Zinc (Zinc Sulfate) - Uses, Side Effects, Interactions & More

16 Oct.,2023

 

The health benefits of zinc are far-reaching since the mineral is a necessary part of numerous cellular processes. Purported but unconfirmed or understudied benefits of zinc include treating acne, age-related macular degeneration, anorexia, ADHD, burns, colorectal tumors, the common cold, cramps, depression, halitosis, rash, and sickle cell disease.

Zinc is essential to the immune system, which is the body’s natural defense against infection. White blood cells are a major component of the immune system and circulate through the bloodstream. Whenever foreign organisms (such as bacteria) are present, white blood cells release molecules that regulate inflammation and then work to isolate and kill the organisms. Zinc is necessary for white blood cells to be able to successfully execute each of these functions. This is why maintaining normal levels of zinc is vital to staying healthy; in the setting of a zinc deficiency, these basic immune processes are all negatively impacted (4).

In addition to oral zinc, topical zinc can be beneficial to health. Zinc oxide, when applied to wounds like leg ulcers, has been seen to promote healing by decreasing inflammation, inhibiting bacterial growth, and stimulating the migration of skin cells into the wound (1).

Zinc also has the following health benefits, which is why it was chosen to be an ingredient in the Ro's Testosterone Support supplement:

Testosterone Support

Studies looking specifically at zinc’s effects on testosterone are limited. They include the following:

  • Semen: In one study of subfertile men in Sudan with reduced sperm count and mobility, supplementation with 110 mg of zinc sulfate (equivalent to 25 mg of elemental zinc) twice per day for three months led to an increase in follicle stimulating hormone (a hormone that stimulates testicular growth and helps maintain sperm cells), an increase in testosterone, and improvement in sperm motility percentages (6).

  • Sexual function: In one study on male rats, supplementation with zinc improved sexual competence by increasing thrusting and time to ejaculation. Increases in testosterone levels were also noted and the benefits were found to be dose-dependent. There was also a reduction in libido but these results were not statistically significant (2).

  • Testosterone: One study looked at the link between zinc concentrations and testosterone levels in forty men. When dietary zinc was restricted for twenty weeks in normal men, testosterone levels declined. When 30 mg per day of zinc supplementation was given for six months to elderly men who were deficient, testosterone levels rose (5).

If you have any questions on FEED ADDITIVES, Zinc Sulphate. We will give the professional answers to your questions.