Kirkman's Liquid Zinc Supplement is a pleasant tasting syrup naturally flavored with a natural raspberry flavor. Each 1 teaspoon contains 20 mg. of elemental zinc from water soluble zinc alpha-ketoglutarate and is in a sugar free medium.
Zinc and the Immune System
Zinc is present in every cell in the body and is also a component in over 200 enzymes as well. Actually, zinc is involved in more enzymatic react...
Kirkman's Liquid Zinc Supplement is a pleasant tasting syrup naturally flavored with a natural raspberry flavor. Each 1 teaspoon contains 20 mg. of elemental zinc from water soluble zinc alpha-ketoglutarate and is in a sugar free medium.
Zinc and the Immune System
Zinc is present in every cell in the body and is also a component in over 200 enzymes as well. Actually, zinc is involved in more enzymatic reactions than any other mineral constituent in mammals. Zinc is essential for normal skin, vision, smell, taste, reproduction and for protein synthesis and wound healing. It is also one of the most important factors in a healthy immune system, as well as being essential to normal brain development.
A study published in 1997 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition reported that Chinese children receiving 20 mg. of zinc supplementation daily scored 10-15% higher on educational tests than unsupplemented children.
Zinc is involved in just about every aspect of immunity and helps support a healthy immune system, including the immune enhancing "T" cells which are necessary for immune response.
WHY MIGHT MY INDIVIDUALS BE DEFICIENT IN ZINC?
The best sources of zinc are shellfish, fish, and red meats with oysters being by far the richest source. Substantial amounts are also found in certain plant foods such as whole grains, legumes, nuts, mushrooms and some herbs. The zinc from plant sources is not absorbed well, because it binds to a fiber compound in plant seeds called phytic acid to form an insoluble zinc-phytate complex which can not be assimilated.
Zinc levels in the body may be lowered by the following conditions:
Diarrhea, fiber consumption which causes zinc excretion through the intestinal tract, perspiration, high calcium and iron consumption, copper ingestion, liver or kidney disease, and diabetes.
HOW MUCH AND WHEN SHOULD I SUPPLEMENT WITH ZINC?
Children and adults need between 10 mg. and 50 mg. daily. Though the recommended daily value is 15 mg., it is generally recognized that 30 to 50% of ingested zinc is not absorbed due to the complexing with phytic acid, perspiration loss, fiber transport through the intestine, or
because of the competition for absorption with copper, iron and calcium.
