Zinc is an essential trace mineral, which means that it must be obtained from the diet since the body cannot make enough. Next to iron, zinc is the most abundant trace mineral in the body. Stored primarily in muscle, zinc is also found in high concentrations in red and white blood cells, the retina of the eye, bones, skin, kidneys, liver, and pancreas. Some of the symptoms of zinc deficiency include loss of appetite, poor growth, weight loss, impaired taste or smell, poor wound healing, skin abnormalities (such as acne, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis), hair loss, night blindness, hypogonadism and delayed sexual maturation, white spots on the fingernails and feelings of depression.
