Think zinc
It's time to hammer home the importance of getting enough minerals in your diet. And don't even think about skipping zinc. New research proves zinc can lower your chance of developing pneumonia or dying from a range of causes.
A research team used 617 nursing home residents age 65 and older. They took a blood sample from each one at the start of the study. Next, they placed all of the participants on a course of several vitamins and minerals for a period of one year. All of the supplements contained only 50 percent of the recommended daily allowance.
Results showed that for those participants who had normal levels of zinc in their blood also had a 50 percent less chance of developing pneumonia than those who had low levels.
The researchers also discovered that there was another huge benefit to maintaining an adequate zinc concentration: A 39 percent lower rate of death from other causes.
Those with low zinc levels were found to have a greater risk of developing pneumonia, to not recover as quickly if they did get it, and to require a greater amount of antibiotics to get rid of it. That last one is especially unfortunate: All of those antibiotics then wreak havoc on your healthy gut bacteria—taking yet another swipe at your immune system.
Zinc has long been recognized as an effective immune-booster—and you don't have to be a nursing home resident to benefit. You can get zinc naturally from oysters, lean beef, eggs, nuts and whole grains.
