Zinc supplementation is mostly associated with the beautifying effect of zinc on hair, skin and nails. But it’s not the only usage of preparations that contain this trace element. Knowing more and more about the health-promoting properties of zinc, our interest in zinc pills keeps growing. When choosing a diet supplement containing zinc, we might be surprised by the price spectrum – we may only pay few to about a dozen euros, but there are also preparations that cost much more. What does the price of zinc depend on? And is it a good idea to save money on health?
Choosing a supplement in most cases depends on its price – when having a cheaper and a more expensive preparation to choose from, we choose the cheaper one. It’s just pure math, isn’t it? It turns out it isn’t – because the price of zinc is dictated by its quality. And this quality might be expressed through the zinc dose, its chemical form and the absorption rate, as well as unnecessary added synthetic ingredients. There’s a reason why good quality preparations cost more – that’s the price that has to be paid for an advanced assembly line, numerous quality controls, clinical trials that confirm the effectiveness of a supplement’s action.
A very common practice is to compose a supplement’s composition based on synthetic ingredients – hard to absorb non-organic forms of elements, preservatives, fillers, colorings and aromas. The results of taking such supplements are usually lack of results, or to be exact – lack of noticeable improvement in functioning of the body. Because it’s hard to expect health-promoting properties of a supplement if its composition is dominated by substances that aren’t needed in our body, more than that – that might cause harm to it, and the zinc content and its absorption rate leave much to be desired.
And what about more expensive preparations? If you buy a premium quality preparation, you can expect a composition free from synthetic additions, and the zinc contained in the preparation will be much easier to absorb.
It’s a good idea to check out the dose of zinc. The daily requirement for this element in adults is about 10 mg – it’s a good thing to provide that much zinc with the supplement. In order to take full advantages of the health-promoting properties of zinc, it is also better to choose preparations of the highest possible absorption rate – which is the one present in the organic form. So you should look for supplements with zinc citrate that is characterized by high solubility and releases large amounts of zinc ions. The absorption rate of zinc is positively influenced by presence of magnesium. Another benefit arising from supporting the composition with magnesium or vitamin B6 is their complementary health-promoting action.
The zinc’s influence on the body covers supporting the immune, nervous, hormonal system. Zinc takes care of impeccable look of skin and nails, provides great mental well-being and libido, protects fertility. It normalizes blood glucose level, preventing development of diabetes, slows down the aging processes. Zinc also takes care of smell, taste and sight, strengthens bones and joints and regulates the activity of many enzymes, as well as reactions of synthesis of proteins or nucleic acids.
The consequences of zinc deficiency are serious – all it takes to prevent them is get a supplement containing zinc. A price for a preparation that matches its quality is the best investment in health. Up to 30% of us experience zinc deficiency. People who are especially at risk are elders, those suffering from absorption disorders, consuming plenty of oxalates or phytic acid as well as supplements that contain high doses of copper or calcium. Another indication to take zinc is presence of symptoms of zinc deficiency, such as skin inflammations, falling hair, lower immunity, halted growth and sexual maturing in children and impaired vision after dark.
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