How Zinc Helps Prevent Diabetes

Zinc is needed by over 300 enzyme systems.  Some of those are involved with the metabolism of blood sugar and are so important that a lack of zinc¹, in and of itself, can cause type I or type II diabetes. 

Zinc is highly concentrated in the insulin-secreting beta cells of your pancreas.  Insulin is stored in these beta cells in tandem with zinc.  Beta cells must have zinc to function properly and without it they are in big trouble.  In fact, beta cells contain their own special zinc transporter called zinc transporter 8 that enables beta cells to take up zinc.  Gene alterations in this zinc transporter are now known to cause type II diabetes while type I diabetes is associated with antibodies against this zinc transporter (meaning the immune system knocks out function of beta cells so they can’t produce insulin).

Zinc directly influences how insulin is produced and secreted by your beta cells.  This means that if you have a deficiency then you can’t store and release insulin properly.  Furthermore, zinc is self-protecting to the beta cells.  It has now been shown that zinc directly reduces the inflammatory signals that damage the beta cells, a process that leads to type I diabetes.

Thus, adequate zinc is required for the healthy function of your pancreas so as to help regulate your blood sugar in an optimal way.