A diet rich in zinc may help seniors improve their immune system, according to the results ofa study published in the medical journal American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. And better protect against infections.
Scientific studies have already taught us that zinc would reduce the duration of the common cold , would improve the health of diabetics by lowering blood sugar levels. This new research reveals to us that this trace element is essential for boosting the immune system of seniors.
Researchers at Tufts University (United States) carried out a study with 25 participants, with a zinc deficiency (low to deficient rate) and aged 65 and over. For three months, 12 of them received a daily dose of a zinc-enriched multi-vitamin of 30mg and 13 consumed a placebo multi-vitamin with a zinc intake limited to 5mg. To understand the effect of zinc on the health of seniors, they analyzed the immune system of the participants.
If the supplementation allowed a return to normal zinc levels in seniors, it above all boosted their immune system: the number of T cells (immune cells) had increased in number and efficiency more impressively than in the control group. .
Fill up on zinc
Men should have a daily intake of 11 mg and women 8 mg. It would be enough to eat two Oysters to have…four times more. But you can think of eating lean red meat (such as a 5% fat ground beef), liver, turkey and legumes. It is also found in wheat germ, sprouted seeds and Whole grains.
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