One in three people in the UK fail to consume sufficient zinc in their diet. This is a truly horrendous statistic as zinc is necessary for the body to manufacture enzymes. Enzymes are vitally important to a healthy body. Deficiency symptoms include red, greasy skin on face; skin problems; poor hair growth; dandruff; night blindness; brittle nails; white spots on nails and persistent leg ulcers & pressure sores.
Zinc is a particularly important mineral for teenage boys and can often help with that teenage nightmare – acne.
So how do you know if you are short of zinc? If you’ve got an appalling diet you might just want to buy a high quality zinc supplement, but if you’re uncertain there’s a very simple test to show if you’re short of zinc. You taste a liquid solution of zinc and the taste you experience will show if you need to take a zinc supplement or up your intake of zinc rich foods (e.g. seeds, walnuts, lentils and whole grains).
