Zinc Rich Foods List

There are plenty of reasons why you may have decided that it is time to get more zinc foods into your diet, but for whatever that is you have come to the right place as this page has a great zinc rich foods list for you. We also explain what zinc is and also the many zinc benefits that can be obtained by taking on board regular amounts of this important mineral through the consumption of zinc rich food. We also clearly explain what zinc deficiency symptoms are and also give a guideline as to how much zinc should be consumed per day.

Zinc rich food - What is Zinc?

Zinc is what is known as a trace mineral and it is essential to the human body for a number of reasons that we have covered on this page. The two most effective ways of getting the appropriate amount of zinc into our bodies is to eat zinc rich food or to take regular zinc supplements. Zinc is not something that we need a huge amount of in our daily diets though.

How much zinc should I have a day?

Now that you know what zinc is and that the best source of it is through the items on the zinc rich foods list later on down the page, it is also going to be useful for you to know how much zinc to consume each day. It is important to remember that although zinc is something that is essential to the human body it should not be taken in large quantities on a regular basis as exceeding the recommended daily allowance can lead to zinc toxicity.

Below we have highlighted how much zinc you need each day:

• Infants 0-6 months - up to 2 mg of zinc per day
• Children 6 months to 3 years - 3 mg of zinc each day
• Children 4 to 8 years - 5 mg of zinc each day
• Children 9 to 13 years - 8 mg of zinc each day
• Males 14 years and over - 13 mg of zinc each day
• Females 14 and over - 11 mg of zinc each day, or 13-14 mg each day if lactating

As you can see the amount of zinc needed per day is fairly minimal. As we have already mentioned the best two ways to get the zinc that your body needs is through zinc rich food and zinc supplements. Although, many people like to use supplements as they are quick and easy and don't involve you having to buy a huge range or random zinc foods when you go shopping, it is important to bear in mind that the natural source of vitamins and minerals is always better for you than the zinc derived from supplements.

Why eat zinc foods?

There are several reasons why you should eat the zinc foods that are highlighted on the below zinc rich foods list and all of these are positive for the well being of your body. In this section we are going to cover some of the zinc benefits that these foods can bring you.

• Zinc helps to keep a healthy and responsive immune system
• Zinc plays a part in breaking down carbohydrates that provide us with energy
• Zinc helps the brain to function effectively
• Zinc helps with the healing of wounds
• Zinc is vital for growth
• Zinc is important to the development of the human body
• Zinc is crucial for cellular metabolism
• Zinc aids the release of hormones

If you don't eat zinc rich food or ensure that your zinc levels are regularly topped up by alternative methods such as zinc supplements, then there are going to be consequences for the body as it will be lacking in something that it needs. These consequences are highlighted below:

• Weakened immune system leaving you vulnerable to illness
• A zinc deficiency - For information on zinc deficiency symptoms please see below
• Anemia

We hope that you have been able to put the information in this section to good use and that it is clear why eating zinc foods is good for your body. You must be careful not to overdo it with your foods rich in zinc though because too much zinc can lead to zinc toxicity.

Zinc deficiency symptoms

Following on from the above section that talks about why it is a good idea to eat foods rich in zinc, we are now going to highlight what zinc deficiency symptoms are. If you think that you are suffering from a deficiency of zinc then you should contact your doctor. The best way to get the right amount of zinc is to eat foods with zinc in them or take regular zinc supplements.

The symptoms of zinc deficiency are:

The people that are most likely to suffer from zinc deficiency symptoms are pregnant women and vegetarians. If you have it confirmed that you are suffering for zinc deficiency then eating zinc foods is the way forward to change that, take a look at our zinc rich foods list below for more information on these.

Zinc rich foods list

Now we reach the main feature of this page, our zinc rich foods list. Here we have provided you with a wide range of foods that have zinc in them. The first list is a list of foods highest in zinc, if you are going to be consuming zinc rich foods then you should try and implement a couple of these foods into your daily diet. It is worth noting that the food with the most zinc in is oysters!

Foods highest in zinc

Other zinc rich foods

Most nuts such as:

Meats such as:

Also:

For an even bigger list of food rich in zinc please check our foods high in zinc page.

We really hope that our zinc rich foods list has been useful to you and that you now have a better understanding of the food sources of zinc. All of these foods can be found in most stores and supermarkets so look out for them next time you are doing your shopping.

More than foods rich in zinc

There is plenty more to our site than just information on zinc foods and a comprehensive zinc rich foods list. We have a wealth of free information on foods that contain all of the essential vitamins and minerals so if you are interested in foods rich in zinc then the chances are you are going to find these useful as well so please take the time to look around while you are online. If you want to eat healthy and provide your body with all of the natural nutrients it needs to work effectively then your time on this site will be well spent. But for now remember to eat zinc rich foods on a regular basis in order to avoid the not so appealing zinc deficiency symptoms and you will be just fine.