How to Boost Immunity with Zinc

With the coronavirus rearing its ugly head, immunity awareness is becoming increasingly popular. How do we protect ourselves from viruses? What preventative measures can we take to be sure that our immune systems are built strong against every type of illness?

One of the natural ways to build up an immune system is with zinc. Zinc is found throughout the body and is a nutrient that helps keep you healthy. Zinc helps control infections by gently tapping the brakes on the immune system’s response to prevent out-of-control inflammation. It interacts with a process that is essential in the fight against infection, thus balancing the immune response. 

Zinc is important since more than 70 enzymes depend on zinc in digestion and metabolism. Children who don’t get enough zinc risk having stunted growth. In infants, zinc is essential for growth and a well-functioning immune system. 

How Much Zinc For My Child? 

Infants aged 0-6 months should take 2.0 mg of zinc according to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). For infants 7-36 months, the suggested allowance is 3.0 mg of zinc. Too much zinc may result in vomiting and nausea, so be careful to maintain a correct dosage.

Zinc deficiency is rare in the United States, so zinc-only supplements are rarely necessary as a variety of zinc-rich foods will provide sufficient nutrients. It also should be mentioned that supplements are not recommended for children as the risk of zinc deficiency is low and zinc toxicity can develop. You should ask your doctor before giving zinc-only supplements to your child. 

 
Breastmilk or Formula for Proper Zinc Intake? 

When a baby is too young to eat, breastmilk is sufficient for zinc intake. The amount of zinc in breast milk varies over the first six months of your child’s life. For the first two weeks, the amount of zinc in breast milk is 0.4 mg per 100 mL. By six months, it reduces to 0.1 mg per 100 mL. 

When comparing breastmilk and formula, the amount of zinc varies. Formula milk contains 0.5 -1.0 mg per 100 mL, so it also contains enough zinc. The difference in the amount of zinc in formula and breastmilk is due to breastmilk’s bioavailability, meaning that it is more easily absorbed by the body. For this reason, more formula milk is needed for the body to absorb the same amount as breastmilk. 

According to mayoclinic.org, infant formulas do not contain the immunity-boosting elements of breast milk. For the majority of infants, breast milk is easier to digest than formula. Breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months; however, some mothers are able to combine both breast and formula feeding after breastfeeding has been well established. 

How to Get Zinc in Solid Foods 

Once your little one is old enough to eat solids, zinc can be found in a variety of protein-rich foods, such as oysters, crab, lean meats and poultry, baked beans, yogurt and chickpeas. Other foods include oatmeal, peas, breakfast cereal, and pumpkin seeds. Zinc can also be taken in compounded pills and lozenges as well as gummies. Many adult and kids multivitamins also include zinc.  

Another interesting thing to note is that zinc requirements are higher for the mother when breastfeeding. Typically, an adult woman should be getting 8 mg of zinc a day. For the first four months,  the zinc intake should increase by 6 mg. After the first four months, it should increase by 2.5 mg.

 
Additional Benefits

Zinc not only builds a baby’s immune system, it also prevents and treats diarrhea. There have been several zinc-treatment trials in the last ten years to prove that zinc is effective. In one trial, children aged three months to five years recovered faster and experienced a 30% reduction in developing prolonged diarrhea after receiving zinc. In several other trials, zinc was proved to be an effective daily supplement to prevent diarrhea. A study in India saw a 35% lower rate of diarrhea in children who received a zinc supplement for six months. 
 
Our mission here at Colic Calm is to provide you and your little one with homeopathic ingredients, designed to kickstart and boost the immune system. Please reach out to us if you have any questions about the ingredients in our products as we are here to help and are happy to do so. 

Works Cited

 
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/eat-these-foods-to-boost-your-immune-system/ 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2740712/#B44
https://www.babycenter.com/toddler/feeding/zinc-in-your-childs-diet_10324698 
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/supplement-guide-zinc#1 
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130207131344.htm 
https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/zinc-protect-you-covid-19-boost-immune-system-3535446/ 
https://www.srnutrition.co.uk/2020/08/nutrients-in-focus-zinc 
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/breast-feeding/art-20047898#:~:text=Commercial%20infant%20formulas%20don't,who%20have%20typical%20dietary%20needs.