Zinc gets enough attention lately. Besides proven crucial for immunity, there are so many children who turned out to lack this mineral.
Zinc is a important mineral that help to shape more than 300 enzymes and proteins. Zink involved in cell division, nucleic acid metabolism, and protein manufacturing. Zinc also helps working several hormones including fertility hormone, a hormone also produced by a gland in the brain, thyroid, adrenal, and thymus. For example, in the thymus gland hormones timulin to make the T lymphocytes will only be active when it binds to zinc. Whereas T cells are white blood cells forces that support the immune system. The hormone prolactin also requires zinc to stimulate breast milk and breast gland growth.
As powerful antioxidants, zinc can prevent cell damage and stabilize cell wall structure. Zinc plays a role in wound healing process by stimulating formation and removal of skin cells to the wound area.
Mild zinc deficiency can cause lack of appetite accompanied by weight loss, night blindness, and easily infected. Taste and smell can also be disrupted because of taste cells damaged by the reduced enzyme Carbonic anhydrase. It’s enzymes that can only be formed if there is zinc.
Zinc deficiency is causing poor growth, fertility hormone deficiency (hypogonadism), and slow healing wounds. The more weight, stunted symptoms, children are often sick because of the lack of white blood cells, glands timus shrinks, hair, skin and digestive disorders, diarrhea, and emotional disturbances. A recent report showed that zinc deficiency can lead to attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Today, zinc is also associated with AIDS treatment, cervical, prostate cancer and atherosclerosis.
In addition to its function, zinc can also cause poisoning. With a dose of 150-450 mg / day, visible deterioration in the status of other minerals such as copper (Cu), changes in the function of iron, merendahnya immune function, and low levels of good cholesterol (HDL).