18 Aug 2020 --- Mineral ingredients supplier Gadot Biochemical Industries (Gadot) is introducing Zinc Gluconate, a new ingredient for daily support of the immune support and physiological processes. Made with gluconic acid, a strong chelating agent, Zinc Gluconate boasts high solubility, ease of processing and a high content of zinc. NutritionInsight speaks with Ohan Cohen, CEO of Gadot, on the role of zinc in the body, as well as the detriments of zinc deficiency.
“[Zinc] is needed in small amounts every day to maintain health and perform important functions. Its benefits come from its presence within all bodily tissue – it’s needed for healthy cell division and it acts as an antioxidant, fighting free radical damage and slowing the aging process,” Cohen pinpoints.
He identifies Zinc Gluconate as an over-the-counter zinc supplement found in retail stores selling vitamins. Its typical delivery format applications are oral supplements, nasal zinc sprays or lozenges.
One way of discerning zinc deficiency is the development of white spots on fingernails.The company further highlights that zinc has been shown to support other physiological processes such as cell growth, wound healing, protein synthesis and proper functioning of hormones, such as insulin, growth hormones and sex hormones.
NutritionInsight has previously reported how zinc supplementation can aid stress alleviation and brain development in infants and toddlers. In April, experts in this space revealed zinc’s critical role in boosting the immune system throughout the pandemic.
Zinc deficiency
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), severe zinc deficiency is rare, but mild to moderate zinc deficiency is quite common throughout the world. “Zinc deficiency is largely related to inadequate intake or absorption of zinc from the diet, although excess losses of zinc during diarrhea may also contribute. The distinction between intake and absorption is important: high levels of inhibitors (such as fiber and phytates) in the diet may result in low absorption of zinc, even though intake of zinc may be acceptable,” states the WHO.
Therefore, zinc requirements for dietary intake are adjusted upward for populations in which animal products – the best sources of zinc – are limited, and in which plant sources of zinc are high in phytates.
“Unfortunately, most people don’t eat enough zinc-rich foods to compensate for the lack of vitamin supplementation. For example, there are many foods very high in zinc that vegetarians or vegans do not eat. Other foods such as spinach, kefir or ricotta cheese [may not be popular] with most people,” echoes Cohen.
Gadot details that zinc deficiency can result in many wide-ranging conditions, such as eczema, hair loss, mental illness, male impotence, anemia, postnatal depression and nerve damage, among others. “The good news is that if people were to consume enough foods high in zinc, they may prevent inadequate zinc levels and reap the benefits of this essential mineral,” Cohen adds.
Ultimately, Zinc Gluconate addresses the “critical need” for consuming zinc every day to maintain a steady state. This can be particularly important considering the body has no specialized zinc storage system, he concludes.
By Anni Schleicher
