Zinc is an important mineral that your body uses in a myriad of different ways. In fact, zinc is the second most abundant trace mineral in your body – after iron, occurring in almost every cell in your body. For information on different forms of zinc and how to use zinc supplements, please refer to the following article.
Zinc is required for the activity of more than 300 enzymes to support metabolism, digestion, nerve function and many other processes. In addition, this substance is also important for the development and function of immune cells. Zinc is also fundamental to skin health, DNA synthesis, and protein production.
In addition, the growth and development of the body depends on zinc. This substance is essential in creating taste and smell. Many enzymes important in stimulating appetite also depend on this nutrient. If you have a zinc deficiency, you may have a decreased ability to taste or smell.
Your body cannot produce zinc on its own. However, did you know this element is present in many reactions inside the body. Therefore, you need to get enough of this important nutrient through your daily diet or zinc supplements.
What forms of zinc supplements exist on the market?
Zinc supplements come on the market in many different forms and affect health in different ways. Here are some forms of zinc you can find on the market:
- Zinc gluconate: One of the most common forms of zinc. This type of zinc is commonly used in cold remedies, which come in the form of lozenges or nasal sprays.
- Zinc acetate: This type of zinc is often added to cold lozenges to reduce symptoms and speed recovery.
- Zinc sulfate: In addition to helping prevent zinc deficiency, zinc sulfate has been shown to reduce the severity of acne.
- Zinc picolinate: Your body can absorb this form better than other types of zinc such as zinc gluconate and zinc citrate.
- Zinc orotate: This zinc binds to orotic acid and is one of the most popular zinc supplements on the market.
- Zinc citrate: This type of zinc supplement is as well absorbed as zinc gluconate but easier to take.
Health benefits of zinc
Improve immune function
Zinc acts as an antioxidant, helps reduce inflammation and aids in the prevention of chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
A study from the Swiss Dietetic Agency in 50 older adults found that taking 30mg of zinc gluconate for a year reduced several markers of inflammation and reduced the frequency of infections.
Because of its important role in the immune system, zinc is also added to some nasal sprays, lozenges, and other natural cold treatments.
Control blood sugar
What is less known is that zinc can aid in blood sugar control and insulin secretion (the hormone responsible for transporting sugar from the blood to the tissues in the body).
Studies show that zinc can help keep blood sugar stable and improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Furthermore, zinc may help reduce insulin resistance, which improves the body’s ability to effectively use insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Helps with acne
Zinc supplements are commonly used for skin care and to treat common skin conditions such as acne. Zinc sulfate has been shown to be especially helpful for reducing symptoms of severe acne.
Zinc helps reduce symptoms of acne
Improve heart health
Heart syndromes are always a serious problem, accounting for about 33% of deaths worldwide. Some research shows that zinc supplements can improve some risk factors for heart disease, and even lower blood fat and cholesterol levels.
How to use zinc supplements?
Because zinc exists in many different forms containing different concentrations, depending on your intended use, choose a product to maximize the benefits of zinc. According to research from the Swiss Dietetic Agency, the recommended dose for adults to supplement zinc daily is 15-30mg.
When used as directed, zinc supplements can be a safe and effective way to increase your zinc intake and improve certain aspects of your health. However, you need to be aware that using them in excess can lead to unwanted side effects, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain.
Too much zinc can cause headaches, fever, nausea, etc.
If you exceed the 40mg daily threshold, you may experience flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, headache, and fatigue. Furthermore, zinc supplementation has been shown to affect the absorption of certain antibiotics leading to a decrease in their effectiveness.
To reduce the risk of side effects, you should stick to the recommended dosage on the label and avoid exceeding the recommended limit of 40mg of zinc per day, unless directed by a specialist or doctor.
Reference source
What Are Zinc Supplements Good For? Benefits and More https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/zinc-supplements#dosage Date of access 23/3/2020
Hi everyone, I’m Tony Scotti, an expert in the field of height increase with many years of experience researching and applying height increase methods, and have achieved promising results. I have created increase height blog as a personal blog to share knowledge and experience about what I have learned during the process of improving my own height.
