All living things, including people, need zinc in their diets. Getting too little of this essential metal can impair growth and cause immune dysfunction, neurological disorders and cancer. Unfortunately, over 17% of the world’s population is at risk for zinc deficiency. The World Health Organization considers this kind of micronutrient-related malnutrition a leading contributor to disease and death.
After you eat a meal, zinc is taken up by the cells of your body. Inside each cell, zinc binds to proteins to support their structure and function. Researchers estimate that up to 10% of all proteins need zinc to properly function. In this sense, a zinc protein without zinc is similar to a car without an engine or without screws holding it together: It either might not work or disassemble completely.
