Is zinc the missing piece in your health puzzle?

You’re sick. Again. You seem to pick up every bug that goes around – even though you’ve been making efforts to look after yourself. Your breakouts are persistent. And your cycle? If it’s regular, it’s a monthly rollercoaster of mood swings, cramps and exhaustion. If it’s irregular, you stress about when it might show up due to the challenging symptoms and situations it delivers. You’ve cut back on coffee. You’ve prioritised sleep. You’re eating better than ever. So why does your body still feel out of sync?

It’s easy to blame stress or hormones (and they do play a part), but there’s a quiet nutrient –other than iron – that often flies under the radar, and when it’s low, your body struggles to keep up.

Let’s talk about zinc.

The underestimated powerhouse

What does this mineral not do?

Zinc is another superstar among the nutrients, contributing to hundreds of processes inside your body – many of which are reflected on the outside. It’s critical for wound healing. Whether that’s a cut on your finger, the aftermath of a pimple, or healing damaged tissue inside you that you can’t see, zinc is essential for skin repair and helps prevent scar formation.

But that’s just the beginning.

Zinc is vital for a well-functioning immune system and it also plays a key role in maintaining your sense of vision, taste and smell. It supports the creation of more than 300 enzymes needed for healthy digestion and it nourishes the scalp, helping to maintain the strength and integrity of your hair – with low levels often linked to hair loss and a dry, flaky scalp. Zinc is also deeply involved in mood regulation and deficiency has been associated with increased risk of low mood and depression.

On a biochemical level, zinc is essential for the healthy production and regulation of sex hormones – particularly testosterone and estrogen – and it plays a role in cholesterol metabolism and blood glucose balance, too. When zinc is lacking, these finely tuned systems can start to misfire, contributing to cycle changes, low libido, poor energy and metabolic health challenges.

When zinc is low, the body simply can’t perform at its best. And yet, in my 25+ years of clinical practice, I’ve seen time and again how often this essential nutrient is overlooked.

Emma’s story

One of my clients, Emma*, came to me to resolve her adult acne. She was a high-achiever: she exercised daily, ate vegan and did – in her words: “all the right things” – but still couldn’t turn the tide on her breakouts. 

When we looked more closely, I saw a pattern: plant-based diet, high stress levels, three coffees a day and nightly wine “to take the edge of my stress” – all factors that rapidly deplete zinc. Her cycle also came around with a bang each month and was a source of persistent discomfort along with a worsening of her skin congestion. This also indicated a deficiency in zinc.

Emma started supplementing with a food-sourced, well-absorbed form of zinc. Within six weeks, her skin was no longer breaking out, and instead it was healing, her pores were smaller, the recurrent sicknesses ceased and her monthly cycle was far more manageable. Just because of one nutrient being replenished.

Signs you might be low in zinc

Zinc deficiency can be subtle – or it can shout. Some common signs include:

• Recurring infections, “three colds every winter” or slow recovery from illness
  
  

• Breakouts, rashes or dull, tired-looking skin
  
  

• Slow wound healing
  
  

• White spots on fingernails (this can also be due to the nail bed being damaged)
  
  

• Poor blood glucose management
  
  

• Sugar cravings
  
  

• Sex hormone-related challenges and/or lowered fertility
  
  

• Decreased alcohol tolerance
  
  

• Altered taste/smell (fussy eating in children)

If two or more of those sound familiar, it’s worth considering whether zinc might be the missing piece.

Why you might not be getting enough (even with a nourishing way of eating)

If a nutrient is not in the soil, it cannot be in the food. Not even 100 years ago zinc was abundant in many soils; therefore, fruit and vegetables were good sources of it. But because too many soils in the world are now zinc deficient, many foods no longer contain zinc. Plus, our lifestyles and physiology can work against us. Zinc is easily depleted when we:

• Follow a vegan, vegetarian or low-meat diet (it’s difficult to get enough zinc from plants alone as you need to consume a lot more; plus plants contain substances, such as fibre, that are otherwise beneficial but they can disrupt the absorption of zinc; whereas red meat or oysters for example, don’t contain fibre)
  

• Experience high stress or are recovering from an illness (which increases zinc turnover)

• Consume caffeine regularly (which reduces absorption and drives stress hormone production thus using up more zinc)

• Consume alcohol, as zinc is essential for the production of an enzyme – alcohol dehydrogenase – needed to detoxify alcohol.

And unfortunately, zinc isn’t something the body stores in large quantities – it needs consistent daily intake to stay stocked up.

The solution: gentle, bioavailable zinc

I added a food source of zinc (rather than a synthetic, made in a lab one) to my Bio Blends supplement range because too many people just aren’t getting enough of this crucial nutrient. Many people experience nausea or stomach upset with cheap, poorly absorbed forms of zinc (like zinc oxide or sulfate). That’s why I formulated Organic Zinc from organic guava leaves. It’s gentle on the stomach, highly bioavailable and supports your body in a natural, food-like way.

If you feel like your body is still struggling despite your best efforts, zinc might just be the missing piece in your puzzle. It’s a small step – but one that can support your immune resilience, hormone harmony, skin clarity and overall vitality. Because when you give your body what it truly needs, it knows how to thrive.

Want to learn more?

Explore Organic Zinc or take a closer look at our blog library for more insights into the nutrients that make a difference.