Zinc is an essential mineral found in many foods and available as a dietary supplement. It helps support a healthy immune system and speeds up wound healing.
Zinc is recommended in dietary amounts between 8-11 mg daily. Most Americans get enough zinc through a nutritious diet and taking a multivitamin supplement.
Water Soluble
Vitamins can be divided into two categories: water-soluble (excreted by the body through urine) and fat-soluble (stored within the body). Zinc is an example of a water soluble vitamin.
Vitamin B1 can be found in a variety of foods such as meats, fish, poultry, nuts and beans; it also comes as a dietary supplement.
Zinc is essential to keep cells healthy and functioning optimally. It aids in the production of proteins and DNA, supporting the immune system. Furthermore, zinc plays a significant role in wound healing, blood clotting, thyroid function and more.
Additionally, this antioxidant has anti-aging properties which may slow down aging and certain diseases. Furthermore, it may reduce diabetes risks.
Zinc is most often obtained through food sources, such as fish, meat, poultry, beans and whole grains. People with low zinc levels or medical conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, chronic liver or kidney failure or taking medication that inhibits zinc absorption – such as narcotic pain relievers, antibiotics and antiseizure drugs – may need to supplement with a supplement.
Most adults can obtain enough zinc through a nutritious diet. Pregnant women and nursing infants, however, require more zinc due to the needs of supporting fetal growth – the recommended intake for both groups being 3 mg per day during pregnancy and 4 mg/day when nursing.
Vegetarians and vegans can obtain zinc from plant sources like kale, broccoli, lentils and whole grains. However, they should be aware that phytates in these foods may inhibit absorption of zinc, so taking a supplement might be necessary. Vegetarians and vegans can increase their zinc intake by soaking beans, grains and seeds in water prior to cooking them; also certain cooking techniques can reduce phytate binding and maximize zinc absorption.
Studies have suggested that zinc supplements may improve lipid profiles for some individuals with Type 2 Diabetes. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated a potential benefit of zinc supplements: slowing the progression of AMD.
People with T2D should consult their health care provider about the potential benefits and potential risks of zinc supplements. It is best to avoid taking them in combination with any other medications unless specifically instructed by your physician.
Fat Soluble
Vitamins can be divided into two groups: water-soluble (Vitamins A, D, E and K) or fat-soluble (Vitamin C). The difference between these groups determines how they function within the body.
Zinc is an essential nutrient for several body processes, such as immune function, enzyme reactions and growth in children. Furthermore, zincc has antioxidant properties which shield your cells from free radicals which could otherwise cause disease or cell damage.
Zinc deficient individuals are more vulnerable to certain health issues. They’re more prone to infections and have higher rates of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes compared to people with normal zinc levels.
Many medications can affect zinc absorption. For instance, cisplatin and dicofenac, drugs used for cancer treatment, may increase zinc losses in your urine. Therefore, it’s essential to discuss with your doctor before adding zinc back into your regimen.
Zinc supplementation may be beneficial for people living with HIV or AIDS, as it helps lower their viral load and boosts immunity to infection. A study found that participants who took supplemental zinc (12 mg/day for women and 15 mg/day for men) experienced fewer infections, gained more weight, and experienced improved immune responses compared to those taking a placebo.
Researchers have suggested that zinc may be beneficial for pregnant women living with HIV, as it has been found to improve birth weight, length of pregnancy and fetal development. Furthermore, research suggests zinc could potentially reduce neural tube defects in infants born to mothers who are severely lacking this nutrient.
Zinc is especially essential for people with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, as it helps restore taste function that is often impaired in this condition. Furthermore, zinc may help alleviate symptoms associated with anorexia and bulimia – both zinc deficiency disorders.
Glucose Soluble
Zinc is used for treating various diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, AIDS/HIV, and infections. It also assists with preventing or improving skin and eye problems like night blindness (astigmatism), cataracts, macular degeneration. Furthermore, zincc reduces itching and speeds wound healing – especially among those suffering from kidney disease.
Absorption of this compound occurs primarily in the small intestine, reaching its peak 1 hour after oral administration. After passing through this organ, it spreads throughout the body in various organs such as liver, spleen, pancreas, heart, kidney, lungs and muscles before excretion into urine or milk.
Some researchers speculate that zinc may improve insulin sensitivity by increasing the number of cells producing and releasing insulin, though this has yet to be proven in humans.
Zinc plays a pivotal role in beta cells’ insulin synthesis and release. As such, zinc has an immense effect on insulin physiology.
Zinc plays an essential role in glucose homeostasis, as well as being essential for insulin synthesis and transport within the pancreatic beta cell. Insulin is synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) before being transported into secretory granules for further processing to mature insulin and C-peptide, which is then cleaved by pro-insulin convertases PC1/3 and PC2 to create soluble insulin.
ZnT8 is essential for controlling zinc content in secretory granules, and its absence results in immature granules which occupy more volume per volume than dense-core ones (Fig. 1). On the other hand, pro-insulin synthesis and in situ peptidomics of islets from ZnT8-/- mice demonstrate normal processing of this hormone.
Therefore, it remains uncertain if zinc plays a significant role in protecting cellular insulin stores from degradation by secretory granules. We measured the size of soluble insulin vesicles present in secretory granules from wild-type and ZnT8-/- islets; those from ZnT8 were slightly larger but not significantly so.
Furthermore, the presence of intact 5,800 Da insulin peptide as a single mass peak in islets from both ZnT8-/- and ZnT8+/+ mice suggests that soluble insulin acts as an osmolite within these secretory granules.
Citrate Soluble
Zinc citrate is one of the most prevalent zinc salts. This soluble form of zinc can be used in dietary supplements, cosmetics and as an organic intermediate in organic synthesis processes. Furthermore, zinc citrate acts as a colorant in paints and dyes.
Zinc has a relatively high zinc content, yet is poorly absorbed by humans due to difficulties the body has in breaking down zinc gluconate and oxide into an absorbable form for cells.
Zinc can be more easily absorbed by the body when it is dissolved in a non-polar form, such as water or an acid solution. Citrate, for example, is highly soluble in water.
The soluble form of zinc can also be utilized as a bioavailability enhancer to deliver higher concentrations of the element in biologically relevant sites, such as cold sore infections or surface wounds. The ability of a soluble zinc salt to be enhanced with added amino acids may be important for this purpose, since it increases solubility in water and minimizes contamination risk from microorganisms.
To investigate the potential of zinc as a bioavailability enhancer, 15 healthy participants were administered 10 mg of elemental zinc in three test compounds – zinc gluconate, oxide zinc or zinc citrate. The amount of elemental zinc absorbed by each individual was measured using double isotope tracer methodology.
For this study, urine samples were collected from each participant before and after supplement administration. The samples were mixed together and analyzed for zinc isotopic composition using ICP-MS analysis. Finally, the isotopic fractions were separated from the sample matrix using anion exchange chromatography.
These results demonstrate that zinc absorption from a soluble zinc salt, such as zinc citrate, is significantly better than from non-soluble forms like zinc gluconate or oxide zinc. These findings support the notion that using a soluble zinc salt can serve as an additional bioavailability enhancer to an oral zinc supplement.
Our study sought to determine if white lupin (Lupinus albus) responded to low Zn and P availability in calcareous soils by increasing citrate exudation from cluster roots in a nutrient solution, rather than by forming new roots. Our results demonstrated that while white lupin responded to decreased Zn availability by increasing citrate exudation from its cluster roots in a nutrient solution, no new roots formed.
