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Does zinc help you rest? The short answer-yes. If you’re having trouble achieving deep, restful sleep and you haven’t considered your zinc levels, now may be the time. Let’s look into the natural benefits for rest and sleep that zinc provides the body.
What is Zinc and How Does It Support Sleep?
It’s a mineral naturally found in trace amounts in our bodies that perform roles like aiding in cell division and the breakdown of carbs. Zinc helps metabolize food and balances hormones. Studies now show that taking extra zinc before bed can lead to more restorative sleep. This mineral alone does not help you fall asleep but it does aid in deeper, less fitful sleep. It suppresses the nervous system and acts as an antidepressant. Lowering anxiety levels, in turn, helps the body relax. Going to bed with mental and physical calm promotes rest. On top of everything else zinc does for our bodies, it’s a building block of melatonin. Since melatonin is the brain’s “sleep chemical”, it makes sense that sufficient levels of zinc help you stay asleep.
Natural Foods & Diet
While it’s possible to have too much of this essential mineral, diets of today tend to be low in zinc. Animal protein sourced zinc are more readily available to the body tplant-sourcedrced. Common meats that are highest in zinc are beef, veal liver, and dark meat chicken. Common non-meat sources are dark chocolate, beans, and pumpkin seeds. Those without animal-based protein in their diet should consider a zinc supplement. There are food options fortified with zinc that comfortably add it to any diet. Even breakfast foods and fast foods make the cut.
All-Natural Sleep Supplements
Taking it before bed is an excellent way to give your system a boost and help you stay asleep. How do you know if you need more zinc? The outward, easy to recognize signs of a deficiency include hair loss, decreased appetite, frequent infections, and skin sores. People with low zinc levels also have problems with their sense of taste and smell. One other sure sign of a deficiency, of course, is trouble staying asleep at night. Again, it’s a building block for many of our body’s essential functions. Hitting the suggested dietary mark every day supports whole body health, which in turn supports high-quality rest. You can find zinc in some of the best natural sleep aid supplements in today’s health market. Products such as Ageless Nutrition’s AgelessSLEEP, provide many benefits to improve a restful night’s sleep.
Side Effects
There are groups of people who should pay more attention to this mineral than others. Pregnant
women, vegetarians, people with diabetes, and premature babies typically have lower natural zinc levels. As reference, you can have too much zinc. An excess of it can lead to digestive problems, vomiting, or even copper or iron deficiencies. You may potentially experience headaches, coughing, and fever like symptoms. Depending on when you take it, unintended drowsiness may also occur.
The symptoms of taking in too much zinc should dissipate within a few hours of ingestion. You may start with a smaller dose at bedtime to see how your body responds and work your dosage up to the recommended amount. It’s always best to review your diet with your physician before adding supplements, even as a sleep aid.
Sources: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002416.htm
https://understand-andcure-anxietyattacks-panicattacks-depression.com/5-htp-Melatonin.html
https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/high-zinc-foods.php
