Q.What is zinc?
A. This mineral is essential to our body for maintaining health. It is needed for enzyme functions, maintaining cell membranes and regulating DNA function and hormones. The health benefits of this mineral is listed below:
It plays an essential role in:

• maintaining the immune system and white blood cells
• keeping tissues in the skin healthy
• controlling the production of insulin
• controlling the growth of bones
• repairing damaged tissue (for example from wounds and burns)
• metabolism of proteins and carbohydrates
• smell, vision and taste

Q.How do I know if I have a deficiency in zinc?
A.Severe deficiency in this mineral is rare except in developing countries where their diet is very poor. Signs and symptoms of severe deficiency include:

• Immune system malfunction
• increased risk of infection
• poor wound healing
• night blindness
• behaviour problems
• severe diarrhea
• growth problems (absence of growth)
• problem with taste
• lack of appetite
• Mild to moderate deficiency may not cause severe symptoms listed above but may be responsible for causing a wide variety of diseases, especially in children.

Q.What are the potential advantages of taking Zinc?
A..There are many potential advantages to taking zinc, an essential trace mineral that helps the body maintain the immune, reproductive, and digestive systems. It is needed for healthy skin, bones, hair, nails, and eyes, and is essential for making growth hormones and the important male hormone, testosterone. Zinc may speed your recovery from cold and flu, canker sores, sore throat, and skin injuries, and reduce symptoms of tinnitus, acne, and eye problems. Zinc may also help treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Zinc is more concentrated in certain parts of the body, such as the inner ear, eyes (especially the retina), and thymus and prostate glands. Taking zinc can help keep these organs healthy, especially in those over the age of 40. Consuming as little as 15 to 30 milligrams of zinc a day can help boost the body’s production of infection-fighting white blood cells, so that getting older doesn’t necessarily mean being more vulnerable to illness.

Q.What conditions or problems is Zinc used for?

A.Zinc has often been used to treat a variety of skin conditions. It helps heal burns (including sunburns), wounds, hemorrhoids, eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, and acne (zinc has actually been shown to increase the effectiveness of certain topical acne medications, such as erythromycin and clindamycin). Pyrithione zinc is a common ingredient in dandruff shampoos, and it known to control itching and flaking of the scalp. Zinc is really important to the body’s production of all kinds of hormones, including those that regulate growth, blood sugar, and fertility. Zinc may be useful for treating infertility in both women and men, and relieve symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), a condition in which an enlarged prostate can interfere with urination. It has also been shown to improve levels of the hormone insulin, and thus may help people with type 1 or 2 diabetes manage their disease more effectively. Because zinc promotes a strong immune system, it may be effective in battling autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Zinc is important to the health of your bones, nails, and hair. It has been used to help treat osteoporosis, hair loss, and brittle hair and nails. In addition, studies have shown that zinc supplements lessened the effects of both tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common cause of blindness in individuals over age 50. Zinc has also been used to treat inflammatory eye diseases, such as conjunctivitis (pink eye).

Q.How much Zinc is enough?
A.The adult Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for zinc is about 15 milligrams a day for adult men and women, slightly more for women that are pregnant or nursing. However, individuals taking zinc to help treat illness or injury may need to take 30 milligrams per day or more for short-term treatment of their particular condition.

Q.Are there risks associated with using Zinc?
A.Taking more than 150 milligrams of zinc per day for long periods of time could lead to problems absorbing copper, lowered immunity, and lowered HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. Zinc in amounts greater than 200 mg a day can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. There may be a link between excessive zinc consumption and Alzheimer's disease, but further study is needed. Zinc may decrease the effectiveness of some oral antibiotics prescribed for acne treatment, including tetracycline, doxycycline, and minocycline, especially when taken within two hours of these medications. Because long-term use of zinc inhibits copper absorption, it’s a very good idea to always take zinc and copper together. Most nutritionists recommend taking one milligram of copper for every 10 milligrams of zinc.

Q. Can you get enough Zinc from food and dietary sources?
A.Although the body does not produce zinc on its own, this mineral is readily available in drinking water and certain foods. The best food source of zinc is oysters, but other good natural dietary sources include lean meat, poultry, and organ meats. High-fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are not good sources of zinc because they contain phytic acid, a substance that blocks zinc absorption. Vegetarians and people with high-fiber diets may want to consider taking zinc supplements. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, people over the age of 50, and those that abuse alcohol or drink a lot of coffee, and those suffering from chronic illnesses or disease are also often slightly deficient in this mineral, and may want to consider supplementing as well. High-quality multivitamin and mineral supplements typically contain the RDA for zinc, but zinc supplements are also available in tablets, capsules, liquids, and lozenges. However, only zinc gluconate, ascorbate, or glycinate will fight a cold, and the lozenges seem to be the most effective form for treating cold and flu symptoms—in one study, common colds disappeared about three days earlier in participants that used zinc lozenges as part of their treatment. Because long-term use of zinc inhibits copper absorption, it’s a very good idea to always take zinc and copper together. Most nutritionists recommend taking one milligram of copper for every 10 milligrams of zinc.