How Zinc Helps to Combat Allergies – Its Symptoms and RDA Limit

Zinc is an essential trace mineral which needed in a very small amount for maintaining and boosting overall human health. Though this vital mineral plays an important role in combating many severe health concerns, it is primarily known for its immunity function, wound healing and protein synthesis.

Allergy is the most common health concern which primarily develops due to a weaker immune response to the allergens existing in an environment such as pollen, animal dander, mold spores, dust mites, etc. As most of the allergy treating medications are associated with side effect risk so people consider zinc for treating allergies as a safe alternative treatment method.

It is found in researches that zinc supplementation usage in children as well as in adults brings relaxation in several health issues which develop due to zinc deficiency in the body along with combating allergies.

Some common forms of allergies which can be relived through this safe alternative remedy i.e. Zinc supplement, include asthma, hay fever, sinus congestion, runny nose, sneezing, itchy throat, and eyes, etc.

Zinc plays an important role in supporting your immunity system in the body as well as metabolic functions. It is required in the human body for proper growth and maintenance. Moreover, it is also needed for balanced thyroid function, blood clotting, wound healing, etc.

So people who are deficient in this important trace mineral shows symptoms such as slow growth rate(very common in children), loss of appetite, severe hair fall, skin itching and dryness, poor sense of smell and taste, low insulin level, nausea, diarrhea, the slow wound healing process, irritation etc.

Intestine disorders which include interference with food absorption process also known as Malabsorption syndromes, chronic kidney failure, alcoholism, chronic debilitating diseases, etc. are associated with moderate zinc deficiency.

As the human body is not structured in a way that it can store an excess amount of zinc so it must be consumed directly and regularly as an essential part of the meal. Some common zinc food sources include seafood, meats, whole grains, nuts, dairy products, etc.

Daily Doses of Zinc for Good Health

The daily requirement for zinc for maintaining a stable health condition depends on two primary factors one is gender and the second one is aging.

For men aging 14 and above, recommended dietary allowance for zinc is 11 milligrams in a day and 8 milligrams for women aging 19 and above in a day. The RDA limit of zinc for pregnant women aging 19 and above is 11 milligrams per day.

How Zinc Helps to Combat Allergies

Zinc is known for its versatile properties for health such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-allergic, anti-apoptotic, etc. which are essential for overall human health. This is the reason why a deficiency of this important mineral causes the growth of several kinds of allergic reactions in the body.

Zinc plays an important role in protecting airway epithelium. So when zinc deficiency happens it can cause epithelial damaging resulting in inflammation in the respiratory tract appears.

One research on a group of allergic children showed in its report that about 35% of children of this group were detected with a low level of hair zinc which triggers their allergy more than the usual amount.

Another study on zinc deficiency symptoms cleared that adults who detected with a low level of dietary zinc sources have a high risk of allergic reactions, increased level of bronchial reactivity, atopy, etc.

Apart from this a significant reduction in plasma, serum, erythrocyte or hair zinc level contributes to the growth of many allergic symptoms such as airway diseases, skin allergy, pathogenesis, etc. in the affected person.

The below mentioned points will clear better how zinc mineral plays an important role to combat different types of allergies.

Anti-inflammatory Effect

Zinc regulates the action of many inflammatory cytokines which are responsible for employing some inflammatory cells in the lungs. This is the reason most of the airway allergies or inflammation develops under the condition of zinc deficiency.

This particularly happens because a low level of zinc existence is associated with an increased level of eosinophilia which exists in respiratory tract lumen. The eosinophils are known for its highly activated properties which secrets a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic proteins which helps to combat the inflammatory reaction.

This kind of allergic airway inflammation can be reduced with the help of zinc supplementation as it significantly reduces the level of eosinophils and other similar inflammatory cells resulting in the inflammatory response get less severe.

Alleviate Allergies

It is proved in researches that a low level of dietary zinc intake is associated with significant risk for the growth of many types of allergies. Just like the deficiency of other essential nutrients, zinc deficiency in the body is found responsible for asthma and other kinds of allergic growth and response.

However, the said study was based on a randomized selection so the allergic response out of the zinc deficiency was not fully cleared or understood.

Protects from Oxidative Damages

Zinc is an integral part of some vital anti-oxidant enzymes in the body such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase so it automatically contains the antioxidant features or properties.

This is the reason it is a vital antioxidant element in the structure of skin and airway epithelium which protects them against severe skin allergies and asthma symptoms.

It Aids in Immune Functions

Zinc is a vital trace mineral which is important for nutrition and good health purpose. It supports and promotes many organs of the human body but out of its range of functions, its importance for supporting normal immune function is a vital one.

As per the report of the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, zinc deficiency in children and adults is associated with immunity dysfunction.

Asthma disease which is mostly linked with other types of allergies such as cold & flu, pneumonia, etc. occurs primarily because of zinc of deficiency problem in mother which further transmitted to children during the birth process. So the affected child develops asthma problem since birth.

Anti-apoptotic Action

The unusual increase of apoptosis, epithelial cells in the respiratory tract causes to develop pathogenesis of asthma. However, this issue can be combated through zinc supplementation as because this essential trace mineral contain anti-apoptotic properties which inhibit apoptosis in the airway epithelium.

With the anti-apoptotic effect of zinc mineral, it provides protection to respiratory tract epithelial morality as it prevents the caspase 3 activation and disintegration of protein which supports to the intercellular connection.

Common Zinc Sources

Animal foods are the abundant source of zinc mineral which includes red meat, liver, and poultry. The plant sources of zinc include Brazil nuts, pecans, whole grains, pumpkin seeds, ginger root, etc. However, some of the zinc in these plant sources are overwhelmed by their phytates and fiber contents.

Moreover, some of the zinc content of these plant as well as animal food sources are depleted in the cooking procedures as because it is easily soluble in water.

Apart from these sources zinc is also readily available in supplement forms which help in reducing zinc deficiency issues in the body with its proper intake.

Symptoms of Zinc Deficiency

Zinc is a vital trace mineral which is needed in a very small quantity to keep your health in proper balance and for boosting growth hormones in the body. However, most of the people around the world are zinc deficit but the sad truth is that they are not even aware of their condition.

This is because it takes time to get a person’s condition worst if he or she is a victim of zinc deficiency. So to solve this issue below we have enlisted some most common signs or symptoms which are indicators of zinc deficiency so that you can start taking necessary steps in this regard before your health get worst.

Weak Immune Function

Zinc is an essential element for maintaining the immune function in the body so when its scarcity happens it started to reflect its impact on different section or group of works which are conducted by body’s immune function.

In the cases of zinc deficiency, the protective functions of the cell membranes get depleted. Also, it affects the gene transcription work which is the first stage of gene expression.

Moreover, it impacts the structure and functioning of white blood cells which is necessary to fight with diseases as a result of it the affected person get a victim of frequent allergic and other diseases.

The condition of the patient doesn’t improve completely even after the treatment unless this zinc deficit is completed through dietary or supplement sources of zinc.

Other than that zinc is an important part of proteins and slew of hormone which play an important role in balancing good mood and overall immune function.

Weak Neurological Performance

Zinc mineral is not only essential for the body’s immune function but it is equally vital for the proper growth and development of the body. This is the reason anyone suffering from zinc deficiency can develop a poor neuro-psychologogic condition which can easily reflect from his behavior, performance in academic and carrier field.

Mostly the children are its highest victim who absolutely needs zinc mineral at the very initial stages of their life for appropriate neurological growth. Low level of zinc creates attention issue and motor disorders in infants group which remain as it is in their adolescence stage too.

As per the research report published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, by including only 50% zinc supplement of daily RDA limit one can improve attention and other neurological disorders at a very significant level.

However, in this context, the consultation with a doctor is necessary as self-dose of zinc supplement can even create a negative impact on infants and children.

Frequent Allergies

Zinc deficiency is linked with a range of allergies in the body which appears in a very frequent schedule and difficult to ward off completely. This particularly happens because a low level of zinc in body impacts different important functions in the body resulting in poor performance of the affected organs.

Zinc and other important minerals deficiency can also happen in the body due to chronic stress which leads to adrenal fatigue resulting in growth of histamine levels. Zinc is an important element which impacts your body’s storage of histamine.

So when the level of zinc reduces in the body, more amount of histamine started to release in its surrounding tissue’s fluids which causes to develop different types of allergies such as sneezing, hives, running nose.

Also the sensitivity level of the body towards an allergic growth increases due to high levels of histamine, resulting in the condition of the affected person get worse than other people whose body have enough level of zinc mineral.

Frequent Skin Issues

The scarcity of appropriate zinc level in the body affects directly to the gut health of the affected person which is linked with the skin appearance and its health too. As a result of it, the affected person may develop skin rashes which often turns in to acne problem in the skin.

Hair Thinning

A prolonged zinc deficiency problem is associated with the hypothyroidism disease which causes hair thinning issue in the victim. As per the doctors, thyroid hormone is necessary for zinc absorption.

This is the reason hair thinning or hair loss problem caused by hypothyroidism doesn’t get improve unless a proper dose of zinc supplement is provided to the affected person.

Leaky Gut

Zinc deficiency causes a leaky gut issue in the affected person which develops its symptoms in the form of allergies, skin disorders, thyroid disease, auto-immune disease, nutrient malabsorption, etc.

The patients (leaky gut) have shown an appreciable rate of improvement after adding zinc supplementation in their daily intake as it helps to tighten their leaky gut problem.

The zinc deficiency increases the risk factors of many complicated health concerns along with triggering different types of allergies in different organs.

So it is very important that as soon as you notice the symptoms of this essential mineral deficiency, you start to take the dietary and supplement sources of zinc for treating allergies and other health concerns after consulting with the doctor.

[expand title=”View Article Sources“]

• https://medcraveonline.com/MOJI/MOJI-01-00005
• https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-982/zinc
• https://draxe.com/zinc-deficiency/

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