A Word on Zinc

Here’s some new information on zinc supplementation that we think you may find interesting…

 

Zinc Plus Multivitamins Enhances Blood

 

Sugar Metabolism and Lipid Balancing

 

 

The combination of zinc and multivitamin supplementation supports healthy blood sugar and lipid metabolism, according to a recently published study. Zinc is an essential mineral required as a cofactor by over 100 enzymes in the body. Zinc is required for various aspects of cellular metabolism, growth and development, immune function, neurological function and reproduction.

Subjects in this study received a multivitamin daily, a multivitamin plus 22 mg of zinc daily or a placebo for 4 months. At the beginning of the study and again after 4 months of supplementation, the subjects were evaluated for fasting blood sugar, postprandial (after eating) blood sugar and glycosylated hemoglobin (HA1c), which is a measurement of blood sugar balance over the previous 3 months. The subjects were also assessed for serum levels of zinc, lipids including cholesterol and total cholesterol:high density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio, and creatinine, which is a measurement of kidney function.

The results of the study found that the group supplemented with the multivitamin plus zinc had significant enhancement of healthy blood sugar metabolism compared to the other 2 groups. There was also significant improvement of the HA1c in the group supplemented with zinc plus the multivitamin. Lipid metabolism was enhanced in both the multivitamin group and the multivitamin plus zinc group.

The researchers stated that zinc plus a multivitamin showed beneficial effects in the trend towards more optimal metabolic balance in adults with suboptimal blood sugar metabolism. In addition, zinc supplementation supports balanced serum cholesterol and cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein ratios.

Reference:

Gunasekara P, Hettiarachchi M, Liyanage C, Lekamwasam S. Effects of zinc and multimineral vitamin supplementation on glycemic and lipid control in adult diabetes. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2011 Jan 26;4:53-60.

Image from, www.mydochub.com