Zinc, as well as other minerals, are needed in very small amounts in order for the body to function properly. Zinc is considered a coenzyme that helps some enzymes work properly.
Enzymes are proteins that initiate chemical reactions in the body.
Examples include enzymes that break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into smaller substances the body can use for fuel or enzymes can build larger molecules from smaller ones to aid body growth or repair. Enzymes and coenzymes are not used as fuel by the body and do not need to be continuously replenished. Using an automobile as a crude analogy, enzymes are to the body's fuel as the spark from the spark plug is to gasoline in the engine- without which neither will work. Severe zinc deficiencies in animals have been demonstrated to decrease growth and food intake as well as suppress immune function. Although zinc is essential to enzyme systems that influence cell division and proliferation its primary function in cell growth is not yet known.