What are the benefits of zinc supplementation? There are so many effects

Calcium, iron, zinc and selenium are the four elements that people have heard of most often. The benefit of zinc supplementation is that it can help people develop, especially for growing children. Zinc is indispensable. Zinc supplementation can promote children's bone growth, brain development, improve immunity, and prevent the occurrence of diseases. Zinc supplementation can also increase children's appetite and enable better growth. Therefore, zinc supplementation is very important.

The requirement for zinc varies for different age groups. Infants aged 0-6 months only need 1.5 mg of zinc per day, and infants aged 7-12 months need 8 mg. Then, the demand for zinc increases slowly with age, reaching a maximum amount of 19 mg at the age of 14-18 years. Once you are over 18, your body's need for zinc decreases and only 11.5 mg per day is enough. Infants, children and adolescents grow and develop rapidly and have a high demand for zinc nutrition, but often their diet is not reasonable, resulting in insufficient zinc intake. The main effects of zinc deficiency in children include the following 7 aspects:

1. Promote children's growth and development

The essence of children's growth and development is the process of rapid cell division and growth. In this process, zinc works with many enzymes in the body, at least 80 kinds of enzymes. These enzymes are essential for our growth and development, such as phosphatase for bone growth. When zinc is deficient, the activity of the enzyme is reduced. Zinc-containing enzymes play an important catalytic role. Zinc is also widely involved in the synthesis and secretion of nucleic acids, proteins and growth hormones in the human body, and is the driving force for physical development. Giving children zinc supplementation first can promote the division, growth and regeneration of bone cells, lay a good foundation for the utilization of calcium, and accelerate the synthesis of alkaline phosphatase that regulates calcium absorption, which is more conducive to calcium absorption and deposition. Therefore, supplementing children with zinc first can achieve the goal of calcium supplementation with half the effort; if children are zinc deficient, not only will they not grow taller, but the supplemented calcium will also be easily lost. Therefore, if children and adolescents in the growth and development period are zinc deficient, they will suffer from developmental abnormalities. Severe deficiency can lead to dwarfism.

2. Affect children's intelligence

Zinc deficiency in the body will reduce the number of brain cells, especially during the fetal period to 3 years old. Zinc deficiency will affect brain development. According to relevant nutritional surveys, for some children with congenital idiocy, zinc deficiency is one of the important reasons after excluding genetic factors.

3. Affect children's appetite

Zinc deficiency can lead to a decreased sense of taste, anorexia, picky eating and even pica. When zinc is deficient, people often have poor appetite, slow growth, and generally do not eat well. Instead, they pick up pebbles, lime, and paper on the ground and eat them. This is called "eating strange foods."

4. Reduce children’s immunity

Zinc is a nutrient for the development of the immune organ thymus. Only sufficient zinc can effectively ensure the development of the thymus, normal differentiation of T lymphocytes and promotion of cellular immune function. Therefore, zinc deficiency will also reduce immune function and lead to frequent illness because zinc has a great influence on the bactericidal ability of phagocytes. Studies have shown that among children with recurrent respiratory infections, the proportion of zinc-deficient babies is significantly higher than that of normal babies.

5. Affect the healing of wounds and trauma

Zinc supplements were first used clinically to treat skin diseases. Clinically, it has been found that injured children’s wounds heal slowly when they are zinc deficient.

6. Affects the metabolism of vitamin A and normal vision

Zinc is clinically shown to be beneficial to the eyes because it promotes the absorption of vitamin A. Zinc is essential for the absorption of vitamin A. Vitamin A is usually stored in the liver. When the human body needs it, it is transported to the blood. This process is "mobilized" by zinc.

7. Affect the reproductive function of children when they grow up

Zinc is present in large quantities in male testicles and is involved in the entire process of sperm production, maturation and capacitation. Once men are zinc deficient, it will lead to a decrease in sperm count, decreased sperm motility, poor semen liquefaction, and ultimately male infertility. Zinc deficiency can also cause adolescents to have no secondary sexual characteristics and fail to develop normal reproductive development.