 |
 |
 |
|
There is no single laboratory test that adequately measures zinc nutritional status.
Function
The best method of accurately determining zinc status is through measuring white blood cell levels. Since this test is not readily available and may be more expensive, serum zinc is routinely used as a screening tool.
Hair levels may show deficiencies or excesses but are generally not considered as reliable as other tests of zinc status. While low hair zinc is likely to be indicative of poor zinc status, elevated hair zinc may be indicative of low zinc in the cells or contamination from the use of zinc-containing shampoos.
The zinc taste test appears to be of some value in determining general zinc status. The test is based on the knowledge that the functions of taste and smell are dependent upon there being sufficient zinc available in the body. Thus, if zinc is deficient then taste function will be diminished. This principle is utilised in the taste test by offering a standard test solution of zinc sulphate for tasting. The response is then compared with a series of defined standards and the zinc status thus determined.
Directions
This simple, non-toxic zinc taste test uses a test solution of zinc sulphate in purified water, at a concentration of 1gm/liter. Once prepared, the solution should be stored in a refrigerator and discarded after six months. The solution should be removed from storage and left at room temperature for about two hours before carrying out the test. The test involves taking a sip of the solution (approximately 5-10ml) and holding it in the mouth exactly ten seconds. Due to the possible influence of recently consumed food or drink on the taste experienced, it is essential that neither be taken for approximately one hour before the test.
Expected Outcome
For the zinc taste test, the defined standards are:- Grade one response: no specific taste sensation: tastes like plain water. This indicates a major deficiency of zinc requiring a supplement of at least 150mg of zinc per day.
- Grade two response: no immediate taste is noticed but, within the ten seconds of the test, a 'dry' or 'metallic' taste is experienced. This indicates a moderate deficiency requiring a supplement of 100mg of zinc per day.
- Grade three response: an immediate slight taste is noted, which increases with time over the ten second period. This indicates a deficiency of minor degree requiring a supplement of 50mg per day.
- Grade four response: an immediate, strong and unpleasant taste is experienced. This indicates that no zinc deficiency exists. If this is the response to the first test done then obviously the diet already contains sufficient zinc and no supplement need be taken. If this is the response, however, after a period of zinc supplementation then the diet, prior to the supplement being given, must be assumed to have been deficient. Thus, if a relapse to this deficient state is to be further prevented a regular maintenance dose of zinc is required. One 15-20mg dose per day is usually sufficient for this purpose.
|
|
 |
|
 |
Test Zinc Levels can help with the following:
KEY | | May do some good |  | | Likely to help |  | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Arthritis (Arthritic)
Inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness, and resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, or other causes. It occurs in various forms, such as bacterial arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, is characterized by a gradual loss of cartilage and often an overgrowth of bone at the joints.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Copper
An essential mineral that is a component of several important enzymes in the body and is essential to good health. Copper is found in all body tissues. Copper deficiency leads to a variety of abnormalities, including anemia, skeletal defects, degeneration of the nervous system, reproductive failure, pronounced cardiovascular lesions, elevated blood cholesterol, impaired immunity and defects in the pigmentation and structure of hair. Copper is involved in iron incorporation into hemoglobin. It is also involved with vitamin C in the formation of collagen and the proper functioning in central nervous system. More than a dozen enzymes have been found to contain copper. The best studied are superoxide dismutase (SOD), cytochrome C oxidase, catalase, dopamine hydroxylase, uricase, tryptophan dioxygenase, lecithinase and other monoamine and diamine oxidases.
Gram (gm, gms, Gramme, Grammes, Grams)
A metric unit of weight, there being approximately 28 grams in one ounce.
Immune System (Immune Response, Immunity)
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation. The process may involve acquired immunity (the ability to learn and remember a specific infectious agent), or innate immunity (the genetically programmed system of responses that attack, digest, remove, and initiate inflammation and tissue healing).
Liter (Liters, Litre, Litres)
A metric measure of volume equivalent to 1.057 liquid quarts or 0.2642 gallons.
Manganese
An essential mineral found in trace amounts in tissues of the body. Adults normally contain an average of 10 to 20mg of manganese in their bodies, most of which is contained in bone, the liver and the kidneys. Manganese is essential to several critical enzymes necessary for energy production, bone and blood formation, nerve function and protein metabolism. It is involved in the metabolism of fats and glucose, the production of cholesterol and it allows the body to use thiamine and Vitamin E. It is also involved in the building and degrading of proteins and nucleic acid, biogenic amine metabolism, which involves the transmitting of nerve impulses.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Milliliter (mL)
0.001 or one thousandth of a liter.
Motility
Capacity for spontaneous movement, frequently in reference to the intestine.
Prostate
The prostate gland in men that surrounds the neck of the bladder and the urethra and produces a secretion that liquefies coagulated semen.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
A long-term, destructive connective tissue disease that results from the body rejecting its own tissue cells (autoimmune reaction).
Serum
The cell-free fluid of the bloodstream. It appears in a test tube after the blood clots and is often used in expressions relating to the levels of certain compounds in the blood stream.
Testosterone
The principal male sex hormone that induces and maintains the changes that take place in males at puberty. In men, the testicles continue to produce testosterone throughout life, though there is some decline with age. A naturally occurring androgenic hormone.
Vitamin B6 (B6, B-6)
Influences many body functions including regulating blood glucose levels, manufacturing hemoglobin and aiding the utilization of protein, carbohydrates and fats. It also aids in the function of the nervous system.
White Blood Cell (WBC, White Blood Cells)
A blood cell that does not contain hemoglobin: a blood corpuscle responsible for maintaining the body's immune surveillance system against invasion by foreign substances such as viruses or bacteria. White cells become specifically programmed against foreign invaders and work to inactivate and rid the body of a foreign substance. White blood cells are composed primarily of neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are either T-cells or B-cells. T-cells (CD3 cells) are divided into T-helper (CD4 cells) and T-suppressor/cytotoxic (CD8 cells) cells.
Zinc
An essential trace mineral. The functions of zinc are enzymatic. There are over 70 metalloenzymes known to require zinc for their functions. The main biochemicals in which zinc has been found to be necessary include: enzymes and enzymatic function, protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. Zinc is a constituent of insulin and male reproductive fluid. Zinc is necessary for the proper metabolism of alcohol, to get rid of the lactic acid that builds up in working muscles and to transfer it to the lungs. Zinc is involved in the health of the immune system, assists vitamin A utilization and is involved in the formation of bone and teeth.
Zinc Taste Test (Oral Zinc Test)
A 10-second test that uses a dilute solution of zinc sulphate heptahydrate to determine the extent of zinc deficiency based on an individual's taste sensations.
Last updated: Apr 13, 2008
|
 |
|
|
