Zinc is an important nutrient that is required by every cell, tissue, and organ to function properly. It also plays an indispensable role in digestion, immune function, cell metabolism, wound healing, and DNA expression. In essence, it is involved in every metabolic process in the body.With the current lifestyle, where people live in a bubble of multivitamin supplements and fortified food, not many people take a keen interest in their nutrition. As a result, zinc deficiency has become a global health crisis. The World Health Organization reports that 31 percent of the world’s population has a zinc deficiency. It is also responsible for the increase in mortality rates through pneumonia and childhood diarrhea in developing countries. For instance, zinc deficiency has contributed to about 406,000 deaths from pneumonia in Africa, the East Mediterranean, and South East Asia.
