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Published on July 7, 2020

Zinc is a key cofactor for approximately 3,000 proteins and enzymes in the body. It is necessary for growth and development, immune function, bone metabolism, and central nervous system function.

Zinc is a mineral present naturally in a wide variety of foods, including red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains, dairy products, and fortified cereal. Zinc is also available as a dietary supplement. More information about zinc and why it is important can be found in this previous blog.

In the spring of 2019, GrassrootsHealth started offering a zinc test as part of the Elements Panel, which includes testing your vitamin D level along with essential elements magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper, and copper:zinc ratio, and toxic heavy metals cadmium, lead, and mercury. This test measures the amount of zinc within the red blood cells as well as within the serum, and for this reason, can be more accurate than a typical zinc test of the serum alone.

Zinc Levels Among GrassrootsHealth Participants

Among the 483 participants who tested their zinc levels, the average level was 6.74 mg/L which falls within the lab reference range (5.37-7.94 mg/L); this reference range indicates the range of typical results found in the population the lab serves but does not necessarily indicate the optimal range for health.

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While zinc is essential to the body, the optimal range for health is not known. Excess zinc can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and headaches so it’s important to identify this optimal range. Your ongoing participation in this project will contribute greatly to knowing what levels are optimal for health. We will continue to track this data and report any results back to you.

Ensure your zinc levels are within range! Help support a healthy immune system and more by testing today to find out your level of zinc, vitamin D, and other nutrients important for a healthy immune response.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D to Help Yourself?

We’re in a time of great crisis that could be greatly affected by making sure you and everyone you know has a serum level of at least 40 ng/ml. Help us help you.

Do you know what your vitamin D level is? Be sure to test today to find out, and take steps to keep it within a target of 40-60 ng/ml or 100-150 nmol/L! Give your immune system the nutrients it needs to support a healthy you and protect yourself from unnecessary diseases.

GrassrootsHealth Nutrient Research Institute is preparing to do a Community RCT with the use of our myData-myAnswers nutrient health system that over 15,000 people are already using for their health. We will demonstrate how one can use the Nutrient Research Model established by Dr. Robert Heaney to establish the effect of vitamin D serum levels of at least 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/L) on risk reduction with different ethnicities in the population. Please let us know if you’re interested in helping sponsor this project.

CLICK HERE for updates and new information about the project.

Through GrassrootsHealth Nutrient Research Institute, you can also test your essential elements magnesium, copper, zinc and selenium, toxins such as lead, mercury and cadmium, as well as your omega-3 levels, inflammation levels and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level. Find out your levels today! Log on to the test selection page (click the link below) to get your tests and see for yourself if your levels can be improved.

Make sure you track your results before and after, about every 6 months!

Click Here to Access the Test Page

How can I track my nutrient intake and levels over time?

To help you track your supplement use and nutrient levels, GrassrootsHealth has created the Personal Health Nutrient Decision System called

For each specific supplement, you can track what days you take it, how much, and many other details.  This will help you know your true supplemental intake and what patterns of use work for you to reach and maintain optimum nutrient levels.  Check it out today!

How Can You Use this Information for YOUR Health?

Having and maintaining healthy vitamin D and other nutrient levels can help improve your health now and for your future. Measuring is the only way to make sure you are getting enough!

STEP 1 Order your at-home blood spot test kit to measure vitamin D and other nutrients of concern to you, such as omega-3s, magnesium, essential and toxic elements (zinc, copper, selenium, lead, cadmium, mercury); include hsCRP as a marker of inflammation or HbA1c for blood sugar health

STEP 2 Answer the online questionnaire as part of the GrassrootsHealth study

STEP 3 Using our educational materials and tools (such as our dose calculators), assess your results to determine if you are in your desired target range or if actions should be taken to get there

STEP 4 After 3-6 months of implementing your changes, re-test to see if you have achieved your target level(s)

Enroll in D*action and Build Your Custom Test Kit!