25 foods high in Zinc
by Futurescopes Research Team
You might have seen it in chemistry class, one of the first metals when memorizing the periodic table, an essential trace element, which is needed in small amounts for our health. When you hear its name, you might recall those TV commercials and the big amount of products with Zinc. This element needs to be consumed in small amounts every day so it can keep you heathy and preventing any sort of infection. It also helps to lots of diseases regarding our senses, especially our sight, and our taste. Being low in Zinc can distort your sight as consequence of a change in your retina. Also, it boosts your immune system and makes wounds heal better and prevents your skin from getting dry or rough.
You can see it everywhere, as stated before, so it's not that hard to find it in many different products and fortified foods throughout the US. Here's a list with 25 foods you can eat to increase your zinc levels and keep yourself healthy.
- Oysters
This bivalve mollusk is rich in Zinc, and tasty as well, really expensive food sometimes. They have 90.9 mg for each 100 g, a big amount compared with other food sources. Oysters are eaten by many cultures worldwide and work as a powerful aphrodisiac.
- Fortified Cereals
These cereals are good for an exercise diet and for kids and adolescents since they are enriched with a variety of vitamins and minerals, also they taste good with milk or dry. 15 mg for each 100 mg.
- Wheat Germ
This is a part of the kernel, and helps the plant by making them reproduce and spawn new wheat. 12.2 mg for each 100 g. It's not found in processed wheat products like flour or bread. You can often see it in foods like granola, toppings of yogurt and even buy it raw.
- Beef Chuck
Also known as Chuck steak is a primal cut of beef and a very hard to cut part, been a challenge to both butchers and chefs, since it’s a part of the shoulder section, also it has a lot of connections because of collagen. 11.4 mg for each 100 g, although is tough and a bit chewy, it's really deep flavored.
- Sesame flour
A slightly sweet and aromatic bread rich in minerals, also it's gluten-free, so allergic people can enjoy. 10.7 mg for each 100 g. It's a great alternative for almond flour, and perfect for pizza and biscuits, so you really can eat a gluten-free pizza.
- Pumpkin and squash seeds
They have 10 mg of zinc for each 100 g. These seeds are alkaline-forming, and that's not all, they are the only seeds that are like that.
- Watermelon seeds
It's a fun play as kids, and even adults like to spit the watermelon seeds while eating them. But instead of spitting them to the ground, why don't you spit it into a recipient? You can do lots of things with those. They have 10.2 mg of zinc for each 100 g. When roasted, they are crispy and there you have a healthy snack.
- Hemp seeds
When talking about nutritious seed, hemp seeds are the first option if available. They have a concentrated balance, essential fats and vitamins, some people call them the perfect nature food. 9.9 mg for each 100 g. Eating them raw can have a lot of benefits, like weight loss and sustaining energy.
- Beef loin
Also called Beef tenderloin, is the most tender cut of meat, and as if it wasn't obvious, the most expensive. 9.8 mg of zinc for each 100 g.
- Chervil
It's really common on restaurants in France, also called French Parsley. Has a mild flavor and it is used mostly in egg foods. 8.8 mg for each 100 g.
- Whey protein powder isolate
A common beverage for athletes to gain more muscle and absorb more protein. 8.7 mg for each 100 g. It's surprising how much research it takes to formulate a great whey protein, and some of them are unusually high in zinc as well.
- Lamb
If you think "there's no way a red meat can be healthy!" Well, it has a bad reputation, but you're wrong. Lamb can be a really good source of nutrients and protein when eaten in moderation. It has 8.6 mg of zinc for each 100 g.
- Deer meat
The reason you drive with extra care in forest areas is also a good source of zinc, containing 8.6 mg for each 100 g. The most consumed of the 34 species of deer is the venison, though there are too many choices.
- Poppy seed
An ancient ingredient, it has been harvested by various civilizations through hundreds of years. They have 7.9 mg of zinc for each 100 g, and they look like a kidney when observed carefully, though they're really small. Can be used for rusk and bagels.
- Eggs
They are parts of many recipes and foods we consume, and give us lots of benefits just by eating it raw or cooked alone. They have 7.7 mg of zinc for each 100 g, and besides zinc, it has a lot of trace nutrients.
- Shiitake
It's also called Shiitake Mushroom. This is a food that people in Asia has been eating for hundreds of years. Not because it's the only thing, but because it's good, and it’s a really accessible food. It has 7.6 mg of zinc for each 100 g.
- Crab
A popular option in a sea food menu. Crab holds 7.6 mg of zinc for each 100 g, It's tenderness and taste are really mesmerizing, and it has the ability to increase cognition, reduce inflammation and detoxifying the body. Crab tastes really good, and it's an alternative if you can't afford lobsters.
- Lobster
A popular choice if you have enough money to splurge in sea food. Has 7.2 mg of zinc for each 100 g. The most famous crustacean, and considered a luxury food in lots of places.
- Basil
Part of a mint family, besides oregano and rosemary, basil is a nutrient-dense herb. It has 7.1 mg of zinc for each 100 g. Basil adds flavor to a lot of foods, also its oil prevents a lot of health conditions.
- Celery seed
A source of diverse minerals and vitamins, used a lot for its anti-hypertensive purposes in ancient times. Celery seeds have 6.9 mg of zinc for each 100 g, and it also lowers cholesterol, tastes good with salmon and helps lower weight.
- Powder cocoa
A really important part of chocolate, the one that makes chocolate be what it is, actually. Holds 6.8 mg of zinc for each 100 g. It can be drunk and used to treat depression or as an antioxidant.
- Peanuts
They provide a lot of health benefits and tastes good. Peanuts have 6.6 mg of zinc for each 100 g, and they help decreasing cardiovascular diseases.
- Thyme
Another herb from the mint family, this one has a distinctive taste, and provides 6.1 mg of zinc for each 100 g. Besides being used in cuisine, thyme has a positive effect against acne.
- Parsley
A herb used since thousands of years by Greek and Romans. It has 6.1 mg of zinc for each 100 g, and helps controlling cancer, diabetes and arthritis, as an examples of many diseases and health conditions.
- Rice bran
Along with the germ, bran is a nutritional content obtained by the harvest of rice. It has 6 mg of zinc for each 100 g.
References:
- All values taken from USDA Food Composition Database.
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