Dietary and Physiological Effects of Zinc on the Immune System

Evidence for the importance of zinc for all immune cells and for mounting an efficient and balanced immune response to various environmental stressors has been accumulating in recent years. This article describes the role of zinc in fundamental biological processes and summarizes our current knowledge of zinc's effect on hematopoiesis, including differentiation into immune cell subtypes. In addition, the important role of zinc during activation and function of immune cells is detailed and associated with the specific immune responses to bacteria, parasites, and viruses. The association of zinc with autoimmune reactions and cancers as diseases with increased or decreased immune responses is also discussed. This article provides a broad overview of the manifold roles that zinc, or its deficiency, plays in physiology and during various diseases. Consequently, we discuss why zinc supplementation should be considered, especially for people at risk of deficiency.

Automated summary

There is accumulating evidence for the crucial role of zinc in immune cell function and mounting an effective immune response to various stressors. Zinc plays important roles in hematopoiesis, immune cell differentiation, activation, and function, as well as specific immune responses to pathogens. Additionally, zinc is associated with autoimmune reactions, cancers, and diseases with altered immune responses, highlighting the importance of considering zinc supplementation, especially for individuals at risk of deficiency.