Zinc

Zinc is a trace mineral present in and indispensable to all forms of life. It is essential for normal growth, pregnancies, and transmission of our genetic material. Zinc is required as an enzyme component in the eyes, liver, kidneys, muscles, skin, testes, and other organs. The highest concentrations of zinc are in bones, the prostate gland, and the eyes. Some evidence suggests that zinc, when taken at the onset of illness, may reduce the duration and severity of an upper-respiratory infection. However, mega doses of zinc are suspected of inhibiting immune response, according to research done at the USDA Nutrition Center at Tufts University.