If you're having problems with your sense of smell or taste, according to the University of Maryland, zinc deficiency could be the reason. Zinc is a vital mineral for your body, as it supports proper function of your immune system, healing of wounds, cell growth and cell division. The recommended daily amount of zinc is 8mg daily for an adult woman and 11mg daily for an adult man. Zinc is present naturally in foodstuffs including beef, lamb, pork, legumes and peanuts. Other foods that are naturally lower in zinc content may be zinc-enriched.
Yeast
Yeast used for the production of commercial foodstuffs may be enriched with zinc. According to a 2009 European Food Safety Authority report, it is uncertain whether such zinc-enriched yeast is beneficial as a source of dietary zinc for the general population. Zinc-enriched yeasts are created by growing the yeast with either zinc sulfate or zinc chloride present.
Cereals
Many commercial breakfast cereals boast of being fortified with zinc. As cereals are not naturally a rich zinc source, fortified products have to be enriched with zinc to have a significant content of the mineral. In the United States, fortified whole-grain cereals are typically enriched with zinc so that a 1-cup serving contains roughly one-tenth of the recommended daily allowance or RDA, notes Ohio State University Extension.
Maize
In recent years, food scientists have experimented with zinc enrichment of food crops including maize. In a presentation at the June, 2008 conference of the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research, Shabnam Rasouli reported that enriching maize crops with zinc sulfate increased the zinc content of the harvested maize. Zinc-enriched maize would therefore be one way for vegetarians to increase dietary zinc content, although overcooking any foodstuff reduces its zinc content.
References
- European Food Safety Authority: Inability to Assess the Safety of Zinc-Enriched Yeast as a Source of Zinc, Added for Nutritional Purposes to Foods for Particular Nutritional Uses and Foods
- Ohio State University: Zinc Fact Sheet
- "2nd Conference of the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research ISOFAR, Modena, Italy"; Comparison of Effect of Zinc-Enriched Pod of Phaseolus Vulgaris and Inner Rice Husk Composts with Zinc Sulphate and Zinc 14% Chelate on Zinc Availability in Maize Plant in a CalcareousSoil; Shabnam Rasouli et al.; Jun. 18-20, 2008
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Zinc in Diet
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