Zinc deficiency also causes hair loss, diarrhea, eye and skin sores and loss of appetite. Weight loss, problems with wound healing, decreased ability to taste food, and lower alertness levels can also occur.

Zinc deficiency is not uncommon worldwide, but is rare in the US. Symptoms include slowed growth, low insulin levels, loss of appetite, irritability, generalized hair loss, rough and dry skin, slow wound healing, poor sense of taste and smell, diarrhea, and nausea.

People with zinc deficiency can experience vision and hearing loss, susceptibility to infections, delayed sexual maturation (in men), stunted growth, hair loss, appetite and weight loss, dry skin, and anemia. Proper zinc intake is especially important to the development of growing children.

It has proven effective in the treatment of dehydration and without apparent adverse effects in worldwide use. It has contributed substantially to the reduction child deaths from diarrhoeal disease.

Exercising, high alcohol intake, and diarrhea all increase loss of zinc from the body.

What are the causes of zinc deficiency? A poor diet can cause zinc deficiency. So it is more common in malnourished children and adults and in people who are unable to eat a normal diet due to circumstances or illness. Lots of zinc intake is from meat and seafood, so vegetarians may be more prone to deficiency.

Zinc deficiency can lead to depression, increased anxiety, irritability, emotional instability, and induced deficits in social behavior. Clinical studies have shown that low levels of zinc intake contributes to the symptoms of depression and patients suffering from depression have a lower serum zinc level.

You may need to increase your intake of zinc by getting more of it in your diet. Sometimes, however, dietary supplements are needed. The recommended amount of daily zinc intake was developed by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

Want a simple way to determine if you are deficient?

1. To perform the test, simply put two tablespoons of the zinc challenge liquid into a cup.
2. Drink from the cup and hold the solution in your mouth until a taste develops.
3. Results in taste will vary giving valuable information regarding your levels in the body.

While there are several chelated zinc supplements on the market, one of the best options is NOW Foods Zinc Glycinate softgels. Each softgel contains 30 mg of zinc glycinate — a form of zinc that human and animal studies suggest may be better absorbed than other types of zinc.