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   Zinc is a mineral that is necessary for good health. Zinc is especially essential for immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing and cell growth and is required by the body to make many essential hormones. Zinc can be obtained through a balanced diet, but due to food processing and soil depletion, zinc deficiency is now a common problem. Medications such as protein pump inhibitors (PPIs) that reduce acid secretion interfere with zinc absorption. Stress and infections can deplete zinc stores. Fitness enthusiasts are prone to zinc deficiency caused by sweating. Older patients with poor dietary habits are especially vulnerable to zinc deficiency. Alcohol, even in moderate amounts, can increase zinc excretion in the urine, resulting in low levels in the body.
 
   Conditions associated with low zinc levels are intestinal malabsorption syndromes, cystic fibrosis, alcoholism, HIV infection, malignancy, uremia and chronic renal disease, and a weak immune system. Symptoms of deficiency include fatigue, poor appetite, digestive problems, and smell and taste dysfunction. Vision and hearing can be diminished by severe zinc deficiency. Some studies have associated zinc deficiency with depression. In deficient men, sexual function is affected and sterility is common.
 
   The Zinc Taste Test is an easy, convenient method of assessing zinc deficiency in an office or other clinical setting. When compared with other methods, the Zinc Taste Test is inexpensive, easy to perform, and reasonably accurate; it can be repeated to follow progress; and its range indicates mild to severe states of zinc deficiency.
 
   When treatment is needed, it must be customized for each patient. If the zinc deficiency is severe, treatment should be initiated with the administration of a liquid preparation of zinc sulfate heptahydrate. Special attention must be paid to copper and selenium levels when supplementing zinc. Supplementation with these minerals should be done under the supervision of a knowledgeable, experienced health care professional.
 
Ask our compounding pharmacist for more information about the Zinc Taste Test and customized treatment for zinc deficiency.