Zinc Supplements: Types, and Benefits – In the midst of daily activities, we often miss a variety of important nutrients that can support the health of the body. Therefore, a variety of supplements with the various benefits we need. As with zinc, which, if without it, the performance of the body will have problems.
Zinc is an important micronutrient that is essential for almost every aspect of your health.
This is the second after iron as the most abundant trace minerals in your body. Available in a variety of forms, the Zinc supplement is often used to treat a variety of ailments.
Zinc is an important Mineral for the body
Every day, our bodies need a variety of important substances to support health. Zinc is one of the many substances. In chemical sciences, zinc is an important mineral contained in every cell of living creatures.
There are more than 300 kinds of enzymes in the human body that require zinc as a cofactor to optimize its function. If we lack zinc, various enzymes in the body will be hampered. Consequently, it is fatal because the enzyme is closely related to the digestive system and metabolism of the body.
Types of Zinc Supplements
When choosing zinc supplements, you may notice that there are many types available.
Various forms of zinc affect health in different ways.
Here are some that you might find on the market:
Zinc Gluconate
As one of the most common forms of free zinc, zinc gluconate is often used in cold treatment, such as suction tablets and nasal sprays.
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Zinc acetate
Like zinc gluconate, zinc acetate is often added to cold suction tablets to reduce symptoms and accelerate the rate of recovery.
Zinc sulfate
In addition to helping to prevent zinc deficiency, zinc sulfate has been shown to reduce the severity of acne.
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Zinc Picolinate
Some research suggests that your body can absorb this type better than other types of zinc, including zinc gluconate and zinc citrate.
Because it is one of the most widely available and cost-effective form of zinc, zinc gluconate can be a good choice to help increase your intake without eliminating your existing reserves.
Zinc Supplements Benefits
Improve the Immune System
Zinc is an important mineral that is involved in the production of immune cells. Zinc deficiency can lead to weakened immune responses. Zinc supplements can stimulate certain immune cells and are able to reduce oxidative stress. A study showed that 80-92 mg of zinc per day could reduce the duration of the flu to 33%.
Not only that, zinc supplements can reduce the risk of infection and increase the immune response in older people significantly.
According to the European Journal of Immunology, every human body needs zinc to activate T lymphocytes (T cells). T cells can help the body in two ways:
- Controlling and regulating immune responses
- Attack infected cells or cancer
Lack of zinc content can damage the immune system function.
According to a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, People with minimal zinc content can experience increased susceptibility to various pathogens.
To help overcome the flu
Because of the function of maintaining immunity, zinc is often used in healing the flu. Zinc-containing suction tablets can help shorten the duration of the regular flu episodes. Zinc will help reduce oxidative stress and reduce protein levels of certain inflammations in the body.
Accelerate wound healing
Not only is it important to immune function, zinc also participates in collagen synthesis and response to inflammation. It is no wonder that these minerals can be relied upon by doctors to assist in treating burns, skin ulcers, and other types of skin injuries.
The benefits of zinc are reinforced by a study conducted in 60 diabetics injured in the leg. Patients who consume zinc as much as 200 mg per day experience a significant wound size reduction compared to the group of patients consuming the placebo.
Ensuring Skin health
The benefits of zinc for skin health are very large, which can cope with acne and accelerate wound healing of burns, surgical incisions and other injuries. In addition, zinc also plays an important role in healing chronic skin diseases such as dry eczema.
Lowering the risk of age-related diseases
The next zinc benefits are able to lower the risk of aging diseases. For example, infections, pneumonia, and macular degeneration.
According to some studies, elderly who consume zinc supplements experience increased cognitive ability and response to influenza vaccination, as well as decreased risk of pneumonia.
Certain research also shows that elderly people who consume 45 mg of zinc per day have decreased infection rates up to 66 percent. While a large-scale study showed that the consumption of antioxidant supplements with 80 mg of zinc was able to reduce the risk of advanced stage macular degeneration.
Acts as an antioxidant
Zinc is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent capable of combating oxidative stress arising from a chain reaction of free radical formation. Oxidative stress itself is involved in the pathogenesis of a number of disease processes, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Maintaining Eye health
The presence of zinc in the body is needed to isolate vitamin A into its active form in order to maintain normal vision function. The benefits of this zinc can directly help improve the eyesight vision of the night blindness while preventing age-related macular degeneration as the main cause of blindness.
Improve learning and memory
Zinc is essential for child growth. Zinc deficiency has implicated the disruption of DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis during brain development. Zinc has an important role in regulating how neurons communicate with each other. This affects how memories are formed and how one learns.
Aids to overcome diarrhea
According to WHO, zinc supplementation has been found to reduce the duration and severity of episodes of diarrhea and possible subsequent infections for 2-3 months.
Additional zinc is beneficial for children who suffer from diarrhea. This is because zinc is an essential micronutrient substance that is essential for protein synthesis, cell growth and differentiation, immune function, and water and electrolyte transportation in the intestines.
Zinc deficiency is associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal infections, side effects on the structure and function of the gastrointestinal tract, and impaired immune function.
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