The Secret of Zinc's Immunity-Boosting Power Revealed Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola
April 15, 2022
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
> Zinc has been acknowledged as an essential mineral for human health since the 1970s. More than 300 enzymes in your body require zinc for normal function, and it’s well-recognized for its role in immunity and normal immune system development
> A March 2022 study has now shed new light on how zinc influences immune function. Zinc is required for the development of disease- fighting T cells, and for the regeneration of your thymus, which produces T cells
> A molecule inside your cells called GPR39 acts as a sensor that tracks changes in external zinc, and when the level rises, GPR39 triggers the release of a key renewal factor and thymic regeneration
> Zinc ionophores, which act as a shuttle to transport the zinc into the cell, improves zinc uptake. Zinc ionophores include hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), chloroquine, quercetin and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)
> Excessive zinc supplementation can cause an imbalance in your zinc-to- copper ratio, which can impair immune function. Copper, in turn, is interdependent on iron
Zinc has been acknowledged as an essential mineral for human health since the 1970s.1 It’s the second most abundant trace mineral found in the human body,2 but your body cannot store it very well, so you need to consume foods with zinc every day to meet your body’s needs.
More than 300 enzymes in your body require zinc for normal function,3 and it’s well-recognized for its role in immunity and normal immune system development.4
Research in the last decade has identified the crucial role that zinc plays in curtailing the length and severity of upper respiratory infections in particular. For example, a meta-analysis5 published in 2017 found those who took a zinc supplement of 80 to 92 milligrams (mg) each day at the beginning of cold symptoms saw a reduction in the length of their cold by 33%.
Research published in 2020 also demonstrated that zinc is crucial to immune system function, and that deficiency can raise your risk of severe COVID-19 illness.6 Early on in the pandemic, a number of doctors who were treating COVID patients recognized the importance of zinc and published early treatment guidelines that included it.7,8,9
How Zinc Influences Your Immune Function
Zinc affects your immune function and helps prevent infections in a variety of ways. For example, data have shown:10
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