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11 Signs You May Have a Zinc Deficiency

5. Your wounds are slow-healing
When you get a cut or scrape of any kind, blood clots as quickly as it can. This is to prevent you from bleeding out in major injuries, and to prevent any infections – whether bacterial or viral – in minor injuries. If you’re low in zinc, the weakness in your immune system can cause any open cuts to heal more slowly, so your wounds might stay with you for longer. This is especially true since the body needs zinc for tissue repair.

6. Stunted Growth (in Children)
Zinc deficiency is much easier to spot in young children who are still growing. Kids who don’t get enough of the mineral are likely to experience stunted growth or even stop growing altogether. This is because zinc has a huge influence on the development of cells. This is why it’s so vital that kids get all the zinc they need. Apparently, most children in the United States are getting their needed 10 milligrams per day from their normal food.

7. Low immunity levels
Zinc is a very, very important mineral for the immune system. It promotes the growth of T-cells and is vital in their differentiation towards our white blood cells, which is what we need in order to prevent disease. It also works in killing off bacteria, cancerous cells, and viruses in a process known as apoptosis, otherwise called programmed cell death.

Zinc also forms the structure for a wide range of proteins and hormone receptors, which are both necessary for mood balancing and health. On top of all that, it supports the protection of multiple cell membranes and even plays a key role in the transcription of genes! Basically, if you’re without zinc, you’re without a functioning immune system.

8. Worsening vision
The eyes contain a large amount of concentrated zinc, especially in and around the retina. This is largely due to the fact that zinc is responsible for the transportation of vitamin A upwards from the liver and finally into the retina, and this vitamin A will keep protective pigments present in the eyes, thus allowing for sharp vision.

9. More allergic reactions
Zinc plays a big role in the way that the body stores histamine, which is the component responsible for allergy control. Too little zinc will lead to an overproduction of histamine, and this can cause higher allergy sensitivity and other allergy symptoms. This is especially prevalent in those with chronic conditions, especially chronic stress, which is responsible for something called adrenal fatigue. This, in turn, causes a deficiency in magnesium, calcium, and zinc.

10. Thinning hair and/or bald patches
Those with zinc deficiency are heavily at risk for developing hair thinness, bald patches, or even alopecia. You are even more at risk of this symptom if you are also dealing with adrenal fatigue, so make sure you’re getting enough zinc or taking a supplement for it.

11. Food is less tasty
If you’re eating your favorite foods and find them less appetizing than they once were, it could be a sign that you aren’t getting enough zinc. This is because zinc can affect all of your senses, not just hearing and vision. Your sense of smell and taste can be affected too, leading you to be unable to properly taste food.