preview

Zinc Deficiency Can Cause Damage to the Brain Essay

Decent Essays

Introduction
During the past few hundred years, zinc has been known to be the vital mineral and catalytic of a lot of proteins and a signalling messenger who is released by neural activity. (choi & koh, 1998) Since zinc has been discovered by raulin in 1869 to be needed as a grower of aspergillus niger which is type of fungus and one of the most common species of the genus aspergillus, this fungus is common contaminant of food and cause black mould on certain food. Beside the cause of contaminated food, zinc has been admitted as important for human in modern times.(Prasad, 1984) (Hambidge , 2000) (Vallee & Auld, 1990)
Zinc is contained in most of food, especially fish and meat provides the most and optimum sources due to the …show more content…

If in human body occurs zinc deficiency and toxicity, it will affect the growth, brain development, pregnancy and male reproduction and also will cause anorexia. Aside from the deficiency, if too much consume of zinc it will induce the toxicity. This research study will discuss further the deficiency and the toxicity of zinc in human body. (Brycesmith, 1989)
Food Source of Zinc
The distribution of zinc is widely and is typically associated with the protein fraction and/or nucleic fraction food. Meat (beef, Pork), poultry, organ meats (beef, poultry), fish and shellfish are rich sources of dietary zinc which also can be found in eggs, dairy product with lesser amount (shown in table below). Whole grain cereal especially bran and germ, nuts, seed also legumes have high zinc content, meanwhile tubers, refined cereals, fruits and vegetable have less. Comparing zinc absorption between animal source and plant origin on body animal source will have higher bioavailability then plant origin it because of the fiber and phytates that can inhibit the zinc uptake by intestine. (Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Malaysia, 2005) Zinc Interactions, absorptions, distribution, metabolism and excretion
The interaction between zinc and cooper are equally opposed, both are being interacting in gastreointestinal uptake so it potencially leading to imbalance. It can be also applied for zinc and iron in competing on absorbtion, an

Get Access