Zinc & Liver Function

Zinc is an essential trace mineral and is the second most common mineral in the body's cells (next to iron). Zinc serves as an antioxidant and helps with the immune system, both of which aid the liver.

Benefits

• Zinc helps to heal wounds and clot blood. It also acts as an antioxidant by helping neutralize free radicals, the damaging by-products of toxins in the body. When the liver is overtaxed with alcohol or other toxic abuse, zinc helps rebuild immune strength.

Deficiency

• Since most zinc is found in the brain, liver, pancreas and kidneys, alcoholics can often have a deficiency in zinc from the toxic overload and drain on these organs. Some symptoms of deficiency are loss of appetite, decrease in taste or smell capacity, weight loss, hair loss, acne, night blindness and depression.

Sources

• Melons, watermelons and cantelopes are good sources of zinc.

  Zinc can be taken as a supplement or as part of a multivitamin. The zinc in fresh foods is more readily absorbed into the body, or more "bioavailable." Oysters, seafood and red meat all have zinc. Juicing vegetables is another way to get zinc into the body. Good juicing sources for zinc are ginger root, whites of melons and whites of oranges.

Risks

• If you have been tested and found deficient in zinc, then taking supplemental zinc is okay only for a short while because too much zinc (more than 60 mg/day) can cause "low copper status, altered iron function, reduced immune function, and reduced levels of high-density lipoproteins," according to the U.S. National Institute of Health.

Dosage

• Zinc supplements

  The RDA (recommended daily allowance) for zinc is 8 to15 mg/day. Taking a multivitamin and eating a healthy diet should provide sufficient zinc for healthy liver functioning in most people.