Blog — Whole Blood (Blood Spot) – Zinc

Tracy Tranchitella, ND, ZRT Laboratory. Following on from part 1 of this 3-part blog series discussing 3 important nutrients that can enhance our immune function against viral infection as well as regulate the inflammatory response to COVID-19, this second part of the series discusses the essential mineral zinc. The Many Roles of Zinc The body uses zinc in countless ways. After iron, zinc is the most abundant trace mineral in the body and is present in every cell. Zinc is necessary for the activity of over 50 enzymes that aid in metabolism, digestion, nerve function and many other processes. We need zinc...

Urine, serum, plasma, whole blood, red blood cells, feces, hair, fingernails … the list goes on. How do you decide what biological sample(s) to use for element analysis? Can results be compared to scientific literature or do they have clinical significance? Is it possible for values to be elevated or low in one sample type and normal in another? Do test results indicate recent intake, body burden, acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, deficiency, or homeostatic regulation? These are just some of the questions facing a testing laboratory when they want to develop and validate essential and toxic element profiles that will...