Whole foods rich in Zinc and Low Immunity

[digobh]

Hi guys,

This is the second time I caught a flu this year, and I believe it has happened since I became vegan. I am worried that it could be due to lack of Zinc in my diet... I've been exercising regularly and I usually eat 5 to 6 times a day, once I want to gain weight.

Back to to zinc issue. Googling I found that males need about 11 mg of Zinc a day, but looking at the amount of plant sources that we have to consume seems unreachable...

What are your thoughts on that(related to low immunity)and what are the best raw foods to get Zinc from? And how much do I really need to consume a day?

Any tips to reach the quota(with whole foods and not supplements)?

Thank you very much

Rodrigo Guimaraes

[laughalways]

Here are some suggestions for foods with zinc: Crimini mushrooms, spinich, squash, asparagus, Swiss chard, greens, miso, broccoli, maple syrup, beans, green peas, nuts, seeds.

[Raw Angel Mom]

I could be lack of vitamin D. Get it outside.

Maple sirup is very rich in ZINC.

[rawmiss]

I know that Gillian McKeith always recommended pumpkin seeds on her show "You Are What You Eat", another thing is that copper affects zinc levels and too much will bring zinc levels down. So, watch out for copper in your multivitamin and in soy foods!

[robh]

I had the same problem. I started to lose my sense of smell due to a lack of Zinc. To correct the problem, I now eat 75 grams of ground up sesame seeds and 25-50 grams of soaked chia seeds every day.

Wild rice (it isn't rice, but wild grass seeds) is very high in zinc as well. You have to soak it for 1-2 days before it's soft enough to eat raw.

[digobh]

Hi guys

Thanks a lot for all responses. I will search for all sources recommended here.
Specially getting more sun, what I haven't with this cold here in Sydney.

I was getting a bit confused with all these articles that I found googling it. So hard to get real information sometimes with so much advertising happening under the hood.

In regards to pumpkin seeds. Do you guys recommend soaking them?


Thanks

Rod

[bonnie88]

Most nuts have some zinc, but these contain the most:
Buckwheat- 2.4 mg/100g
Cashews- 1.64 mg/100g
Oats- 3.97mg/100g
Pine nuts/Pignolias- 1.83mg/oz (167 kernels)
Pumpkin seeds- 2.17 mg/oz
Rye- 2.65mg/100g
Sunflower seeds- 1.5mg/100g

Most fruits have a small amount too, but these have a lot:
Avocado- 1.29mg
Blackberries- .76mg/cup
Dates- .43/cup
Loganberries- .5mg/cup
Pomegranate- .99mg
Raspberries- .52mg/cup

Go to natural-home-remedies-healthy-foods.blogspot.com for charts listing vitamins/minerals and what to eat to get them or charts listing fruits/veggies/seed and what they contain.
Super handy to have printed and on in you kitchen!

[digobh]

Hi Bonnie,

Great tip on foods rich in ZInc. Thanks a lot for it.
I had no idea Oats would beat everybody on Zinc.

I found this website with a list of Foods and its nutrients(Based by category, like, most rich in minerals, vitamins etc). That could be handy on a wall once is ready to be printed out.
http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/minerals-nutrition-chart.html

Thank you

Rod

[PansyLo]

I feel I may be low in zinc too.

My skin had been breaking out a little which is unusual for me as I have a pretty strict skin routine that normally works a treat. I think maybe low zinc because the only change recently is improving my diet (which should improve my skin).
I know that zinc is more difficult to get in vegetable based diets.

I love pure maple syrup so that's good news!! I will be buying some. I never knew it was so good for you... I thought it was a guilty pleasure.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

Hi guys,

This is the second time I caught a flu this year, and I believe it has happened since I became vegan. I am worried that it could be due to lack of Zinc in my diet... I've been exercising regularly and I usually eat 5 to 6 times a day, once I want to gain weight.

Back to to zinc issue. Googling I found that males need about 11 mg of Zinc a day, but looking at the amount of plant sources that we have to consume seems unreachable...

What are your thoughts on that(related to low immunity)and what are the best raw foods to get Zinc from? And how much do I really need to consume a day?

Any tips to reach the quota(with whole foods and not supplements)?

Thank you very much

Rodrigo Guimaraes

Getting enough zinc is very easy if you know how.

Try these:
* poppy seed sprouts (highest plant source of zinc and easy to get the rda with just 4 tablespoons, but make sure it is not irradiated or cooked).
* sunflower greens
* sesame seed sprouts
* blue/green algae
* green algae


Lots of others too, but these are the powerhouses. lf you sprout the seeds the zinc will be much more abundant from the seed...even up to four times more available for some seeds, so the rda for zinc becomes very very easy to get. l would image the bio-availability would be very high too, so even an amount less than the rda should be enough because of the high bio-availability.

All of the nutrient rda's are very easy to get with sprouts, but the most challenging ones to get are vitamin D (during winter in places at 30 degree latitude or higher) and vitamin B12.




I love pure maple syrup . I thought it was a guilty pleasure.
it is.