Zinc, Are You Geting Enough?

When it comes to supporting heart health and managing blood pressure, minerals such as potassium and magnesium often come to mind. However, there is another vital mineral that needs to be considered checking into the root cause of your high blood pressure.  Most doctors often overlook a zinc deficiency in hypertensive patients. 

Zinc, an essential trace element, plays a critical role in various bodily functions, including immune health, vision, cell production, and wound healing. Recent research shows that it may also have a significant impact on maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Continue reading below to learn the importance of zinc in blood pressure regulation, how it works, and ways to incorporate more zinc into your diet.

How Zinc Affects Blood Pressure

If you’ve been following me for a while now, you know that the one thing I talk about ALL the time is the importance of a healthy endothelium. The endothelium that lines the inside of all the blood vessel and artery walls produces a magic-like gas called nitric oxide. Zinc is a helper mineral in nitric oxide production. Zinc is necessary for for nitric oxide to work. Nitric Oxide relaxes and widens blood vessels, promoting smoother blood flow and reducing blood pressure. Insufficient nitric oxide production can lead to stiffer blood vessels, forcing the heart to work harder, causing high blood pressure. If you want to learn more about how to heal the endothelium through diet click here.

Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress damage blood vessels, narrowing them over time due to insufficient amounts of nitric oxide, and contribute to hypertension. Zinc’s antioxidant properties can help reduce these effects, providing a protective role for cardiovascular health.

If you are taking a prescribed ACE 2 inhibitor keep in mind that it is the number one medication that depletes zinc. This type of medication depletes zinc, potentially causing more blood pressure problems. Diuretics, antibiotics, antacids, and birth control pills also deplete zinc.  

Zinc has been linked to balancing hormones that impact blood pressure, such as angiotensin II, which constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. By helping to modulate this hormone, zinc helps prevent spikes in blood pressure.

Sufficient zinc also supports healthy kidney function. The kidneys play a major role in blood pressure regulation by controlling fluid balance and blood vessel constriction. Zinc supports healthy kidney function, ensuring the proper filtration and regulation of sodium and fluid balance in the body, which are a foundational part for preventing high blood pressure.

Recent studies suggest a strong link between zinc deficiency and high blood pressure. A 2016 study published in the American Journal of Physiology indicated that zinc deficiency might reduce sodium excretion, leading to fluid retention and higher blood pressure. Similarly, other research has shown that supplementing with zinc may help those with elevated blood pressure by promoting healthy sodium and fluid balance.

How to Include More Zinc in Your Diet

While zinc supplements are available, it’s always best to get nutrients from food sources when possible. Here are some zinc-rich foods that can fit into a blood pressure-friendly diet:

Nuts and Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and hemp seeds are excellent plant-based sources of zinc.

Legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, and beans are affordable and versatile options high in zinc.

Whole Grains: Quinoa, brown rice, and oats provide zinc while offering fiber to support heart health.

Grass-fed red meat and cooked oysters are good animal sources

Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage contains zinc, along with antioxidants beneficial for heart health.

Dairy products and other foods high in calcium can decrease zinc absorption, while protein-rich foods can enhance it.

Supplementing Safely with Zinc

While food sources are preferable, some people may require zinc supplementation to meet their needs, especially those with digestive issues that impair absorption or on a restricted diet. Most people could benefit with 30 mg of Zinc supplementation due to the zinc being depleted from the soil due to modern day agriculture. Also keep in mind that excess zinc intake can interfere with other mineral balances and lead to side effects. 

Zinc’s role in cardiovascular health is becoming clearer with ongoing research. From supporting vascular relaxation to regulating kidney function, zinc is mineral you can look into taking when other diet and lifestyle change efforts haven’t worked for those aiming to maintain healthy blood pressure. Adding zinc-rich foods to your diet and considering supplementation when necessary may provide another natural, safe way to support your heart health journey. 

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