Why does a vegetarian diet lead to zinc deficiency?
Vegetarians often experience copper toxicity and zinc deficiency, as a large amount of copper is found in plant foods. Copper is an antagonist of zinc, and when a large amount of copper enters the body, zinc is displaced.
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Vegetarians often have an increased intake of copper because:
- many plant-based foods (nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, cocoa, avocados, greens) are high in copper;
- animal sources of zinc (meat, fish, seafood) are limited or absent;
- plant sources of zinc often contain phytates, which bind zinc and reduce its bioavailability.
Copper and zinc are antagonists: at high levels of copper, the body reduces zinc absorption, and vice versa. Therefore, it is important for vegetarians, and especially vegans, to monitor their zinc levels — sometimes additional zinc supplementation is required (preferably in organic forms: picolinate, citrate, gluconate).
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