Why does a vegetarian diet lead to zinc deficiency?

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).