The mineral zinc is essential for a healthy immune system and normal growth and healing. Although meat, sea foods and dairy are the primary sources of zinc, you can also get this mineral from plant foods such as beans, chickpeas, cashews and oatmeal. While sufficient dietary zinc is important, your zinc absorption rate also influences how much zinc your body receives from food. If you believe you may be deficient in zinc, talk to a health care provider about how to better meet your zinc requirements.
Normal Zinc Absorption
Average healthy, well nourished people absorb between 20 percent to 40 percent of the zinc in their diets, according to experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Sex and age may affect how much zinc you absorb. Men absorb an average of 24 percent, while women absorb around 31 percent, experts from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council explain. One small study published in the "Journal of Nutrition" in July 1986 found elderly men absorbed only 17 percent of the zinc in their diets, while younger men absorbed 31 percent.
Dietary Factors that Affect Zinc Absorption
Phytate, a compound in grains like wheat, corn and rice as well as legumes, strongly interferes with zinc absorption, note experts in a study published in the May 2000 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition." Because of this, eating a diet based on grains, legumes and unleavened breads may put you at risk for zinc deficiency. Although most proteins improve zinc absorption, casein, a protein in milk and dairy products, slightly reduces zinc absorption.
Conditions and Medications that Affect Zinc Absorption
Because the intestine absorb zinc, conditions that impair intestinal health, such as
Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis, can interfere with your ability to absorb zinc. Nutrient malabsorption conditions like celiac disease and short bowel syndrome can also impair zinc absorption. People with sickle cell anemia are prone to zinc deficiency, but experts don't know if this is because they absorb less or excrete more, writes Ananda Prasad in an article in the February 2002 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Additionally, antacids can impair your ability to absorb zinc by reducing stomach acids.
Getting Enough Zinc
Strict vegetarians, or vegans, and others whose diet consists primarily of grains and legumes may be at risk for zinc deficiency. Grains and legumes contain significant amounts of phytate, which inhibits zinc absorption, and the body less easily absorbs zinc from plant foods than from animal products. For this reason, vegans may need up to 50 percent more dietary zinc than the Recommended Dietary Allowance in order to absorb enough. If you choose to eat animal products, consuming dairy may help improve your zinc absorption. Women who drank milk with meals increased their zinc absorption by 50 percent and those who ate yogurt with meals increased their absorption by 68 percent, found a study published in the "Journal of Nutrition" of March 2005.
References
- Food and Agriculture Orginization of the United Nations: Human Vitamin and Mineral Requirements: Chapter 16. Zinc
- Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council: Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Zinc
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Stable Isotope Studies of Zinc Absorption and Retention in Young and Elderly Men; JR Turnlund, et al.; July 1986
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Dietary Factors Influencing Zinc Absorption; Bo Lönnerdal; May 2000
- Oregon State University: Linus Pauling Institute; Zinc; Jane Higdon; December 2003
- New York University Langone Medical Center: Department of Surgery: Antacids
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