#565: How Zinc Insufficiency Impacts Inflammation, Immunity & Aging – Prof. Emily Ho

Introduction to this Episode

Zinc is an essential micronutrient that often flies under the radar, despite being vital for hundreds of enzymes and transcription factors involved in immunity, antioxidant defense, and DNA repair.

A surprisingly large segment of the population may not get enough – an estimated 10% of U.S.

individuals consume less than half the recommended zinc intake, putting them at risk of deficiency.

In this episode, Prof. Emily Ho discusses how even mild zinc insufficiency can impair immune function, promote chronic inflammation, and accelerate aspects of aging. She delves into the concept of “inflammaging” – the chronic, low-grade inflammation that develops with age – and explains how inadequate zinc status can aggravate this process.

The conversation also highlights emerging research on zincʼs role in DNA integrity and how restoring zinc levels can reverse certain damage, underscoring zincʼs broader significance in healthy aging and disease prevention.

Overall, this episode provides a deep scientific look at why maintaining adequate zinc status is crucial for immune resilience and mitigating age-related inflammatory and oxidative damage.

About the Guest

Emily Ho, PhD is the Director of the Linus Pauling Institute and professor in the College of Health at Oregon State University. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms by which nutrient status and healthy foods affect the initiation and/or progression of chronic diseases such as cancer.

Her work has helped drive dietary requirements and recommendations for micronutrients such as zinc for communities with susceptibility to poor nutrition.

An important strength to her approach in her research is maintaining a mechanistic focus on diet/environment interactions, and encouraging to work in multi-disciplinary teams to facilitate the translation of cellular mechanistic studies to impact human populations.

Useful Terminology for this Episode

• Inflammaging: A blending of “inflammation” and “aging,” referring to the chronic, low-level inflammation that develops as people age. Inflammaging is characterized by an overactive inflammatory state in older adults, which contributes to age-related degeneration and disease. Zinc deficiency can potentially mimic or exacerbate this process by elevating inflammatory responses in the body.
• Thymus: A primary immune organ located in the chest that is responsible for the development of T-lymphocytes (T cells). The thymus gradually shrinks and becomes less active with age, partly explaining declines in immune function in older adults. Zinc is essential for thymus-dependent T cell production and differentiation.
• T Cell Differentiation: Upon maturation, naïve T cells specialize into different subsets (Th1, Th2, Th17, etc.), each orchestrating distinct immune responses (e.g., Th1 cells fight intracellular pathogens, Th2 help B cells, Th17 mediate mucosal immunity). Zinc is required for both the proliferation of T cells and their differentiation into these functional subtypes.
• Phytate (Inositol Hexaphosphate): A natural compound found in high-fiber plant foods (legumes, whole grains, seeds) that strongly binds to minerals like zinc in the gut. Phytate is considered an “antinutrient” for zinc because it forms insoluble complexes that prevent zinc absorption.
• Oxidative Stress: An imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) and the bodyʼs antioxidant defenses, leading to cellular damage. When zinc is insufficient, antioxidant systems are compromised and oxidative damage (such as DNA strand breaks or lipid peroxidation) increases.