3 reasons why zinc is essential for immunity

Hello. This is pharmacist Jinny.

Readers, what comes to mind when you hear the word 'immune nutrients'? Many people probably think of 'zinc'. Zinc is also an ingredient recognized by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as necessary for normal immune function and cell division.

Today, we will look at why zinc is good for immunity and how it helps immunity.

First, zinc plays very important roles in basic cellular functions, such as DNA replication and RNA transcription . 

Therefore, cells that mediate innate immunity and acquired immunity, that is, immune cells, are also essential for their proper functioning . 

Typically, macrophages, which perform sterilization by eating bacteria that have invaded our body, and NK cells, which destroy virus-infected cells or cancer cells, do not function properly when zinc is deficient. 

Second, immunity and antioxidants are closely related because the accumulation of oxidative stress damages cells and weakens the immune system. Zinc is also known as an 'antioxidant' .

Zinc plays a role in increasing the synthesis of glutathione , an antioxidant that plays an important role in redox reactions in the body .

Third, it also controls the excessive inflammatory response . Inflammation is part of the immune response, which occurs to protect the body from pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. However , if inflammation occurs excessively or persists, it can be harmful to our body and must be precisely controlled. 

However, zinc can prevent the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines that cause inflammation by controlling a transcription factor called NF-κB, which acts as a master switch for inflammation.

Today we learned why zinc is important for immune function. Since zinc is not stored in the body, it is recommended to eat foods rich in zinc, such as oysters, peas, and brown rice, frequently.

I hope you have a healthy day in body and mind. More than that, it was Jinny.