Treatment Guide

Understanding and Treating Zinc Deficiency in Celiac Disease

The mineral zinc is classified as an essential nutrient due to the vital functions it performs in our bodies.  It is found in almost every cell of the body with highest concentrations in the liver, pancreas, kidney, bone, and muscle. High concentrations occur in the brain, middle ear, eye, prostate gland, sperm, skin, hair, and nails. This micronutrient is essential for the activity of approximately 100 enzymes. Enzymes promote biochemical reactions in the body.

Zinc supports a healthy immune system. It is needed for wound healing and DNA synthesis. It helps maintain our sense of taste and smell and is involved in energy metabolism, hemoglobin production, carbon dioxide transport, prostaglandin function, synthesis of collagen, protein synthesis, and vitamin A metabolism. Zinc is important for male fertility. It supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence.

Zinc is absorbed throughout the small intestine. Protein (especially soy) and glucose increases zinc absorption while copper, iron, calcium and folic acid decrease zinc absorption.

Zinc Deficiency Symptoms

Most Americans are deficient in zinc.  While many of us consume less than 10 mg per day, we actually need between 12 and 15mg.  When malabsorption issues from celiac disease damage are added to a diet already too low in zinc, we can see how zinc deficiencies are common in celiac disease.

Mild to moderate depletion make us feel run down because deficiency results in low energy and fatigue. Other symptoms include the following:

  • nervousness
  • depression
  • anorexia
  • impaired taste and smell
  • acid reflux
  • skin rashes and disorders including acne, eczema, and psoriasis
  • photophobia
  • white spots in fingernails
  • thinning hair/ baldness
  • slow wound healing
  • frequent infection
  • male infertility
  • In children and youths, anemia, hypogonadism, and short stature.

 

Severe deficiency results in immune disorders including shrinkage of the thymus gland, deficient thymic hormone, low white blood cell count, and worsening of diarrhea, if present.

Zinc-deficiency in pregnancy includes: increased maternal deaths, abnormal taste sensations, abnormally short or long pregnancies, inefficient labor, atonic bleeding (uterus does not stay contracted), increased risks to the fetus including malformations, growth retardation, prematurity, and perinatal death (period between the 28th week of pregnancy and 28 weeks after delivery).

Recommended Dietary Allowances for Zinc

Children 1 to 10 years require 10 mg of zinc each day. Boys and men need 15 mg. Girls and women need 12 mg. Pregnant women need 15 mg. Because of new findings, these amounts are expected to be higher when the next Recommended Daily Allowances are published.

Getting Your Daily Intake

  • Make foods rich in zinc a part of your diet, especially if you notice white spots in your fingernails, are under a lot of stress, take high doses of calcium or exercise heavily. Eat food with zinc to restore your energy, mental outlook and appetite.
  • The highest animal source of zinc is the oyster. There are 21mg in ½ cup!
  • Rich meat sources include canned salmon, beef, liver, turkey neck, shellfish, poultry, and fish. Liver has 4.6mg in 3 oz. and dark turkey meat has 3.8mg in 3 oz. and beef has 2.3 mg in 3oz.
  • Good plant sources are rice bran, pecans, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, soy products, dry peas and beans, and brown rice.
  • Red wine enhances zinc zbsorption.

 

Form in Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements of zinc are usually needed to correct a deficiency. Most celiacs who are zinc deficient at diagnosis will always be at risk for depletion during times of stress or illness. It is a good idea to keep zinc on hand to combat low levels. These white tablets should be taken alone with food to improve absorption. Zinc supplements should not be taken together with the typical balanced vitamin/mineral supplement because zinc interferes with copper absorption while iron, calcium and folic acid interfere with zinc absorption.

Zinc Toxicity

Toxicity from supplements may develop at more than 100 mg a day. Symptoms include gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting.

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Author Information: Cleo Libonati, RN, BSN
Cleo Libonati is president/CEO and co-Founder of Gluten Free Works, Inc. She is the author of Recognizing Celiac Disease.
She can be reached by E-mail.

About Cleo Libonati, RN, BSN

Avatar photo
Cleo Libonati, RN, BSN is CEO and co-Founder of Gluten Free Works, Inc. and Glutenfreeworks.com. She is the author and publisher of the highly recommended celiac disease reference guide, Recognizing Celiac Disease.

11 comments

  1. How can you identify if you are deficient in Zinc?

    • Avatar photo

      Zinc deficiency presents with the following symptoms: low energy, fatigue, slow wound healing, frequent infections, nervousness, depression, anorexia, impaired taste and smell, skin rashes and disorders including eczema, acne, psoriasis, photophobia, male infertility, white spots on fingernails. (Recognizing Celiac Disease, p. 74)

  2. Zinc deficiency can also be caused by a stress disorder that requires constant management. Mauve factor (HPL) aka Kryptopyrroluria aka Hemopyrrollactamuria

  3. Thank YOU ! ! !
    Darn, I’ve been taking my zinc with cottage cheese before bedtime to heal injuries before bedtime.

    That’s why I still had slow wound healing.
    I’ll take it on it’s own with jam earlier in the evening.
    WHY don’t they tell us this on the bottle ???

    I bought the 50 mg/pill bottle and I split them in 1/2.
    Is that too much Zinc?

    Do you know when the new RDA will be coming out?
    Will you be posting them on this web site – please – when they do come out?

  4. Mark…low protein and vitamin C levels also slow wound healing. Vitamin C itself is required along with copper for the production of collagen tissue (protein) which makes up 45% of body tissues…skin, mucous membranes, bone, vertebral discs, and vessels for example. Plus, Vitamin C help zinc absorption from the gut. If it doesn’t bother your stomach, add fresh lemon juice to a glass of water when you take the zinc and at least 2 other times during the day. Fresh lemon is superior to other food sources for vitamin C. Are you getting enough protein? About zinc dose…25 mg is not a large dose…when deficiency is shown, the dose is at least 50 mg. Blood testing is the best way to find your status. Please see “NUTRITION TESTING” at the top of this page for more info.

  5. Thank you for the information. I have been taking a liquid B Complex, but I am still exploring other vitamin deficiencies.

  6. I have iron deficient anemia and acid reflux that I take proton inhibitors for. I have to take my iron at a different time then my acid reflux medicine. If I were to take zinc instead, would it need to take it separate from the iron tablet? It’s all such a vicious cycle. The acid reflux medicine inhibits the absorption of the iron, but the iron will inhibit the absorption of the zinc. I feel like there is one common starting point that I just can’t seem to find.

    • Avatar photo

      Kim, the common starting point is usually malabsorption – from gluten, sugar, soy, milk or anything else that affects your digestion and/or absorption. Try an elimination diet. It’s a pain for a few weeks, but it generally provides the best results, and more importantly, tells you which food(s) is causing your problems.

    • I found a 1/2 apple cut up into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces shut down the acid reflux for me, taken before retiring. The peel of the apple has the pectin that helps the esophegus seal, pucker/ it worked for me. I pass it along
      with the idea I found of cutting it into pieces. Because, if not careful, just biting into the apple can damage
      front teeth enamel. Loss of enamel is not good. And the acid reflux is damaging to the larnyx and tissue. Not good. I was also given a little pill that was a seratonin inhibitor. But the side effects were nausea, grogginess, and dizziness, and severe constipation. Like I needed all that. I did not research the side effects until I noticed I was getting headaches after using it to stop the nausea. The side effects were worse than the nausea. Two bad falls. Groggy and afraid to drive. Having to be mindful about every step and action throughout the day. :) The apples worked best. And some ginger tea and/ or GinGin natural candies with honey that calm everything down. Also found keeping sodium below 2000mg a day meant no more vestibular migraines with visual disturbance/ also stopped with a lie down and a small dose aspirin. Last time I had the nausea I tried the aspirin and that helped that too. So, maybe there is a vestibular connection there, too. Until I stopped the anti-nausea pill, the doctor and I were both convinced I had Meniere’s. No trouble for a couple months now. :) Best wishes

  7. I’m glad now to find out anorexia is caused by zinc as I thought it was caused spirulina. Which I’ve been taking for over a year because of numerous nutrients considering I also have celiac and leaky gut disease.With some zinc everyday the brain fog and bodily fatigue will dissipate because I also have epilepsy. Well the spirulina has controlled the seizures more than meds but I still take them.

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