Here are five vital reasons to get more zinc as you age

3. Increase Testosterone: After you turn 30, your testosterone (T) levels can drop by about one percent per year. By the time you’re in your 60s, your levels could be more than 30% lower. But getting enough can help you prevent T loss. One study found that restricting dietary zinc in healthy young men decreased their normal levels of T by almost 30%. That same study shows that older men taking a supplement can increase the amount of T in their blood by 50%. And this was without any changes to their normal diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle.

4. Build Stronger Bones in Women: Men aren’t the only ones who can benefit from taking zinc. Women may need it even more. Zinc helps prevent bone disease. Women with osteoporosis usually have lower levels of zinc. One study found that postmenopausal women taking a supplement helped slow their bone loss by 66%. Even more impressive is what happens when they added zinc to calcium, manganese, and copper supplementation. It helped these women increase their bone mineral density by 28% in two years.

5. Prevent Heart Disease: One study found that low levels of zinc can increase heart event risk by almost 40% in people with type 2 diabetes. Even if you take diabetes out of the picture, zinc is can still support your heart health. It helps regulate heartbeat and function. Depriving your heart of zinc can put you at risk for heart disease—or worse.

Getting enough of this important mineral can have tremendous benefits for your overall health—especially as you age. 

The best way to give your body the zinc it needs is through your diet. Oysters pack a huge dose. You’ll also get it from grass-fed beef, spinach, asparagus, pumpkin seeds, and shiitake mushrooms. In addition, you can find a quality, food-derived supplement in health food stores and online.