Dr. Rhonda Fitzpatrick is the founder of FindMyFitness, as well as an expert in nutrition, aging and disease prevention. She believes that zinc homeostasis is essential for human health. Here are her thoughts on how zinc contributes to health:

1. Zinc regulates the activity for 300+ enzymes and 2,000 transcription factors that are necessary for proper immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis, and cell division.
2. Low zinc intake can accelerate DNA damage and poor immune function, which can negatively impact how the body responds to bacterial or viral infections.
3. Zinc supplementation has been shown to be an effective method for boosting the immune system to combat illnesses including the common cold, pneumonia, acne, and metabolic disorders.

You can find high amounts of zinc in foods like oysters, crab, lobster, beans, nuts and poultry. To take a more in-depth read of her take on zinc, head to her blog.

Zinc is one of the micronutrients we test in the Hearty panel.