Zinc: The Summertime Super Healing Mineral

Summer goes hand in hand with skin problems. Spending more time outdoors can result in sun burns. Working up a sweat while playing sports and traveling to new destinations can cause injuries, eczema flare ups, and other ailments. While there are dozens of over-the-counter products to choose from to protect and heal skin, there is one mineral that can be the Swiss Army knife of the summer first-aid kits – zinc.

Zinc is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined and added to some food and beverages. It can also be taken as a supplement and applied topically. Zinc is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that has been studied and found to have many health benefits.1 According to Mayo Clinic, zinc rich foods help support immune health, metabolism, wound healing, and other essential bodily functions.2 Some of the best dietary sources of zinc include beef, chicken, fish, seafood, and some nuts like cashews and seeds like pumpkin seeds.3 Zinc can also be found in enriched foods and taken as an oral supplement – something many people do when fighting a cold.

The benefits of zinc do not start or end in the stomach. Most people are familiar with one of the most common uses of zinc, that is zinc oxide, for sun protection. The white streak on the nose of lifeguards is zinc hard at work protecting the skin from the damage of UV rays. Many sunscreens contain zinc oxide, and it is also a common ingredient in other skin topicals intended for treating diaper rash, burns, cuts, and other wounds.

So, why is zinc such a healing powerhouse? The truth is no one knows for sure. However, research and studies have found that zinc can speed up would healing.4 It is known to reduce inflammation, lower infection risk, help with the removal of damaged and dead cells, and increase cell turnover.5 Researchers even believe that zinc could be the key to fighting drug resistant superbugs due to its antimicrobial properties.6

Five Ways to Use Zinc

 

  • Before and during travel increase the amount of zinc rich foods in your diet and consider adding an oral zinc supplement as part of your daily routine to support immune function. The last thing anyone wants to bring home from vacation is a cold.
  • Clouds or sunshine, apply zinc to the face daily in the form of a sunscreen that is at least SPF 30 to help reduce risk for sun damage, wrinkles, age spots, and skin cancer.
  • Hot humid weather can trigger an eczema flare-up. Check the labels of over-the-counter creams for one that contains zinc oxide to help treat the rash.
  • For minor burns, scrapes, and cuts apply zinc oxide around the wound site to help reduce infection risk and reduce healing time.
  • Overdid it at the barbecue or tried one too many spicy foods at a new restaurant and regretting it hours later? Zinc has been found to help reduce the duration of diarrhea.6

As with any new supplement routine, be sure to check with your doctor for dosage recommendations as too much zinc can interfere with copper levels and cause stomach upset. In the meantime, add zinc topicals to first-aid kits and make it part of any summer adventure.

References

  1. Prasad, A. S. (2014). Zinc is an Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Agent: Its Role in Human Health. Frontiers in Nutrition, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2014.00014
  2. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2023, August 10). Zinc. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-zinc/art-20366112
  3. National Institutes of Health. (2022, September 28). Zinc. Nih.gov; National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/
  4. Levin, N., Gray, T., Farsi, M., Dorton, D., & Miller, R. (2020). Topical Zinc May Augment Post-Operative Wound Healing, Including Following Mohs Micrographic Surgery: A Review of the Literature. SKIN the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine, 4(5), 395–403. https://doi.org/10.25251/skin.4.5.1
  5. Lin, P.-H., Sermersheim, M., Li, H., Lee, P., Steinberg, S., & Ma, J. (2017). Zinc in Wound Healing Modulation. Nutrients, 10(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10010016
  6. Ott, L., Smith, C., & Melha Mellata. (2024). Dietary zinc supplementation inhibits bacterial plasmid conjugation in vitro by regulating plasmid replication ( rep ) and transfer ( tra ) genes. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01480-24
  7. Zinc Supplements Important in Combating Diarrhea | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (2000, November 27). Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2000/zinc-diarrhea
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