Did you know that almost half of the people who walk this planet are trying to lose weight? That is almost 4 billion people who are trying to actively lose weight.
So how are they trying to do it? Depends on the person since there are so many different diets, weight loss techniques, and other fads out there. But did you know that you may be able to use zinc for weight loss?
Why? What does it do? What are the benefits?
Keep reading this guide to zinc for weight loss!
What Is Zinc?
For starters, if you aren't familiar with this element, you should be since it's floating around in your body as you read this (or you at least hope it is!). In your body, it does the following:
- helps with making new cells
- helps heal wounds or other bodily injuries
- aids in the processing of carbs and fats (overall metabolism)
Although zinc can be found in various food sources like meat, shellfish, dairy, and bread, many people choose to use zinc supplements to aid in more benefits. Using zinc supplements can also reassure you that you are not deficient in zinc intake.
So what are those benefits?
Supplementing with zinc can help with:
- less frequency of illness because of a stronger immune system
- better brain functioning
Making sure you have enough zinc in your body will help support all of these crucial functions.
What Happens If I Don't Have Enough Zinc?
Zinc deficiency is a real thing. And if someone suffers from this, it means that they are probably also suffering from a bunch of other health problems. These can include mental fatigue, depression and anxiety, skin abnormalities, and potentially impaired growth in younger children.
And, of course (as you were waiting for), it can potentially cause issues with weight management due to a fluctuation in blood sugar levels. As we mentioned before, since zinc aids in carb processing and fat processing, without it, weight management can be difficult.
On top of helping you maintain a bodyweight with the carb and fat processing, zinc also plays a role in keeping muscle mass, which aids in burning more calories. Without a larger muscle mass, it is harder to keep off unwanted weight.
But wait! There's even more! A zinc deficiency can have a negative impact on your thyroid function.
Since your thyroid function has a lot to do with your metabolism and so many other crucial functions in your body, there is a large impact of this on weight management.
How Can Using Zinc Supplements Help You?
Supplementing with zinc can make a huge difference in your bodily function, although it does depend on the amount of deficiency you have in your body already. It can also make a difference depending on what is happening in your body and life at the time of taking it.
Supplementing with zinc can help with:
- reducing the amount of time a common cold lasts
- provide relief from acne
- promote the activity of antioxidants
- relieve symptoms of depression
- maintain digestion
- improve cognitive health
Now that you know what supplementing with zinc can do for your overall health, let's take a closer look at how zinc supplements can help support weight loss.
How Does Supplementing With Zinc Help Weight Loss?
Some studies have shown that people who struggle with weight loss have lower levels of zinc in their bodies. Once those individuals were supplemented with zinc, there was an increase in triglyceride concentration and BMI. This means that their body mass index improved, which is correlated with the percentage of fat on their bodies.
Although there are a few studies on how supplementing with zinc can help weight loss, there still needs to be more research done to show that it works on more individuals.
Typically, scientists believe that taking zinc for weight loss is not what is truly causing the weight loss. The supplements are actually solving a previous issue or something that is indirectly affecting weight loss, which in turn helps you lose weight. For instance, zinc supplements can target a thyroid that is not functioning properly or help you maintain the muscle mass that you are working for.
An increase in zinc in the body can also help process the carbs and fat that you intake to help with your metabolism.
Since zinc has the ability to target these individual issues, weight loss will come more naturally.
Potential Side Effects of Zinc Supplements
While zinc supplements have great effects on humans' bodily functions, there are also times when negative side effects can come about. Here are a few that are common:
- Indigestion
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
This typically happens if too much zinc is taken. The recommended dose is between 7 and 10mg per day. Anything higher is what tends to cause these negative side effects.
Zinc For Weight Loss
If you are trying to lose weight, there are many ways to go about it. You can try to use zinc for weight loss, especially if you feel as though you are suffering from a zinc deficiency. If that's the case, zinc may help you!
Otherwise, there are many other supplements and vitamins that you can try to help aid in weight loss and your overall bodily function. If you're interested, check out our sale items!
You can also read some of our other articles all about weight loss to help you get into the right mindset to get to the point you want to be!