You may have heard that zinc helps with recovery from a cold, but this mineral is also needed for those who are not sick or have impaired immune function. Ideally, this essential mineral should be consumed in small amounts every day to maintain overall health, as well as to be able to perform hundreds of other important functions in the body.

So what are the benefits of consuming zinc from supplements, or ingesting zinc from foods rich in this mineral? Zinc benefits the body in many ways - it helps with hormone production, proper growth and repair, improved immunity and the promotion of normal digestion.

It also has the ability to act anti-inflammatory, which means that it can have significant therapeutic benefits for several common and chronic diseases such as cancer or heart disease. No wonder zinc deficiency can lead to a number of health problems, such as chronic fatigue, digestive problems and hormonal problems.