Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
The COVID-19 outbreak sparked a new health revolution, with people swarming health stores and pharmacies for items like vitamins, mineral supplements, and other immune-boosting solutions. Stocking up on vitamin C is a good idea, especially since it is winter, but there might just be an immunity booster that’s even better. Zinc has proven effective as a treatment for cold symptoms, and its immunity-boosting benefits have been tested and re-tested in recent years. Families are looking for solutions to protect their children and elderly against the COVID-19 threat, and zinc is one that should be high up on that list.
The health benefits of zinc
Believe it or not, zinc is rather important to the human body (though severely lacking in many diets). It’s an essential mineral that our bodies cannot make, which means we have to actually seek it out in order to get our recommended daily intake. Zinc supports normal growth and development in adolescence, as well as during pregnancy, which makes it an essential mineral for children and mothers-to-be. Over 300 bodily enzymes depend on zinc for proper functioning, and it is a vital component of our immunity, helping to maintain the integrity of our cells and the biggest organ of our bodies – our skin. Zinc is also effective in supporting wound healing, and studies have actually showed that people lacking in zinc are more susceptible to infections. It also happens to ensure the proper functioning of our taste and smell senses, as if it weren’t important enough already. However, there’s one benefit of taking zinc that outweighs them all. Zinc has been proven to prevent the replication of viruses in the body – specifically corona viruses.
Signs of zinc deficiency
It’s hard to measure for zinc deficiency in a laboratory, since the mineral is tightly contained within proteins and nucleic acids throughout the body. This means that zinc can often be present even if results say otherwise. Doctors will assess risk factors, like poor diet or alcoholism, as well as the below symptoms, before prescribing a zinc supplement. Zinc deficiency may cause, among other maladies:
- Impaired immune function
- Delayed sexual maturation
- Eye and skin lesions
- Growth delays
- Hair loss
- Loss of appetite
- Taste and smell abnormalities
Zinc vs. COVID-19
COVID-19 is a brand new member of an already known family of viruses. Therefore, no tests have been done specifically to test zinc’s efficacy against COVID-19 and its severe symptoms specifically. However, doctors found that a drug called hydroxychloroquine was proving decisive in the recovery of COVID-19 patients in China, France, and America. Primarily used in the fight against malaria, this drug works against COVID-19 by using zinc to stop the virus from replicating. The discovery that zinc could be used to stop corona viruses came in 2010, after scientists working on the 2002 outbreak of SARS-CoV found that zinc-filled cells were resistant to it.
Fast forward to 2014 and scientists from Oklahoma uncovered that they could essentially immunise people using hydroxychloroquine. It is extremely good at destroying viruses, by allowing your body’s cells to absorb more zinc thus making it impossible for viruses to take hold. South Korea was one of the first countries to realise the benefits of the zinc and hydroxychloroquine combination in the fight against COVID-19, and we hope that – as the information disseminates about zinc and its crucial importance at this time in history – more nations will follow suit.
Bolster immunity this winter with Zinium
Zinc is clearly an important mineral, to adults and developing children alike. The knowledge that zinc can help stave off nasty infections, especially now during the colder months, must be spread far and wide. Zinium, an effective zinc supplement by Penpharm Pharmaceuticals, is the easy-access solution to supplementing a family’s diet with zinc. Zinium’s active ingredient is zinc, and contains both selenium and vitamin E (for the maintenance of skin and hair). The immune-boosting Zinium comes in packs of 30, 60, and 120 tablets. You can find the full range of Penpharm health supplements at Dis-Chem, Pick n Pay Pharmacies, Clicks Pharmacies, MediRite, and other pharmacies.
Sources consulted:
https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/zinc-protect-you-covid-19-boost-immune-system-3535446/
This has been really informative. I didn’t know that there were so many benefits to zinc. I will definitely get a zinc supplement and be using it for the foreseeable future.