Page 33 - Spring2008

equivalent levels in their breast milk, their infants fruits and vegetables, it is found in much lower While a well
had 83 percent lower levels of the active form at amounts compared to animal foods and is much
four months and 87 percent lower levels at six less bioavailable. Oysters contain between four planned
months. 33 and twenty times as much zinc as beef, while vegetarian
Vegetarians should select plant foods that beef contains two to four times as much as other diet may
have the least amount of their pyridoxine bound meats, four times as much as eggs, ten times as
up in sugar complexes. Bananas are an excellent much as milk and four or more times as much escape
source because the sugar-bound form is low, their as virtually all plant products. Moreover, zinc overt zinc

total content is comparable to many meats, and absorption is inhibited by plant compounds deficiency, it
they are typically eaten raw. Most plant foods are such as phytate, oxalate, polyphenols and fi ber,
relatively poor sources, however, and B intake and enhanced by compounds present in meat. would be
6
would be much higher on a mixed diet including Its absorption is greater than 50 percent in the virtually
muscle meats, seafood and organ meats. absence of inhibitors but less than 15 percent impossible to
in the context of a high-phytate meal. While a
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ZINC well planned vegetarian diet may escape overt maintain a
Zinc is a cofactor for literally hundreds of zinc defi ciency, it would be virtually impossible truly robust
enzymes. It is an essential structural component to maintain a truly robust zinc status without the zinc status
of all nuclear hormone receptors as well as some inclusion of animal foods.
hormones themselves, such as insulin. It acts as without the
an antioxidant in cell membranes by displacing ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS inclusion of
pro-oxidant metals like iron and mercury and is The essential fatty acids as a group are a animal foods.
also a cofactor for the antioxidant enzyme super- double-edged sword. On the one hand, small
oxide dismutase. A small sample of its biological amounts of them are required for the synthesis
functions include cell and tissue growth, cell rep- of various biologically important hormones and
lication, bone formation, skin integrity, immunity, hormone-like molecules; on the other hand, they
digestion, glucose tolerance, maintenance of a are highly unsaturated and their multiple double-
high basal metabolic rate and taste acuity. 24 bonds are highly vulnerable to oxidation. Even
Figure 7 shows the distribution of zinc fresh, non-oxidized DHA, eicosapentaenoic acid
in foods. Although present in grains, legumes, (EPA), and omega-3-rich perilla oil increase

FIGURE 7. ZINC CONTENT OF SELECTED FOODS

The zinc content of animal foods is not only much more bioavailable than that of plant foods, but also much higher. Data
taken from reference 24.

FOOD Zinc (mg/100g) FOOD Zinc (mg/100g)
Seafood Legumes (cooked)
Oysters 17.0-91.0 All 0.6-1.0
Crabmeat 3.8 - 4.3 Grains and Cereals
Shrimp 1.1 Rice and Pasta (cooked) 0.3-0.6
Tuna 0.5 - 0.8 Whole Wheat Bread 1.0
Meat and Poultry White Bread 0.6-0.8
Liver 3.1 - 3.9 Vegetables
Chicken 1.0 - 2.0 All 0.1-0.7
Ground Beef 3.9 - 4.1 Fruits
Veal 3.1 - 3.2 All <0.1
Pork 1.6 - 2.1
Eggs and Dairy
Eggs 1.1
Milk 0.4
Cheeses 2.8 - 3.2
SPRING 2008 Wise Traditions 33