Plasma Zinc

Overview

Plasma zinc measures the amount of zinc circulating in your blood. Zinc is a vital mineral that your body needs in small amounts to function properly. It plays a crucial role in supporting your immune system, aiding in wound healing, and contributing to normal growth and development. Zinc is also essential for DNA synthesis and cell division, acting like a helper for many enzymes that facilitate important chemical reactions in your body. By measuring plasma zinc levels, healthcare providers can assess if there's too much or too little zinc in your body, which can affect your health in various ways. Monitoring these levels helps ensure that your body's systems are working smoothly and can help identify any potential issues with zinc metabolism or absorption.

Testing Levels:

• High (18 umol/L) - If plasma zinc levels are higher than normal, it may indicate an excess of zinc in the body, known as hyperzincaemia. This is less common but can occur due to overconsumption of zinc supplements or excessive intake from fortified foods. High zinc levels can interfere with the absorption of other essential minerals like copper and iron, potentially leading to deficiencies. Symptoms of zinc toxicity may include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach cramps, headaches, and weakened immune function. Detecting elevated zinc levels allows for timely adjustments to reduce intake and prevent adverse effects.
  
  
• Mid - Plasma zinc levels within the normal range indicate that your body has an adequate amount of zinc to support essential functions. This balance means that your dietary intake, absorption, and utilisation of zinc are all functioning properly. It's a good sign that your body is maintaining healthy zinc levels, supporting vital processes like immune function, wound healing, and normal growth and development.
  
  When plasma zinc levels are near the upper limit, it suggests that zinc levels are higher than average but not yet at toxic levels. This could result from high dietary intake or use of zinc supplements. It serves as a caution to monitor zinc intake and possibly reduce supplementation to prevent levels from becoming excessively high and causing imbalances with other minerals.
  
  If plasma zinc levels are near the lower limit, it may suggest that your body is not getting quite enough zinc. This could be due to a diet low in zinc-rich foods, increased requirements, or issues with absorbing zinc from your diet. While you may not yet experience symptoms, it's important to ensure you're consuming enough zinc to prevent deficiency. Including foods like meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds, and nuts can help increase zinc intake.
  
  
• Low (10 umol/L) - Low plasma zinc levels, known as hypozincaemia, indicate a zinc deficiency. This can lead to symptoms like weakened immune function, frequent infections, delayed wound healing, loss of appetite, weight loss, and growth delays in children. Skin conditions such as dermatitis or hair loss can also occur. Causes of low zinc levels include inadequate dietary intake, malabsorption syndromes, chronic illnesses, or increased losses due to diarrhoea or excessive sweating. Identifying low zinc levels is important so that steps can be taken to address the deficiency, either through dietary changes or supplements, under medical supervision.

Why We Test Plasma Zinc

Testing plasma zinc is important because zinc is essential for many bodily functions, including immune response, wound healing, and normal growth and development. Abnormal zinc levels can lead to health issues. The test helps detect imbalances, allowing for early intervention to correct high or low zinc levels and prevent complications associated with zinc deficiency or toxicity. It is particularly important if you have symptoms of zinc imbalance or conditions that affect zinc absorption or utilisation.

What Affects It

Several factors can influence plasma zinc levels. Diet is a primary factor, as zinc is obtained from foods like meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds, and nuts. Absorption issues, such as those caused by digestive disorders like Crohn's disease or coeliac disease, can affect zinc levels. High levels of stress, infections, or inflammation can temporarily lower plasma zinc levels due to redistribution of zinc in the body. Certain medications, supplements, and alcohol consumption can also impact zinc levels. Age and physiological states like pregnancy and lactation increase zinc requirements. It's important to consider these factors when interpreting test results to get an accurate understanding of your zinc status.

How to Improve

If your plasma zinc levels are high or close to being high, you can reduce them by decreasing intake of zinc-rich foods and avoiding zinc supplements. In some cases, reducing exposure to zinc-containing products may be necessary. If levels are low or close to being low, increasing your intake of zinc-rich foods like meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds, and nuts can help. Sometimes, zinc supplements may be recommended under medical guidance. It's important to address any underlying conditions affecting zinc levels and to make dietary changes as needed, always in consultation with a healthcare professional.

Common Name: Plasma Zinc