Zinc is a mineral that is essential for maintaining the sense of smell. In addition, zinc is also needed to help keep the immune system running smooth.
Zinc helps build proteins, create DNA and trigger enzymes. Zinc is also responsible for communication among the cells of the body because it works as a neurotransmitter.
Not eating enough zinc foods could lead to a zinc deficiency. A zinc deficiency could result in diarrhea, loss of appetite, hair loss, weakened immunity, impotence, lesions on the skin and eyes as well as stunted growth.
On the other hand, consuming a high amount of zinc may lead to a disruption in the absorption of iron and zinc. Too much zinc can also lead to an increase in the amount of toxic free radicals.
The Following Foods Contain High Levels of Zinc
The current recommended daily amount of zinc is fifteen milligrams.
Here is a list of the top 10 zinc foods:
1) Chocolate and Cocoa Powder
More and more healthy benefits to eating chocolate are being discovered. In fact, dark chocolate is becoming all the rave. Unsweetened chocolate that is used for baking contains almost ten milligrams of zinc in every hundred gram serving, which is close to sixty-five percent of the daily recommended amount.
Every hundred gram serving of cocoa powder contains almost forty percent. Even a hundred gram milk chocolate bar, which is a favorite among zinc foods, contains seven percent of the recommended daily amount.
2) Dried Watermelon Seeds
Dried watermelon seeds are one of the most popular zinc foods in East Asia as well as in the Middle East. They should be easy to find in local specialty stores that cater to such cultures. You can eat the seeds raw if you prefer; simply shell them or eat whole.
A hundred gram serving of dried watermelon seeds makes up seventy percent of the daily recommended amount of zinc.
3) Lamb
Becoming more and more popular in North and South America, lamb is already a favorite among zinc foods in Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. A hundred gram serving of lamb can contain up to fifty-eight percent of the recommended daily amount of zinc.
4) Low-fat Roast Beef
You can get as much as seventy percent of the daily recommended amount of zinc from a hundred gram serving of low-fat shank, shoulder or chuck.
5) Oysters
The amount of zinc you get from oysters varies according to the variety and type. However, a hundred gram serving of oysters can provide anywhere from one hundred to one thousand percent of the recommended daily amount, making it one of the richest zinc foods.
6) Peanuts
With some zinc foods, such as peanuts, you have to watch your portions. One hundred grams of dry roasted peanuts provides twenty-two percent of the RDA, while oil roasted has as much as forty-four percent.
7) Roasted Squash or Pumpkin Seeds
These tasty zinc foods can be found at your local grocery store or in East Asian or Middle Eastern specialty stores. They provide seventy percent of the RDA of zinc in ever hundred gram serving.
8) Sesame Butter or Sesame Flour
Sesame products are excellent zinc foods, containing up to seventy percent of the recommended amount.
9) Veal Liver
All types of live are full of minerals and vitamins, but veal is the richest in zinc with over eighty percent of the recommended daily amount. Try it with fried onions and a variety of herbs.
10) Wheat Germ
A hundred gram serving of toasted wheat germ contains more than a hundred percent of the recommended daily amount of zinc. If you prefer untoasted wheat germ, you can still get more than eight percent of the recommended amount.
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