Zinc deficiency today kills 1.5 million children every year. Lack of Zinc weakens the immune system and makes children vulnerable to infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia and malaria. Zinc deficiency affects not only kids but adults too. According to studies done by International Zinc Association, 2 billion people are deficient in Zinc and 8,00,000 people are at risk of dying each year due to Zinc deficiency.
It all starts with the soil that grows the crops which the populace consumes. When the soils are deficient in Zinc, the grain concentrations of the crops grown in these soils are lower. Thus people eating crops that have been grown in Zinc – deficient soils receive less Zinc from their diets and are therefore at risk of Zinc deficiency. By consuming Zinc rich foods like seafood, beef, wheat germ, spinach, nuts etc., one can ensure a healthy immune system, proper building of proteins and smooth absorption of copper and iron in the body in the long run.
Thus, by adding Zinc to the soils, to the foods (also called fortification) or even through consumption of oral tablets or multivitamin supplements, one can ensure no pathological and physiological consequences of zinc deficiency and a healthy working body.
Hindustan Zinc is India’s only and world’s leading Zinc-Lead-Silver Producer..
Article by- Pavan Kaushik, Head – Corporate Communication, Hindustan Zinc
