There are a number of ways that zinc can support your immune system, but primarily it activates enzymes that break down proteins in viruses and bacteria, making them less likely to spread. Zinc has also been proven to decrease oxidative stress and reduces levels of certain inflammatory proteins in your body. Oxidative stress leads to chronic inflammation, which is a contributing factor to a wide array of illnesses, such as heart disease, dementia and some mental illnesses.

Despite the clear benefits of zinc supplementation on immune health, we are still unsure of the exact mechanism(s) responsible for the benefits of zinc. It has been suggested that zinc could act as an anti-viral agent and block the binding of cold viruses to the receptors of our cells (Novick et al., 1996). In addition, zinc could also suppress the inflammation caused by infection, resulting in faster recovery from illness (Novick et al., 1997).

Zinc at B.fresh

We have recently improved our existing shots range, partnering with nutritionists to ensure we optimised the little shots to pack as much goodness as possible. Ginger + (previously Ginger Fix) has been reformulated and we have added zinc to give your immunity a super boost! Shop all shots here.