Contents:
- Medical Video: Warning Signs That You're Zinc Deficient | Dr. Josh Axe
- What are the signs and symptoms of zinc deficiency?
- 1. Hair loss to baldness
- 2. Many pimples appear
- 3. The ability of the taste and smell senses decreases
- 4. Easy to get sick
- So how to overcome zinc deficiency?
Medical Video: Warning Signs That You're Zinc Deficient | Dr. Josh Axe
The body needs a variety of vitamins and minerals to function properly. One of the most important minerals is zinc. Even though it is needed in small amounts, one can still experience zinc deficiency. This condition will also cause various health problems. So, what are the symptoms of zinc deficiency that might occur?
What are the signs and symptoms of zinc deficiency?
1. Hair loss to baldness
Reported on the Prevention page, low zinc levels will make more hair fall out. Some cases such as people who experience alopecia, or autoimmune diseases also often experience hair loss, now this loss usually occurs because the body is experiencing zinc deficiency.
If you see these signs in yourself, don't panic immediately. There are many causes of more and more hair falling out. Look first for other signs and symptoms. In cases of severe zinc deficiency, the hair on the head can remain only a few strands on the scalp.
2. Many pimples appear
Some studies have found that taking medication or using topical drugs containing zinc can help get rid of zits. Researchers believe that zinc or zinc has anti-inflammatory properties, and can reduce the amount of oil and bacteria that trigger acne.
Even so, acne can actually be caused by a variety of things, not always people with acne due to lack of zinc.
If you have done treatment, modification of a healthy diet, stress control but still more and more, you should consult your doctor whether the acne is associated with zinc deficiency conditions.
3. The ability of the taste and smell senses decreases
An adequate amount of zinc in the body is needed to produce an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase, which is important for recognizing taste and smell. If zinc is lacking in the body it will have an effect on that enzyme.
Therefore, people who suffer from zinc deficiency will have difficulty tasting food because of decreased sensitivity to taste and odor stimulation. If you have this, your appetite can go down, and the food that comes in becomes less.
Research also shows that giving zinc-containing drugs to people who have a taste tasting disorder will stimulate parts of the brain that control food intake more actively. So zinc is considered as a mineral that plays a role in the response of smell and taste.
The risk of reduced ability to accept taste and odor is more common in older adults.
4. Easy to get sick
Don't ignore colds that don't go away, this could be a symptom of zinc deficiency. When you don't get enough zinc, the function of the immune response will decrease.
Because, zinc is an important mineral that activates T cells, cells that will function to control the immune response and attack germs are reported on the Medical News Today website. That's why if you lack zinc you can be very susceptible to various infectious diseases and last a long time.
So how to overcome zinc deficiency?
If the above signs occur, you should change your diet and consult a doctor to ascertain your condition. Consider eating more foods containing zinc:
- Red meat
- Poultry
- Grains
- Oyster
- Zinc fortified cereals
- Oatmeal
- Milk
Apart from food, you can also increase the amount of zinc in the body by taking zinc supplements. Zinc is quite easy to find in various special multivitamin or supplement supplements which are only dominantly containing zinc.
If you use supplements to increase the amount of zinc, you still need to be careful because zinc can interact with various antibiotics, arthritis drugs, and diuretics. Consult your doctor first if you use these drugs.
