Zinc, Vitamin D, Magnesium: The Trio for Hormones + Immunity
There can be a lot of information circling around the “best” supplement to take, and you may have even asked yourself if supplementation is even necessary to fill in the gaps of your nutrition.
Let’s dive into a few common minerals and a well-known vitamin to learn how each supports and promotes balance in the body!
Zinc
Zinc is a mineral–a trace mineral to be precise. This means that our body only needs zinc in small amounts, but our body is not able to produce it on its own. We need the help of food or supplementation to reach recommended amounts. Think of zinc as a small but mighty mineral. Although we don’t need large amounts of it, this heroic mineral supports around 300 enzymes to carry out their duties to support your health.
Zinc for Immunity and Hormones
When you’re feeling under the weather or anticipating a cold coming on, adding zinc has been known to shorten the length of the cold when taken 24 hours after symptom onset.
Zinc supports hormones in a variety of ways. Because hormone production and regulation are so complex, when there isn’t enough zinc available, there is a risk for hormonal imbalance.
Below are the ways this mighty mineral helps hormonal health:
Thyroid
Aids the thyroid by converting the thyroid hormone (T4) into its active form (T3).
Ovulation
Especially important for women with PCOS, zinc acts as an anti-androgen, helping to reduce excess male hormones.
Blood sugar regulation
As our body uses insulin to create energy from glucose–in other words, to give us fuel to carry on our day–zinc helps insulin function properly. As a result, this supports blood sugar management.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is unique because your body can produce it when your skin is exposed to UVB rays from sunlight. However, factors such as where you live, the season, time spent indoors, skin pigmentation, age, and sunscreen use can all influence how much vitamin D your body produces. For those who live in northern climates or don’t get consistent sun exposure, vitamin D supplementation may be beneficial.
Rather than guessing, I recommend testing your vitamin D levels to determine whether supplementation is necessary and how much you may need. While reference ranges can vary, I generally aim for a vitamin D level around 50–60 ng/mL when working with clients.
Vitamin D is best known for its role in bone and muscle health, but its effects extend far beyond the skeletal system. It helps regulate calcium and phosphorus, supporting proper calcium absorption, strong bones, muscle function, and overall mobility. When vitamin D levels are too low, the body cannot absorb calcium as efficiently, which over time can contribute to weakened bones.
Vitamin D also plays an important role in immune function and brain health. Vitamin D receptors are found throughout the brain, and research has identified associations between low vitamin D levels and changes in mood. Low vitamin D status has also been associated with conditions such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), although vitamin D is only one of many factors that can influence mental health.
Vitamin D for Immunity and Hormones
For the immune system, researchers have stated there’s overwhelming evidence that vitamin D has a crucial role in immune regulation. There is a correlation between negative occurrences with the immune system, such as infections and autoimmune diseases, and vitamin D deficiencies.
Having low vitamin D has been associated with adverse fertility outcomes as well as the development of conditions that affect fertility, such as endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Vitamin D has also been shown to influence estrogen production and ovulatory function, and it interacts with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to regulate cortisol (the main stress hormone).
Magnesium
Magnesium has many important roles in the body. From protein synthesis to immune function to blood pressure regulation, researchers have estimated that magnesium is involved in around 80% of metabolic functions!
As with other minerals, it is possible to become deficient due to diet, high stress lifestyles, certain medications, and common farming techniques being used today. In fact, as a 2018 study reports, the mineral content of vegetables has declined by as much as 80-90% in the last 100 years.
There are 5 common varieties of magnesium: citrate, glycinate, oxide, sulfate, and malate, with different absorption capabilities and effects.
Magnesium citrate is commonly associated with having a laxative effect, helping individuals with constipation and other digestive issues.
Magnesium glycinate combines magnesium with the amino acid glycine. It’s a highly absorbable form of magnesium that’s been shown to help regulate mood and relieve anxiety, reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), manage blood sugar, and support sleep and relaxation.
Magnesium oxide isn’t as bioavailable as other forms of magnesium, but it has been linked to being used as a laxative.
Magnesium sulfate comes with a common name: Epsom salt. If you have ever heard of taking an Epsom salt bath if you have sore muscles, it’s because the relaxing salt can be absorbed through the skin, allowing for muscle tension alleviation.
Magnesium malate combines magnesium and malic acid, the acid that is found in some fruits that makes some fruit have a tart taste. This type of magnesium has been used to treat migraines, chronic pain, and depression.
Magnesium for Immunity and Hormones
Magnesium plays a vital role in the immune system and immune response. If there is a magnesium deficiency, it can lead to a decreased number of immune cells, leading to increased inflammation. A study conducted in 2025 examining the role magnesium has on the immune system and gut microbiome reported that low levels of magnesium resulted in impaired immune function and the promotion of chronic inflammation, with influences on the microbiome to further affect immune responses.
Women are more susceptible to having a magnesium deficiency in comparison to men, making it even more important to have adequate amounts when it comes to supporting hormone health. Magnesium’s role in hormone health can’t be overstated! Magnesium supports blood sugar regulation and blood glucose; the stress hormone cortisol; protects the thyroid; eliminates estrogen from the body, and increases progesterone levels.
To read more about immune support and my go-to supplements, check out my previous blog, “Winter Immune Support: My Go-To Foods and Supplements.”