Every single cell of your body relies on a constant supply of minerals to stay healthy and functioning at their top potential. Minerals are absolutely essential for your beauty, vitality and a healthy fit body, as we can’t possibly reach our beautiful best if our cells aren’t being fed properly! They’re needed for healing and growth throughout the body and even a deficiency of one mineral can imbalance your entire body.
Zinc is a trace mineral needed in minute quantities, but is super important for health. It has so many roles in our body, from strengthening our immune system against bugs and viruses, to building bones and improving our sense of taste and smell.
Zinc and Your Skin
Our quest for beautiful skin will also be affected without enough zinc, as it aids in preventing acne, balancing sebum production in oil glands and building protein. It helps to build collagen, that all-important protein for keeping our complexion firm, smooth and wrinkle-free. So if that’s not enough reason to pay attention to zinc intake, then I don’t know what is!
Zinc also boost our ability to absorb vitamin A, which is another crucial vitamin for glowing skin and bright eyes. Have you ever suffered from peeling, brittle nails with white spots? That may indicate a zinc deficiency, as can hair loss, acne and slow healing of cuts and grazes.
Just like iron, zinc is found in a host of nuts and seeds, veggies and herbs, plus animal protein products. Some of the very best sources are pumpkin seeds, kelp, beans and legumes, mushrooms, pecan nuts, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast and parsley. Most good daily multivitamins will include zinc too.
Zinc and Fertility
Did you know? For men and women hoping to conceive, zinc is crucial. In women, a deficiency of the mineral can contribute to an imbalance of oestrogen and progesterone, while increasing levels of zinc levels in infertile men has been shown to boost sperm levels, improve the overall quality of sperm and decrease the likelihood of male infertility. The chemical found on the head of a sperm cell, which penetrates the wall of the female egg, is based on zinc. I even designed this Purple Power Fertility Smoothie to be packed with the vitamins and minerals needed to support health and fertility in women and men.
