The past two and a half years, we have become very familiar with the various vitamins, minerals, and supplements that boost our immune system. Zinc is one of those minerals. A new study posted in the journal Blood explores what exactly zinc is doing to our system and why it’s so beneficial. The scientists discovered that zinc is “required for development of a specialized type of immune cell and prompts a critical immune organ to regenerate after damage.” Interestingly, they found that an experimental compound that is not zinc but that mimics zinc’s “action in this organ works even better than the natural mineral to promote immune recovery and could have therapeutic potential for people who receive a blood stem cell transplant as a treatment for advanced leukemia or another serious blood disease.” This was an important discovery because one of the barriers of zinc supplementation, according to Dr. Dudakov, is the long period of time needed to be on the supplement to experience the benefit.
It’s important to note that you can take too much zinc so always speak to your doctor before adding any supplements into your routine.
https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2022/03/dudakov-zinc-thymus-regeneration.html