Do you know how much zinc that you should be ingesting everyday to keep yourself healthy? These days there are so many different vitaminand mineral supplements out there on the market that it can make your headspin! But is taking supplements alwaysthe best way to get the essential nutrients that we need to keep our bodies fitand healthy? Wouldn’t it be better toget all the minerals and vitamins that we need from our diets? All the experts say that a health supplementis no substitute for a healthy, balanced diet and that we cannot expect toreach our optimum health and fitness if we continually eat rubbish and thenjust pop a few vitamin pills. We need to eat every day to provide our bodieswith fuel and nutrients, so wouldn’t it be better if we made sure that we atethe foods that were the richest sources of the minerals and vitamins that weneed? Pacific Oysters So let us take zinc as an example. Zinc is an essential mineral that our bodiesneed on a daily basis and the recommended dietary allowance or RDA is currentlyaround 8mg for an adult woman and 11mg for an adult male. So why do we need to include zinc in ourdiets?
Helps boost the immune system
Vital for creating protein, new cells and DNA in the body
Aids digestion
Help to control diabetes and balance blood sugar levels
Helps balance metabolic rate
Helps you to retain a good sense of taste and smell
Eases stress
Helps wounds to heal faster
Not getting enough zinc in your diet can lead to someunpleasant symptoms and conditions such as hair loss, skin problems, a loweringof your immune system that can leads to infections such as colds and flu,diarrhoea, poor growth and lack of appetite. But it is also important to realise that taking too much zinc can alsobe bad for you as having too much of this mineral in your diet can lead to theother minerals copper and iron being poorly absorbed into your body, which caneventually cause conditions such as anaemia and weakening of the bones. So if you are a health supplement enthusiast,it is always a good idea to check what is in all the different things that youare taking so that you do not dangerously exceed the RDA of any one mineral orvitamin. So if you want to make sure that you are including some zincrich foods into your diet then what do you need to eat? Shellfish Shellfish are an excellent source of zinc, and oysters areone of the best as they contain more of this essential mineral per serving thanany other type of food. They are also agood source of protein and supposedly an aphrodisiac. Lobster and crab are alsoexcellent sources Red Meat Red meat is also a good source of the mineral, with goodquality beef steak being one of the best. Calf’s liver is also a great provider of zinc in the diet. When you are choosing red meat, try and getit as lean as possible and trim off any excess fat before you cook it. Lamb isalso a good dietary source.Seeds and Nuts Many seeds and nuts are also an excellent source of zinc, sosnack on some cashews, almonds, roasted pumpkin and squash seeds, sesame seeds orpeanuts instead of your usual biscuits and sweets to get some great healthbenefits. Dairy Products Milk and dairy products are a great source of zinc, so againwhy not think of snacking on yoghurt and cheese? Organic milk is the best, as you will not beintroducing so many chemicals into your body as the cows will have been raisedon pastures and feed free from chemical pesticides and fertilisers. Pulses and Beans Chick peas, kidney beans and garden peas are all burstingwith zinc as well as other nutrients, so why not put together a seafood andbean salad for a really healthy lunch or dinner? Dark Chocolate andCocoa Powder You are probably glad to see one ‘naughty’ food on the list afterall those super healthy ones aren’t you? But eating a few squares of good quality dark chocolate a day is alsogood for your heart, so is an indulgence that is actually beneficial for you. Now you may be thinking that all these zinc rich foods alsoall sound like quite expensive foods, but buying the best quality, organic foodthat you can afford is an investment in yourself and your family that you willnever regret. Your health is one of themost precious things that you have, so why not improve and maintain it everyway that you can through your diet. Eatingjunk food and sugary snacks also costs quite a bit of money, and can also costyour health dearly leading to serious conditions such as diabetes, obesity andheart disease. So ensure that you get enoughzinc into your body through eating the right foods today, and give yourself thevery best chance of a healthy, happy future. Pacific Oysters image Guido Wikimedia Commons Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.0 Generic
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