Zinc

Benefit
Zinc is an essential mineral that helps wounds heal and keeps your immune system strong. But does it help prevent colds?
To prevent deficiency, the current government guidelines recommend 11 milligrams (mg) of zinc per day for men and 8 mg for women. For optimal health and disease prevention, adults get 12 mg of zinc per day, preferably through food. Too much zinc can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb other vitamins and minerals, so if you take a daily supplement or multivitamin, opt for one with no more than 15 mg of zinc.

Good Sources
Oysters, raw (3 medium)
16–25 mg
Lamb chop (3 ounces)
6 mg
Ground beef, 85% lean (3 ounces)
5.3 mg
Ricotta cheese, part-skim milk (1 cup)
3.3 mg
Turkey, no skin (3 ounces)
2.6 mg
Kidney beans, canned (1/2 cup)
2 mg
Yogurt, plain, low-fat (8 ounces)
2 mg
Shiitake mushrooms (1 cup)
2 mg
Sunflower seeds (1/4 cup)
1.7 mg
Almonds (1/4 cup)
0.8 mg