Why Your Zinc Is Probably Low (Zinc Part 2)
Last article we talked about why zinc is so important for immunity. We also mentioned a substance found in food called phytic acid. This article we’re explaining why this causes people’s zinc levels to be low.
Phytic acid binds to certain minerals in the diet and blocks their absorption. With regards to zinc, phytic acid can even bind to zinc in your digestive enzymes and avoid this zinc being reabsorbed like it usually does (1), thereby causing depletion.
In order to maintain a positive zinc balance there is a ratio of zinc to phytic acid that needs to be met or exceeded.
According to a paper from the world’s leading scientific journal (Nature), 76.9% of people in China fall below this ratio with a median (average) daily intake of zinc and phytic acid being 10.6mg and 1186mg respectively (2). This implies the same proportion of people are constantly losing zinc from the body. This explains why the WHO estimates at least 1 in 3 people are affected by zinc deficiency (12).
To put this into context, you would only need about 50 grams of certain beans (not soaked or fermented) to reach this unfavourable quantity of phytic acid (3). This is why we think most people must supplement with zinc. This is why we believe more than 1 in 3 people are affected by suboptimal zinc levels.
Many populations have been shown to have a daily phytic acid intake higher than China; South Koreans (1676.6mg), Indian (1560mg-2500mg), Nigeria (2000mg-2200mg) (2). Which is why we think it is especially important for Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups to supplement with zinc.
It should be noted that anybody of any ethnicity can consume high phytic acid foods, but Western diets tend to have lower phytic acid content (4). According to one article, “The average phytate intake in the U.S. and the U.K. ranges between 631 and 746 mg per day; the average in Finland is 370 mg; in Italy it is 219 mg; and in Sweden a mere 180 mg per day” (5).
Please note that phytic acid content of a food can vary but here is a table that we prepared with worst case scenarios based on scientific studies (6). (Please note this is not a complete table. Most tubers also contain some phytic acid but these have not been included in the table as the concentrations are less significant). You can use this table to help estimate your phytic acid intake:
| Food (unsoaked and unfermented) | Worst case scenario Phytic acid content mg/100g |
|---|---|
| Almonds | 9420 |
| Walnuts | 6690 |
| Brazil nuts | 6340 |
| Cashew Nuts | 4980 |
| Pecans | 4520 |
| Peanuts | 4470 |
| Sorghum | 3350 |
| Dry Cowpeas | 2900 |
| Black-eyed peas | 2900 |
| Pistachios | 2830 |
| Macadamia nuts | 2620 |
| Kidney Beans | 2380 |
| Haricot Beans | 2380 |
| Pinto Beans | 2380 |
| Navy Beans | 2380 |
| Blackeye beans | 2380 |
| Maize | 2220 |
| Wild Rice | 2200 |
| Quinoa | 1941 |
| Triticale | 1890 |
| Broad beans | 1770 |
| Millet | 1670 |
| Brown Rice | 1600 |
| Chickpeas/garbanzo/bengal gram | 1600 |
| Lentils | 1510 |
| Rye | 1460 |
| Teff | 1374 |
| Wheat (whole grain) | 1350 |
| Peas | 1220 |
| Barley | 1160 |
| Oat | 1160 |
| Rice | 1080 |
| Buckwheat | 1000 |
| Hazelnuts | 920 |
| Coconut meat | 369 |
| Pine nuts | 200 |
As can be seen from the table, the majority of the highest foods containing phytic acid are nuts and beans. Since we’re mostly talking about plant-based diets here, this is why we recommend that those on vegan or vegetarian diets supplement with zinc.
We also think it’s worth mentioning that zinc absorption from animal foods like beef is not significantly affected by phytic acid. This why we think most people would benefit from consuming some supplemental zinc. Particularly in the zinc bisglycinate form that we use in the ThinkPharm Formula.
Phytic acid can be partly broken down through soaking and fermentation but the foods that are highest in phytic acid like nuts and beans do not lose a significant amount of phytic acid through these processes. Soaking certain beans for 12 hours at room temperature only reduces phytic acid by 8-20% (7) (8). Soaking almonds for 24 hours only reduced phytic acid by 4.75% (9). A lot of effort for not much reward.
In contrast, the data on sourdough bread seems more promising. One study found an almost complete elimination of phytic acid after an 8-hour leavening for sourdough (10). Unfortunately, we couldn’t track down the original study to show you, however this does make sense when we look at other studies. For example, one study found that using a 10% starter for whole wheat sourdough got rid of 22% of the phytic acid after leavening for only 50 minutes at 20 degrees C! (11).
It takes less time for the phytic acid in white sourdough bread to be eliminated. This is because whole bran products are higher in phytic acid.
The only slight problem with store bought sourdough is that you don’t really know how long it was fermented for, unless you contact the company that produces it. Then again, some people would disagree that bread (and especially white bread) is a healthy food. Some people try to reduce their intake of bread for other reasons. If you want to reduce your intake of bread, it’s likely that it will be replaced by higher phytic acid foods, which is another reason to take a supplement containing amino acid bound zinc on a daily basis. Something that the ThinkPharm Formula provides.
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For a vitamin supplement that doesn’t profit from your misinformation and actually tries to improve your health, get your hands on the ThinkPharm Formula. Check out the formula on our product page.
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