Food rich in zinc

Food that contains a lot of zinc

LIST OF ZINC RICH FOODS

What foods are richer in zinc?

Zinc is an essential mineral involved in many metabolic processes because it constitutes a large group of enzymes. It is necessary for the growth of children, for reproduction and fertility, for prostate problems, to increase defenses, and for the senses of smell and taste.

Generally the diet is sufficient to get the daily requirements of this mineral, since it is a micronutrient.

How much is too much or too little zinc?

Below is the list of foods rich in zinc, both in an animal or a vegetarian diet.

As reference values, one can choose, for example, the daily recommendations of zinc, which are 15 mg for an adult.

Animal foods with a lot of zinc

Among zinc foods we will highlight:

  • Protein foods of animal origin are the richest in zinc, such as meats, fish, eggs, and dairy. Of these, oysters stand out, which are the richest food in this mineral.

Photo of marine food

Photo of marine food. Seafood is the food richest in zinc, and to it this mineral owes its popularity as an aphrodisiac food

Food of plant origin with a lot of zinc

Plant foods provide smaller amounts of zinc than animal products.

The overall diet and consistency in consuming foods rich in zinc in a long time guarantees good levels of this mineral in the body.

Other plant foods rich in zinc:

Photo of sesame

Photo of sesame. The seeds are very rich in zinc

Among the richest foods in this mineral is, besides seafood: cheeses, eggs, milk, legumes (especially beans, soy, tofu and peas) and nuts such as pistachios.

List with the zinc content of food

In the following table you can see the zinc content per 100 gr.:

FoodContent zinc

in mg per 100g.

Mollusks, oysters60
Crustaceans7
Aromatic herbs, garlic6
Chicken and poultry meat5
Seeds of sesame and pumpkin seeds

(Without salt and without frying)

6
Cheese4
Nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds4
Oats meal3,5
Whole pasta3
Coconut pulp2
Non-whole pasta1,4
Egg1,2
Blue fish, salmon1
White rice1
Soy beans1
Dry fruit, dry apricots1
Milk1
Vegetables0,5-1,3
Fresh fruits0,5 o inferior

Attention! The zinc content is expressed per 100g. Therefore, the ration of each food must be taken into account. Although vegetables and nuts provide less zinc, they are consumed in doses of 400g per day.

Do vegetarians may have zinc deficiency?

Vegetarian diets generally do not present zinc deficiency, either by the inclusion of dairy products and eggs, or by the low requirements of this nutrient.

After the products of animal origin, vegetarian foods richer in zinc per 100g. are aromatic herbs and spices, such as thyme, mustard, coriander, cumin, turmeric, etc., although the amount of food that is taken does not constitute a significant zinc contribution.

punto rojo More information on zinc.

MINERALSMACROELEMENTSMICROELEMENTS
Calcium, chlorine, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassiumCopper, chromium, fluoride, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, iodine, zinc.
This article was endorsed by Elisenda Carballido - Dietitian nutritionist. Postgraduate in Phytotherapy and master in Nutrition and Metabolism.
Editorial
Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

30 December, 2021

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