By Pavan Kaushik

Ensuring proper intake of Zinc is an important step toward optimal brain function and may prevent cognitive decline as we age. Due to the abundance of nutrient-deprived processed foods, many children and adults suffer from a chronic insufficiency of the mineral.

As one of nature’s essential elements, Zinc is required by humans throughout their life-cycles to grow and develop. Every cell requires Zinc to multiply. Zinc heals wounds, increases immunity, boosts brain activity and also contributes to learning.

Zinc and Mental Function

Recent research has shown that this nutrient has a strong impact on mental function because it can pair up with Vitamin B6 to ensure the proper function of neurotransmitters that communicate within the body.

Zinc and the Hippocampus

The hippocampus is a small organ located within the brain’s medial temporal lobe associated mainly with memory, in particular long-term memory. Zinc is found in high concentrations in the hippocampus, to control thought and memory.

Zinc in Brain Injury Recovery

For those who have suffered an injury, Zinc keeps brain function strong, as it is naturally diverted to the other parts of the body for healing purposes.

Over the years, it has been shown that some people with memory impairment do have Zinc deficiency. In a study done on mice by researchers from Duke University Medical Centre and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the role of Zinc in the brain has been highlighted. Zinc is stored and released in the brain from nerve cells that are also responsible for releasing the neurotransmitter, glutamate. The released Zinc can act on glutamate receptors and other voltage-gated ion channels in the brain. It can also modulate synapses. Both of these effects contribute significantly to learning and memory.

Zinc deficiency affects short-term memory more than long-term memory.