There have been more than 190 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 4 million deaths, reported to WHO. While waiting for the COVID-19 vaccine, many are currently taking vitamin and mineral supplements to boost their immune system and help them fight off viruses like the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
Zinc is a powerful immune nutrient known for its benefits for providing immune health support and inflammation reduction as well as for improving cold and respiratory symptoms, wound healing, acne reduction, and lowering the risk of age-related diseases. Research on atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus suggests that zinc deficiency may contribute to low-grade systemic inflammation.
Aging is associated with compromised immunity, that just means that your immune response to pathogens and infections starts to slow and is less robust, including a reduced vaccine immune response/efficacy.
Improving zinc intake/zinc status improves/modulates/enhances immune function. The flip side is, while some aspects of immunity slow, others increase. Uncontrolled immune responses drive excess inflammation.
Zinc helps to balance all of this.
Even more popular at the moment is the role of zinc and the potential benefits against COVID-19. This is probably one of the reasons that’s driving the demand on zinc related products.
Does zinc help treat COVID 19? In order to answer that question, there are many zinc studies underway and you can review the status of these trials on clinicaltrials.gov. As of March 2021, there are 19 studies that have been launched to investigate the benefits of Zinc against COVID-19.
While there are many food sources of zinc, including meat and shellfish, some people may be at a higher risk of not getting enough zinc in their diets (PubMed).
Are all zinc supplements the same? The zinc supplements in this review are all manufactured by reputable companies that follow Good Manufacturing Processes (GMP), use high quality ingredients, and test for purity and quality.
Here are the best zinc supplements to help you meet your nutritional needs. As everyone has their own set of criteria, the best option for you might be different from another person.