Strengthening our immune system, improving the senses of taste and smell, combating stress or preventing clogging of arteries are some of the functions and benefits of zinc, an essential mineral for our body that is present in numerous foods. Zinc deficiency can cause numerous ailments such as poor memory, feeling tired or the willingness of our body to catch more colds.
Also, we all know that it is good to take zinc for hair, skin and nails. Now that you know the importance of this mineral, at treasurenatural.com we want to talk to you about foods rich in zinc, through which you can provide your body with the necessary amount for its proper development and functioning.
Red meat
Talking about foods with zinc is talking about red meat. If you want to obtain an adequate amount of zinc, it is necessary to have a balanced diet in which you can consume red meat twice a week (at most). With this, you will be able to achieve the adequate levels of zinc that your body needs to function properly.
The contribution of zinc from red meat is about 4.8 mg per 100 grams, which is enough to consume red meat only twice a week. In this way you can limit the consumption of red meat and avoid processed meat, to acquire adequate levels of zinc in the body.
Egg
Zinc is a mineral present in the vast majority of products of animal origin, so you can find it in eggs. This food, in addition to offering an extraordinary contribution of zinc to our body ( 1.3mg per 100 grams ), is very well absorbed.
In addition, the egg is a food rich in zinc and selenium, and has a very interesting nutritional profile, since it provides us with other nutrients and minerals such as iron, phosphorus or iodine.
seafood
Other foods rich in zinc are prawns, king prawns, lobster, crabs, spider crabs… If you like shellfish, you’re in luck. These delicious seafood products contain between 5 and 6 mg of zinc per 100 grams, an amount similar to the proportion of zinc found in red meat.
Consuming seafood will allow you to obtain the levels of zinc necessary for your body to function properly and in addition, it is known that it is good to take zinc for hair, skin and nails.
oysters
Oysters are the true queens among foods rich in zinc, since they provide about 59.2 mg per 100 grams of food, so their contribution is significantly higher than other foods.
The zinc that oysters provide has a lot to do with why this food is considered a natural aphrodisiac, since this mineral not only plays an important role in fetal development and growth or cell growth, but it is also involved in sexual maturation.
In this sense, zinc deficiency can lead to alterations in sexual development. This link has been the passport for oysters to be considered one of the most popular aphrodisiac foods.
pumpkin seeds
On the list of foods rich in zinc, pumpkin seeds or pips are the perfect option to enjoy a healthy, rich snack that will provide you with many minerals. Pumpkin seeds are a true source of zinc, since they can provide us with 6 mg per 100 grams of product, which makes them stand out among other varieties of nuts.
You can eat pumpkin seeds by themselves or add them to other dishes, such as salads or bread. This will help you incorporate zinc-rich foods in a varied and versatile way into your dietary routine. Plus, it’s delicious!
Liver
Liver is one of the foods with zinc and iron that can provide us with the greatest amount. Although the proportion of mineral will depend on the origin of the liver, it can reach 7.3 mg per 100 grams of food. In addition, this food is rich in protein and iron, making it an ideal food to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
chicken and turkey
What foods contain zinc? Poultry meat in general and chicken and turkey in particular have excellent lean meat that can provide us with up to 5 mg of zinc per 100 grams of product. Both foods cannot be missing from our diet and weekly menu, so in addition to being an inexpensive and low-fat meat, it is perfect for obtaining good doses of protein, vitamins and minerals.
clams
Clams are part of the crustaceans and molluscs that have the highest proportion of zinc. In this case, these bivalves can provide us with about 7 mg per 100 grams of food, so we can consider them a source of zinc compared to other types of shellfish.
When it comes to incorporating this type of zinc-rich food into your menus, cooking will be essential. You must make sure that they are in perfect condition and submerge them in salted water before cooking them. The ones that are not good will be opened, so you can discard them.
Dairy products
If you are wondering what foods are rich in zinc, dairy products, in addition to being rich in vitamin D, calcium and other proteins, also have a high zinc content. For example, cheeses, such as cheddar cheese, can provide up to 30% of the recommended daily amount of zinc per 100 grams of product, that is, about 4.44 mg.
Each dairy product can have its own contribution. In the case of whole milk it is much lower, only 0.9 mg per 100 grams, while skimmed milk provides 1.2 mg per 100 grams.
plant foods
Let’s not lose sight of vegans and vegetarians, therefore, we must ask ourselves what fruits and vegetables contain zinc, to highlight some of the plant foods that can provide more properties of zinc to our body.
Although there will always be a greater proportion in meat and seafood and zinc is better absorbed if its origin is animal, you should know which vegetables have more zinc to benefit from its properties if you are vegetarian or vegan. You will find this vitamin in products such as potatoes, kale or green beans, you can also find a good proportion of zinc.
In the case of potatoes, they provide about 0.35 mg of zinc per 100 grams of food. On the other hand, kale, whose proportions are around 0.3 mg per 100 grams and as for green beans or kale, this level is 0.2 mg of zinc per 100 mg.
In addition to vegetables, legumes are also a good source of zinc so that any vegetarian or vegan can obtain the levels of zinc necessary for the proper functioning of the body.
Other foods rich in zinc
In addition to the main foods with zinc that we have presented to you previously, it is interesting that you know what other products you can include in your diet in order to benefit from the properties of zinc, and have adequate levels to allow the body to function and develop with normal.
Remember that the human body has 2 to 3 grams of zinc, generally distributed among organs such as the liver, pancreas or kidneys, as well as in bones, muscles, hair, nails or skin.
If you are interested in what foods contain zinc or, more specifically, you wonder what fruit has vitamin zinc, this list will help you:
List of foods rich in zinc
- Cooked oysters: contribution of 29 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Sesame: contribution of 10.23 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Roast beef: contribution of 8.5 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Fiddler crabs: contribution of 5.5 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Pistachios: contribution of 2.2 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Cooked turkey: contribution of 4.5 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Cooked veal meat: contribution of 4.5 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Cooked chicken liver: contribution of 4.3 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Octopus: contribution of 1.68 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Pumpkin seeds: contribution of 7.3 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Beans: contribution of 4.1 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Almonds: contribution of 5 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Cooked lamb: contribution of 4 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Brazil Nut: contribution of 4.5 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Peanut or groundnut: contribution of 4.8 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Cashew (also called cashew or merey): contribution of 4.7 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Walnuts: contribution of 3.1 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Quinoa: contribution of 4.4 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Emmental cheese: contribution of 4.6 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Crab: contribution of 7.6 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Sesame seeds: contribution of 4.1 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Oatmeal: contribution of 4.53 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Peanut butter: contribution of 3 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Lentils: contribution of 3 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Chickpeas: contribution of 3 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Mussels: contribution of 1.65 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Brown rice: contribution of 2 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Hazelnuts: contribution of 2.2 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Cockles: contribution of 1.3 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Snails: contribution of 4.4 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Crab: contribution of 5.5 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Squid: contribution of 1.3 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Sea urchins: contribution of 1.7 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Prawns: contribution of 3.6 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Dried broad beans: contribution of 3.1 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Pinto bean: contribution of 2.7 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Skimmed milk powder: contribution of 4.4 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Brewer’s yeast: contribution of 5 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Butter: contribution of 3 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Oregano: contribution of 4.4 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Agar-agar seaweed: contribution of 5.8 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Pine nuts: contribution of 9.8 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Blue cheese: contribution of 2 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Soy: contribution of 4.2 mg per 100 grams of product.
- Dry peas: contribution of 3.3 mg per 100 grams of product.
