Zinc can help human cells divide. If zinc is lacking, people will become night blind. Zinc can also make people smart. Scientists tested mice, and a group of mice taking extra zinc found the exit of the maze faster than the control group.
If people are injured or undergo surgery, zinc can transport protein, which constitutes new cells, and collagen combined with these new cells to the injured site in large quantities and quickly, thus accelerating wound healing. Experiments in the hospital proved that a group of surgical patients who took zinc tablets were discharged from hospital on average 18 days after operation, while the control group was 37 days, with a difference of 19 days.
Zinc is an indispensable ingredient for healthy skin. It can also treat acne and acne on the face and various papules and acne. Doctors in Sweden conducted an experiment. They gave acne patients 135 mg of zinc. After three months, the acne of these patients was reduced by 70%. They also conducted another experiment in which patients were divided into three groups and given zinc, vitamin A and zinc plus vitamin A respectively. After three months of treatment, the acne of patients in the first and third groups decreased by 80%, while the acne of patients in the second group decreased by only 30%.
Zinc can also increase people's taste for sweetness and reduce sugar intake, so it is also a means of losing weight. Some chocolate addicts use a "zinc diet" for treatment.
Zinc can also be used with vitamin B6 to treat schizophrenia.
The human body does not need much zinc every day, generally 15 mg is enough, but there are still many people who are short of zinc, especially athletes and heavy manual workers in strenuous exercise and endurance events, who can sweat several liters per hour, and each drop of sweat contains a small amount of zinc. If these people don't take zinc tablets, it's not enough to just absorb zinc from food. According to the survey of American long-distance runners, 23% people have low zinc content. In addition, many foods will lose a lot of zinc during processing. For example, the content of zinc in canned food is less, 75% of white flour is lost during processing, and zinc in food with high copper content is squeezed out. Taking birth control pills can also affect the absorption of zinc.
Foods rich in zinc include seafood (oysters are the most abundant), beef, poultry, beans, nuts (such as walnuts), melon seeds, malt and so on.