Zinc (Zn)

Optimal Result: 16 - 24 Units.

Zinc is found in small quantities in the body (about two grams) and is essential for over 50 functions including all protein synthesis, growth and development, male reproductive system, insulin production and secretion, vision, digestion, prostate health, skin, hair and nail health, and immune system activity.

Sources Of Zinc

Seafood - oysters, herring
Meats - beef, lamb, beef and pork liver
Nuts/seeds - sunflower, pumpkin
Dairy - cheese
Grains - wheat germ
Miscellaneous - brewer's yeast, maple syrup, bone meal, gluten, tea

Roles In The Body

  • Activator of many key enzymes.
  • Growth and development
  • Male reproductive system
  • Insulin production and secretion
  • Prevention of cadmium and copper toxicity

Functions Of Zinc

Circulatory - maintenance of artery walls
Respiratory - removal of carbon dioxide and maintenance of acid-base balance
Digestive - production of digestive enzymes, and normal liver function
Nervous - essential for brain development and neurotransmitters
Special senses - appetite regulation, smell and taste
Reproductive - testes, ovaries, prostate, male fertility
Endocrine - insulin and pituitary gonadotropin secretion
Blood - red blood cells and blood proteins
Skeletal - bone integrity, prevention of osteoporosis
Skin - required for normal integrity of hair, nails, and skin
Protective - required for wound healing and integrity of the immune system
Metabolic - normal carbohydrate and protein metabolism
Detoxification - assists in removing toxic accumulation of cadmium and copper
Psychological - powerful mood stabilizer and 'sedative' mineral

Synergetic Nutrients

magnesium, vitamin A, D, E, B6, high-protein diet

Antagonistic Nutrients

Absorption - copper, cadmium, iron, chromium, manganese, selenium, phytic acid, vegetarian diets, soy, cereals, fiber in diet
Metabolic - copper, iron, cadmium

Hair Analysis Notes

Zinc is considered a "masculine" mineral, because of its importance in the formation of male sexual hormones.

What does it mean if your Zinc (Zn) result is too high?

High Hair Zinc:

  • An elevated zinc level is commonly due to a loss of zinc from the body tissues. In these cases, zinc supplements will often be recommended.
  • Zinc levels may appear high to help compensate for copper toxicity. Thus high zinc can be a tipoff of a hidden copper toxicity.
  • Use of Head and Shoulders shampoo occasionally results in an elevated zinc reading.
  • Cadmium toxicity can cause a zinc reading to appear high.

A result of high hair Zinc (Zn) may be indicative of low Zinc in cells, and functional Zinc insufficiency, or excessive Zinc supplementation. Zinc can be displaced from proteins such as intracellular metallothionein by other metals, particularly cadmium, lead, copper, and mercury (Toxicology of Metals, 1994), resulting in paradoxically elevated hair Zinc. Zinc may also be high in hair as a result of the use of Zinc-containing anti-dandruff shampoo. Rough or dry, flaky skin is a symptom of Zinc deficiency, so it is not uncommon for Zinc deficient patients to use an anti-dandruff shampoo. A result of high hair Zinc warrants further testing to assess Zinc status. Confirmatory tests for Zinc status are whole blood or packed red blood cell elements analysis.

Zinc is an essential element that is required in many very important biological processes. However, Zinc can be toxic if exposure is excessive. Although very uncommon, high hair Zinc might be indicative of Zinc overload which could result from Zinc contaminated water (galvanized pipes), welding or gross, chronic over-supplementation (100 mg/day). Other sources of Zinc include: manufacture of brass, bronze, white paint, and pesticide production. Symptoms of Zinc excess include: gastrointestinal disorders, decreased heme synthesis (copper deficiency), tachycardia, blurred vision, and hypothermia.

What does it mean if your Zinc (Zn) result is too low?

Low Hair Zinc:

  • Zinc will often read low if the sodium/potassium ratio is less than 2.5:1. In this case, it is not always wise to give much zinc.
  • Zinc is commonly low in "fast" oxidizers.
  • Very low zinc levels are often associated with emotional instability and with problems of growth and development in children.

A low zinc level can be due to any number of reasons; including an over consumption of sugars and simple carbohydrates, an acute stress situation, infection and/or the release of toxic metals, particularly copper. Low zinc levels are often associated with mood swings, digestive disturbances, skin problems, vision problems, prostate problems in men and a reduced sense of taste and smell. Low zinc levels may also be a compensatory effort by the body to help balance the sodium/potassium ratio.

Frequently asked questions

Unlock Your Health Journey with Healthmatters.io! Ever wished for a one-stop digital health haven for all your lab tests? Look no further! Healthmatters.io is your personalized health dashboard, bringing together test reports from any lab. Say goodbye to scattered results—organize and centralize your lab data effortlessly. Dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data.

Join the community of thousands who've transformed the way they understand their lab results. Experience the joy of having all your lab data neatly organized, regardless of where or when the tests were done.

For our professional users, Healthmatters.io is a game-changer. Revel in the intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history. It's not just a dashboard; it's your gateway to a smarter, more informed health journey!

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

While we do talk about popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too. It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters. We can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.

Still on the hunt for a specific biomarker? Just tell us, and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account!

There are two ways to add your test reports to your healthmatters.io account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."

Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.

For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you. We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.

Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.

Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.

For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.

Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.

Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.

The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.

For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.

Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.

You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.

Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.

Unlocking the insights from your lab tests has never been this intuitive! We've crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into a treasure trove of testing data.

1. Graph View:

Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.

2. All Tests View

Get a quick grasp of your test reports in minutes! Explore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.

3. Table View:

For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.

Experience the power of clear, organized data visualization with Healthmatters.io — your key to understanding and taking charge of your health journey!

Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.

Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.

A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.

The professional or business account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.


We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.