The following content is sponsored by the Teck
Zinc: A Life Saving Commodity
Zinc is crucial for body growth, brain development, and helps fight dangerous infections, especially in children.
However, the reality is that millions around the world lack sufficient zinc in their diets in order to live healthy lives.
This graphic, sponsored by Teck, shows how zinc supplementation could save millions of lives.
Why Zinc?
Zinc is a nutrient that plays many vital roles in human life. In fact, zinc is the second-most-abundant trace mineral in our bodies—after iron—and is present in every cell.
The mineral is required for numerous processes in the body, including:
- DNA creation
- Cell growth
- Protein building
- Healing tissues
- Supporting the immune system
Zinc is commonly added to some nasal sprays, lozenges, and other natural cold treatments.
The Challenge
Because the body doesn’t naturally produce zinc, we must obtain it through food or supplementation.
Fortunately, zinc is naturally found in a wide variety of both plant and animal foods, including meat, poultry, seafood, and nuts. We can also take zinc supplements or multi-vitamins which provide zinc. A diet that is too low in zinc however can cause several health issues.
Zinc deficiency affects 1.2 billion people worldwide today, according to UNICEF. In fact, one in four children are malnourished and at the risk of stunted growth and impaired development.
Furthermore, over half a million children die of diarrhea every year in developing countries in Asia and Africa, where clean drinking water, sanitation, and access (Read more...)
