Zinc Supplementation: Yea or Nay?
Functions of zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral and is found as a component of almost all living cells in the body. With zinc supplementation will stimulates the activity of approximately 100 enzymes, including about 2 dozen known metalloenzymes.1 Zinc Zinc is associated with wound healing because of its role in collagen synthesis and cell proliferation. All proliferating cells, including inflammatory cells, epithelial cells and fibroblasts require zinc.2 Zinc also plays a central role in the immune system and is responsible for the production of antibodies and the actual activity of lymphocytes necessary. Zinc also functions as an antioxidant and a membrane stabilizer and has many roles in basic cellular functions such as DNA replication, transcription and cell division. Zinc also plays a role in the visual acuity of taste and smell, which interacts with platelets for blood clotting, and participates in the synthesis, storage and release of insulin.
Requirements of zinc supplementation
Most physicians refer to the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council (NAS-NRC) Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for zinc intake specific. The NAS-NRC updated its recommendations for zinc in 2001 as part of dietary reference intakes (DRI) program. The DRI provides RDAs and upper limits (UL), age and sex. UL is the maximum daily intake unlikely to pose a risk of side effects. Table 1 shows the recommended daily intake of zinc. The recommended daily dose for adults is 11 mg / day for men and 8 mg / day for women.4 Note that the RDA are recommendations for healthy people and not diseases or disease stages.
The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR, now Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) Clinical Practice Guideline for the treatment of pressure ulcers did not explicitly recommend zinc. However, we recommend a daily vitamin activity of High and minerals for all patients with suspected vitamin deficiency.5
Zinc deficiency
Zinc supplementation in patients with zinc deficiency is different zinc supplements in all patients with injuries. The argument that zinc deficiency prevents healing is much stronger than the argument that the additional zinc to improve healing. This important distinction is often overlooked in discussions of zinc.
Assessing zinc status is a challenge, making it difficult to identify patients who are deficient. Plasma and serum levels of zinc are among the most common methods used for evaluation of zinc, but not necessarily an accurate reflection of status.6 Zinc Zinc is primarily bound to albumin, has a significant impact on the poor protein levels of zinc. The main functions of zinc are intracellular, serum and plasma did not reflect the entire body stores.6
Although several other ways to assess the condition of zinc exist (eg, hair zinc), no practical, accurate, inexpensive and generally accepted method for determining the state of zinc. Professionals should make logical deductions from the history of feeding a patient, physical examination and laboratory data. Physical signs of zinc deficiency include loss of appetite, diarrhea, hair loss, impotence, delayed healing, skin disorders (eg eczema, psoriasis), taste disturbance, white spots on nails, and mental lethargy or depression.7, 8 vegetarians and alcoholics have a generally low status of zinc, and this must be considered if you have any medical history. If a patient does not eat badly, has a history of unintentional weight loss, healing, not despite the best care possible, reduction of visceral proteins, and diseases of intestinal malabsorption must be suspected zinc deficiency. A thorough evaluation and clinical examination are perhaps the best tools to assess the state of zinc.
Sources of zinc supplementation
Oysters are the best source of zinc. Other foods rich in zinc include red meat, poultry, seafood, fortified cereals, whole grains, legumes, cooked vegetables, yeast and nuts.
The average daily intake of an adult self selected diet in the United States varies from 8.6 to 14 mg of zinc zinc.9 into account when determining the inclusion of a patient who has received food and more many patients, a multivitamin supplement daily, in the typically contains 15 mg of zinc. These patients may also receive a supply of sports medicine as safe products Ross (Columbus, OH) or Boost (Mead Johnson, Evansvillc, IN). 8 oz safely 3.8 mg zinc, 1 can of Boost contains contains 4.5 mg of zinc. If you provide these supplements 3 times per day, which is typical, offering a guarantee of 11.4 mg / day of zinc and Boost 13.5 mg / day. Factoring in multivitamins, zinc intake of the patient, would be about 27 mg / day with a consumption of 100%, or about 2 ½ to 3 times that of the KDA.
With zinc supplementation you can keep your body in healthy condition and boost your fitness.
