Meat, poultry, and seafood are among the best sources of zinc, but if you are a vegetarian, there are options for you too. Vegetarians can reach the recommended daily allowance of 8 milligrams a day for women and 11 milligrams for men by eating a variety of beans, grains, dairy products, nuts, and seeds. However, zinc from plant-based foods is not as well absorbed as that from animal-based foods, so vegetarians may need to consume up to 50 percent more to meet their needs.
The best foods high in zinc
Seafood
The best food source of magnesium and zinc is oysters. An 84-gram serving of cooked oysters provides 154 mg of zinc, which is more than 1,000 percent of the RDA. An 84 gram serving of cooked crab offers 3.1 mg, which also makes it an excellent source of this mineral.
In about 84 grams of cooked bay or sea scallops we find 2.4 mg of zinc, or 16 percent of the recommended daily dose.
Vegetables
Beans are one of the best sources for vegetarians. One cup of canned baked beans provides 5.8 milligrams, one cup of canned white beans contains 2.9 milligrams, and one cup of cooked chickpeas or cooked lentils will give you 2.5 milligrams. If you're making beans from scratch, soaking them overnight or for a few hours will help your body absorb zinc more easily as it helps limit binding by a compound called phytate. Allowing the beans to sprout before using them further increases zinc absorption.
Grains and cereals
Cereals can also help vegetarians meet their daily needs. A cup of cooked oatmeal contains 2.3 milligrams and a cup of cooked wild rice provides 2.2 milligrams. Soaking rice or other grains before cooking and using sprouted grain products and leavened grain products, such as bread, instead of unleavened products such as cookies, will give you the most zinc. The yeast in yeast grain products helps break down the phytates in the grains. Some ready-to-eat breakfast cereals are fortified to provide some or all of your daily zinc needs.
Nuts and seeds
About 30 grams of pine nuts will bring you 1.8 milligrams closer to your daily needs. Dry roasted cashews provide 1.6 milligrams for every 30 grams, walnuts contain 1.3 milligrams and Brazil nuts have 1.2 milligrams. You can soak and then dehydrate the walnuts to reduce their phytate content and make the zinc more available for absorption.
Dairy products
Vegetarians who consume dairy products can get some or all of the zinc from these foods, which do not contain phytate that binds like most other vegetarian sources. One cup of part-skim ricotta cheese provides 3.3 milligrams, 224 grams of nonfat plain yogurt contains 2.2 milligrams, and 30 grams of Swiss cheese will give you 1.2 milligrams.
How to absorb zinc correctly?
This mineral is a trace mineral found naturally in foods such as nuts and beef, it helps with numerous health functions, including maintaining the immune system and wound healing. Whether you are getting your full daily allowance from dietary sources or taking a supplement, ensure optimal absorption by knowing how this mineral interacts with other substances.
Eat foods rich in this micronutrient
Eat eggs, meat, and seafood. The zinc in these foods is more bioavailable, which means it can be absorbed and used more easily by your body because animal proteins enhance absorption. In contrast, rich vegetarian foods, such as whole grains, are rich in phytates, which reduce absorption.
Take a supplement
Take your zinc supplement with a meal or snack if you get most of it through supplementation rather than whole foods. Taking trace elements, such as zinc and iron, with food increases the body's ability to absorb and use them.
Avoid foods rich in calcium
Avoid calcium-rich foods and supplements when you want to improve absorption. Calcium supplements taken with zinc inhibit absorption. A study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that consuming milk and similar dairy products high in calcium similarly reduced zinc absorption rates.
Check your medications
Review your medications with your doctor. Thiazide-based diuretic medications increase the loss of zinc through urine by up to 60 percent. Meanwhile, several common antibiotics, such as tetracycline, also inhibit absorption.
Not all zinc supplements are the same. When it comes to absorption rates, picolinate might be the best.
