The Effects of Zinc on Kidney Functions

When an individual begins to face the loss of kidney function, levels of zinc—a vital element for bodily health—begin to decrease. Physicians are unsure of the cause, bu zinc deficiency is more prevalent in certain types of kidney disease.

Significance

• Minerals like zinc, iron and copper help the body better process and utilize food. “They are needed to make energy for cells and promote growth and repair body tissues," according to the National Kidney Foundation. “Chronic kidney disease changes your body's need for certain vitamins and minerals.”

Function

• Zinc plays an important role in many bodily functions including metabolism, the immune system, smell and taste and wound healing.

Effects

• Individuals with decreased kidney function typically experience deficient levels of bodily zinc. “Abnormalities of Zn (Zinc) metabolism are well documented in patients with chronic renal disease,” said Dr. S. K. Mahajan in a 1989 report for the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Considerations

• The exact cause of zinc deficiency in kidney disease remains unclear, but it is more prevalent in those suffering from nephrotic kidney disease, a disorder where glomeruli, the minute blood vessels that help filter the blood, are damaged.

Warning

• While logic may dictate that zinc deficiency should be addressed with supplementation, high levels of zinc can also be toxic. “Severe kidney disease may make it necessary to reduce or omit chromium and Zinc doses because these elements are primarily eliminated in the urine,” writes Drugs.com