The Multitask Mineral You Need to Know

What mineral helps heal your wounds and support your immune system and may even thwart cancer cells? Hint: Go to the end of the alphabet.

Yep, zinc -- last in the alphabetical roll call of minerals, but a first-place contender when it comes to anti-aging power -- does a lot for your well-being. But it may not work alone...

The Live-Longer Combo
Zinc protects against cell-damaging, cancer-causing free radicals. But it could sure use a little help. Recent research confirmed as much. When low blood levels of zinc were paired with low blood levels of another mighty mineral -- magnesium -- bad things happened in a study of men aged 30 to 60. Death rates for the group increased dramatically. The reason? The synergistic effect of having too little of both free-radical-wrangling minerals may increase the toll on healthy cells exponentially. (Can zinc protect your peepers, too? Find out here.)

Zinc Up Your Diet
You can get the zinc you need (12 milligrams a day) from crab, oysters, pork, poultry, beans, cashews, and yogurt. (Find other good food sources with this online tool.) Or find a good multivitamin with less than 15 milligrams. Too much of the stuff could stop other important minerals from doing their jobs. For magnesium, seek out soybeans, cashews, tomato paste, salmon, and spinach and you'll be well on your way to the RealAge recommended 400–500 milligrams per day.

Recipe Corner
Zinc up tonight by making these mouthwatering Crab Quesadillas. They take only 30 minutes.

Zinc, copper, and magnesium and risks for all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality. Leone, N. et al., Epidemiology 2006 May;17(3):308-314.