Zinc and Your Health: Vegan Zinc Sources and Their Benefits

Zinc is an essential mineral that plays an active role in everything from immune health to wound healing. Here’s what you need to know about why you need zinc and vegan zinc sources for plant-based eaters.

As cold and flu season approaches, you may be wondering how you can support your immune system. Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a key role in immune health. But that’s not the only reason you need zinc in your diet.

Zinc is essential, which means your body cannot make this mineral on its own. In order to meet your needs you must consume zinc daily. However, according to data published in Nutrients, about 15% of Americans don’t get enough zinc.

Zinc Requirements by Population

Zinc requirements can vary slightly from person to person.

General Population: The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for zinc for adults 19+ years is 11 mg a day for men and 8 mg a day for women.
Pregnancy & Lactation: Zinc needs increase slightly during pregnancy (11 mg per day) and lactation (12 mg per day).
Athletes: As a plant-based sports dietitian, zinc is top of mind when I work with athletes, since this nutrient is important for energy production and muscle repair. Athletes may have higher zinc requirements since intense exercise triggers zinc loss in urine and sweat.
Plant-Based Eaters: Those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet may need to increase their zinc intake by as much as 50% more than the RDA per some research. Zinc absorption from plants is lower than that of animal-based sources, but there are still plenty of foods that can provide adequate zinc for vegetarians and vegans.

4 Health Benefits of Zinc

Even though zinc is a trace mineral, it’s found in every cell in your body and it’s required for the activity of more than 300 enzymes. These enzymes are involved in critical functions, like DNA and protein synthesis, cellular growth, metabolism, nerve function, healthy digestion, and more. Here is a recap of a few of the primary functions of zinc.

1. Immune Health

Zinc plays an active role in supporting a healthy immune system in a few ways. First, it helps maintain physical barriers, like your skin, so pathogens can’t enter your body. Zinc also aids in the formation of germ-fighting white blood cells. Researchers from this 2020 study in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases linked low zinc levels to worse complications and longer hospital stays for those admitted with COVID-19.

2. Brain Health

Zinc supports brain health. A review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences found that changes in zinc balance within the brain may affect age-related cognitive decline, depression, and Alzheimer's disease.

3. Wound Healing

Adequate zinc is important for every step of the wound healing process, from blood clotting to immune defense and skin tissue formation. Low zinc status in hospital patients is tied to longer wound healing time and increased healthcare costs according to this 2018 review in Nutrients.

4. Reduced Inflammation

Acute inflammation is a healthy and necessary reaction in the body. But when inflammation lingers and becomes chronic, it increases your risk of diseases, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Researchers believe that low zinc status is connected to higher levels of inflammation per this 2017 review from Journal of Physiological Sciences.

Vegan Zinc Sources

Although beef, poultry, and dairy are rich in zinc, you can still meet your zinc requirements with plant-based foods. Plant-based foods that are highest in zinc are nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and whole grains. There are a few vegetables with zinc, but you won’t really find many zinc rich fruits. The following are some of the best plant sources of zinc.

Zinc in Nuts (and Seeds)

Sesame seeds (¼ cup) = 3.3 mg
Pumpkin seeds (1 oz) = 2.2 mg
Cashews (1 oz) = 1.6 mg
Tahini (2 tablespoons) = 1.4 mg

Zinc in Fruits and Vegetables

Spinach (1 cup cooked) = 1.4 mg
Broccoli (1 cup chopped, cooked) = 0.8 mg
Avocado (½ avocado) = 0.5 mg

Zinc in Beans and Legumes

Vegetarian baked beans (1 cup) = 5.8 mg
Lentils (1 cup cooked) = 2.6 mg
Chickpeas (1 cup cooked) = 2.5 mg

Zinc in Whole Grains

Oatmeal (1 cup cooked) = 1.5 mg
Quinoa (½ cup cooked) = 1 mg

Tips for Increasing Zinc Availability in Plant-Based Foods

A common concern about relying on plant-based foods for zinc is that the mineral is less bioavailable due to the presence of compounds called phytates in plant foods.

Soaking and Sprouting: you can reduce the binding of zinc to the phytic acid compounds in foods naturally high in phytates (like beans) by soaking or sprouting them.
Fermentation: another strategy for partially destroying phytates in foods is fermentation. For example, this process makes the zinc in tempeh more absorbable.

Are Vegans Zinc Deficient?

Some researchers suggest that plant-based eaters should consume as much as 50% more than the RDA for zinc due to reduced absorption rates. However, one of the most recent studies that reviewed the zinc intake of vegans found that those studied had normal blood zinc levels (although they were on the lower end of normal). This may be because adults can adapt to a plant-based diet in ways that help optimize zinc status. These include upping zinc absorption and retention.

Signs of Zinc Deficiency

Since zinc plays an active role in many different functions throughout the body, signs of a zinc deficiency can affect anything from your immune system to your skin and bones.

Here are a few common signs of zinc deficiency per a 2020 review in Cereus.

Impaired immune function (getting sick more often)
A diminished sense of taste and smell along with reduced appetite
Slow wound healing
Diarrhea
Slow growth in infants and children

Who’s at Risk for Zinc Deficiency

Those at the highest risk for zinc deficiency include individuals with:

Sickle cell disease
Gastrointestinal (GI) disease
A history of bariatric surgery—a type of weight loss surgery
A vegan diet that's heavy in legumes and whole grains
People who are pregnant or lactating

What about Zinc Supplements?

Although zinc is important for a healthy immune system, the research is mixed on the effectiveness of taking zinc supplements to prevent or treat the common cold. A 2020 review from BMJ Open noted that taking zinc supplements may shorten colds by about two days and may have a modest effect on the severity of cold symptoms. More research is needed to determine the best dose and form of zinc for the common cold.

The most common supplements are zinc gluconate, picolinate, acetate, and citrate. They come in a variety of forms, such as lozenges, capsules, or drops. It’s important to note that zinc can interact with medications and other supplements and people with certain medical conditions should be cautious about taking zinc. Excess zinc can also cause nausea, vomiting, weakened immune function, lower “good” HDL cholesterol, and more.

In light of the potential risks of zinc supplements, the NIH recommends obtaining zinc through food. One of the benefits of hitting the zinc target with food is that many zinc-rich foods also provide other key nutrients, like protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Bottom Line on Incorporating Vegan Zinc Sources

Zinc may be a trace mineral, but it plays an important role in everything from wound healing to keeping your immune system strong. Athletes may have increased zinc needs due to higher zinc loss and plant-based eaters may need more zinc to balance reduced absorption rates. Rather than supplements, focus on regularly consuming a variety of plant-based foods rich in zinc, like those listed in this article.

If you have questions about getting enough zinc on a plant-based diet, schedule an individual nutrition coaching session.

References:

Reider, C. A., Chung, R. Y., Devarshi, P. P., Grant, R. W., & Hazels Mitmesser, S. (2020). Inadequacy of Immune Health Nutrients: Intakes in US Adults, the 2005-2016 NHANES. Nutrients, 12(6), 1735. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061735.
Venderley, A. M., & Campbell, W. W. (2006). Vegetarian diets: nutritional considerations for athletes. Sports Medicine, 36(4), 293+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A200844010/AONE?u=googlescholar&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=57d2f157
Dietary reference intakes for vitamin A, vitamin K, arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium, and zinc. (2001). In National Academies Press eBooks. https://doi.org/10.17226/10026.
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Weikert, C., Trefflich, I., Menzel, J., Obeid, R., Longree, A., Dierkes, J., Meyer, K., Herter-Aeberli, I., Mai, K., Stangl, G. I., Müller, S., Schwerdtle, T., Lampen, A., & Abraham, K. (2020). Vitamin and mineral status in a vegan diet. Deutsches Arzteblatt International. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2020.0575
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