Plasma Zinc

Plasma zinc measures the level of zinc circulating in your blood. Zinc is an essential trace mineral, meaning your body needs it in small but steady amounts and cannot produce it on its own, so it must come from food or supplements. Despite being required in only tiny quantities, zinc is involved in a remarkably wide range of bodily processes, from keeping your immune system functioning properly to supporting wound healing, maintaining your sense of taste and smell, and helping your body build new proteins. A zinc level within the expected range suggests these systems have the raw material they need.

Think of zinc as a versatile assistant that shows up in hundreds of different departments across your body. It acts as a co-factor for over three hundred enzymes, meaning those enzymes simply cannot do their jobs without it. When you catch a cold, zinc helps your immune cells mount a defence. When you cut yourself, zinc is part of the repair team that helps new tissue form. It also plays a role in maintaining healthy skin, supporting normal testosterone production, and even helping your body process carbohydrates and fats for energy. Because zinc is involved in so many processes, even a modest shortfall can have wide ranging effects that may be subtle at first, such as feeling run down more often or finding that small wounds take longer to heal.

Your zinc level can be influenced by a number of dietary and lifestyle factors. The richest food sources include red meat, shellfish (especially oysters), poultry, beans, nuts, and seeds. Vegetarian and vegan diets can sometimes fall short because plant-based sources of zinc are less readily absorbed, owing to compounds called phytates that bind to the mineral. Intense exercise, stress, and certain digestive conditions can also increase your body's zinc requirements or reduce absorption. It is worth noting that plasma zinc levels can fluctuate throughout the day and may be temporarily lowered by recent meals, infection, or inflammation. If your result is outside the normal range, your GP can help determine whether a dietary adjustment or supplement might be beneficial for you.