Zinc, often referred to as the “beauty mineral,” offers much more than just aesthetic benefits. Regular zinc intake through food can not only improve skin and hair, but also strengthen the immune system. Discover the best sources of this vital mineral.
Contents
- Good reasons to eat foods containing zinc
- Foods containing zinc: List of the best sources of zinc
- Oysters contain the most zinc
- Zinc in foods: grains and legumes
- Zinc in foods: meat and liver
- Seeds and nuts contain zinc
- Mmh... There's a lot of zinc in cheese!
Zinc is essential for life - and yet most of us are not really aware of zinc as a nutrient. After all, everyone talks about iron deficiency and how important vitamin C or A are for the body. Zinc is a very important trace element that the body cannot produce itself - but absolutely needs. That's why it needs to be fed regularly through foods containing zinc.
How much zinc per day is healthy?
Depending on your diet, getting enough zinc is surprisingly easy. An adult woman needs around 7-10 mg of zinc per day (pregnant and breastfeeding women need more), men around 11-16 mg. These reference values were provided by theGerman Society for Nutritionpublished.
Anyone who pays attention to a balanced and varied diet eats enough foods containing zinc to cover this need. Zinc is found in meat or cheese, for example. But vegetarians and vegans can also cover their zinc needs through oat flakes, whole wheat, nuts or seeds. However: The body can utilize zinc from animal foods better.
Good to know:
Certain food components cause increased zinc absorption in the intestine. These include vitamin C and proteins from animal foods. Vegetarians in particular can increase their zinc intake by cleverly combining their foods. Our tip: simply add a splash of lemon juice to your food, or combine zinc-containing plant-based foods with animal protein such as eggs, yoghurt, etc.
Reading tips:
Good reasons to eat foods containing zinc
Zinc works small miracles in the body. On the one hand, it ensures that skin and hair look beautiful - which is what many women and men want. Zinc is also a valuable helper in defending against germs because it strengthens the immune system. So if you often suffer from colds, you should make sure to not only take the classic portion of vitamin C, but also zinc. Zinc is also involved in numerous metabolic processes.
Zinc deficiency is rare in Germany because there are many foods containing zinc that most of us eat regularly. However, if the diet is very unbalanced, deficiency can occur. Typical symptoms of zinc deficiency are: lack of motivation, weight loss, poor concentration or an increased susceptibility to illness. Hair loss or skin problems can also indicate a zinc deficiency.
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Foods containing zinc: List of the best sources of zinc
Oysters contain the most zinc
When it comes to foods containing zinc, oysters are by far the absolute front runner. There are oysters in the 100 g portion22 mg Zink! Other seafood can't even begin to keep up: 100 g of scallops only contain around 2 mg of zinc and crabs just 2.2 mg per 100 g.
Zinc in foods: grains and legumes
Most people eat wheat as flour that is made into bread or pasta. However, in this form it contains little zinc. As wheat germ or even wheat bran it looks completely different.
100 g wheat germ: 8.6 mg zinc
100 g wheat bran: 9 mg zinc
In everyday life, wild rice can also be cooked well as a side dish to all dishes. It's worth it, because wild rice provides an impressive 6 mg of zinc per 100 g.
If you eat a portion of oatmeal for breakfast every day, you are doing something really good for your body. The breakfast cereals not only contain a lot of iron and protein, but also have a high zinc content. There are 4 mg of zinc in 100 g of oat flakes. The other types of grain cannot keep up.
For inspiration:
When it comes to legumes, soybeans are number one when it comes to zinc content:
100 g soybeans: 4.2 mg zinc
100 g lentils: 3.4 mg zinc
Did you know? Legumes such as lentils not only contain a lot of zinc, but also plenty of iron! So they should be an integral part of your diet.
Zinc in foods: meat and liver
When it comes to foods rich in zinc, meat is generally a good source. Veal and beef contain a particularly high amount of zinc with up to 4.8 mg zinc per 100 g. Fried rump steak provides the most zinc, 5.9 mg per 100 g.
Anyone who likes to eat liver should go for it if this delicacy is on the menu and he or she wants to do something for the immune system. Liver is a very good source of zinc:
100 g Kalbsleber: 6,1 mg Zink
100 g Lammleber: 3,9 mg Zink
100 g beef liver: 4.8 mg zinc
100 g pork liver: 6.5 mg zinc
100 g chicken liver: 3.2 mg zinc
100 g Lammkeule: 3,7 mg Zink
100 g medium-fat pork: 2.3 mg zinc
100 g chicken wings: 1.3 mg zinc
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These are the 50 healthiest foods
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Strawberries
Strawberries contain a lot of folic acid, which helps the body form new cells.
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Walnuts
Walnuts are good sources of folic acid and contain some B vitamins. They are good for your nerves and brain, real brain food.
Seeds and nuts contain zinc
Seeds and kernels not only provide a lot of magnesium, they also contain a lot of zinc. The frontrunners are pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and sesame and poppy seeds.
100 g pumpkin seeds: 6.1 mg zinc
100 g sunflower seeds: 5.7 mg zinc
100 g pine nuts: 4.2 mg zinc
100 g Mohnsamen: 8 mg Zink
100 g Sesame together: 7.7 mg Zinc
100 g chia seeds: 4.6 mg zinc
Peanuts, walnuts or cashews: Given the huge variety of nuts, Brazil nuts are a little overlooked. But we should eat them more often because they are foods that contain a lot of zinc. There are 4 mg of zinc in 100 g. However, the pecan, which is so popular in the USA, is the front runner with around 5.3 mg of zinc per 100 g.
The other types of nuts contain slightly less zinc:
100 g Cashews: 2,1 mg Zink
100 g peanuts: 2.8 mg zinc
100 g hazelnuts: 1.9 mg zinc
100 g walnuts: 2.7 mg zinc
100 g almonds: 2.2 mg zinc
Even more reasons to incorporate nuts into your daily diet: Superfood nuts: That's why walnuts, peanuts, etc. are so healthy
Mmh... There's a lot of zinc in cheese!
Fancy a cheese sandwich? Bring it on! Cheese belongs to the group of foods containing zinc. How much zinc is contained varies greatly from variety to variety. Hard and moldy cheeses have a significantly higher zinc content than, for example, cream cheese.
100 g Parmesan (45 % Fett): 5,8 mg Zink
100 g blue cheese (50% fat): 5 mg zinc
100 g Allgäu hard cheese: 4.1 mg zinc
100 g Butterkäse (30 % Fett): 4,7 mg Zink
100 g Emmentaler: 5,8 mg Zink
100 g Gouda: 4,2 mg Zink
Important NOTE:This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace a medical diagnosis. If you have any uncertainties, urgent questions or acute symptoms, you should contact your doctor or ask for advice at the pharmacy. The medical on-call service can be reached via the nationwide number 116117.
