- Zinc is naturally found in meat and dairy products, especially egg yolks, beef-- particularly in the liver--poultry and seafood, especially oysters, which have a higher concentration of zinc than most foods. Non-meat protein sources include legumes like lentils, soy products and lima beans. People who do not eat much protein do tend to have lower levels of zinc.
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If you do not eat much protein or are looking for extra boosts of zinc, you should try snacking on nuts, like pecans, and seeds, such as sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds have an especially large concentration of zinc.
Whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat bread are good sources of zinc. However, grains and legumes do contain phytates, which inhibit the body's ability to absorb all of the zinc.
Other good food sources for zinc include mushrooms, kelp and yeast (brewer's or torula). - Cooking with herbs or using herbal supplements can also boost your zinc levels. You can cook with parsley, cayenne, sage, sarsaparilla or fennel seed. Zinc is found in teas made with chamomile, dandelion and rose hips. Other herbs with zinc include alfalfa, burdock root, chickweed, eyebright, hops, milk thistle, mullein, nettle, skullcap and wild yam.
