Zinc is an essential mineral, necessary for sustaining all life. It is estimated that 3,000 of the hundreds of thousands of proteins in the human body contain zinc..... Zinc ions are now considered neurotransmitters. Cells in the salivary gland, prostate, immune system and intestine are other types of tissues that highly need zinc.

The below information is from MineralsInc.com. Read the full text with references at: MineralsInc.com

• Zinc is involved in well over one hundred metabolic process and body functions,
• Normal growth and development
• Maintaining healthy skin and bones
• Essential in various metabolic processes
• Healing and immune functions

Physiologically, zinc is vital for growth and developments, sexual maturation and reproduction, dark vision adaptation, olfactory and gustatory activity, insulin storage and release and for a variety of host immune defenses, among other things. Zinc deficiency can result in growth retardation, immune dysfunction, increased incidence of infections, hypogonadism, oligospermia, anorexia, diarrhea, weight loss, delayed wound healing, neural tube defects of the fetus, increased risk for abortion, alopecia, mental lethargy and skin changes.

Zinc may have immunomodulatory activity. It may also have antioxidant activity. Zinc has putative antiviral, fertility- enhancing and retinoprotective activities.

Even borderline zinc deficiency or disturbances in zinc metabolism can have profound adverse health effects. Those at greatest risk of such deficiencies and disturbances include infants, children, the elderly and pregnant women. Due to conditions that can limit the bioavailability of zinc, even when there is adequate zinc intake, zinc deficiency may affect still larger population.

Among diseases and conditions associated with zinc deficiency are alcoholism, malabsorption syndromes, acrodermatitis enteropathica, anorexia nervosa, thermal burns and total parenteral nutrition without zinc supplementation.

Supplemental zinc may be helpful in some of the foregoing, in some conditions of immune impairment, in some complications of pregnancy, in the prevention of some cases of fetal neural tube defects, diarrhea, oligospermia, delayed wound healing and some cognitive disorders. It may also help against some inflammatory disorders.

Zinc is essential for proper formation and maturation of spermatozoa. There is some evidence that zinc can promote and accelerate wound healing in some circumstances. Zinc is also very important to the newborn when breast milk may be its only source of Zinc.

Zinc Citrate represents a totally reacted and nutritionally functional Chelate of Zinc and the naturally occurring citrate in the human body.

Zinc citrate caters to the need of "optimal mineral nutrition" with respect to zinc by delivering it in a more bio-available, energy rich, tolerant and safe form.

"Zinc deficiency results from inadequate intake of zinc, or inadequate absorption of zinc into the body. Signs of zinc deficiency include hair loss, skin lesions, diarrhea, prostate swelling, delayed wound healing (epithelial tissue won't heal as well or as fast as it should in a zinc deficient state), wasting of body tissues and white spots on the nails. Eyesight, taste, smell and memory are also connected with zinc. A deficiency in zinc can cause malfunctions of these organs and functions. Congenital abnormalities causing zinc deficiency may lead to a disease called Acrodermatitis enteropathica (Caution: the linked-to website has some rather graphic pictures of infants afflicted with acrodermatitis enteropathica).

Obtaining a sufficient zinc intake during pregnancy and in young children is a very real problem, especially among those who cannot afford a good and varied diet. Brain development is stunted by zinc insufficiency in the womb and in youth. It is widely recognized that lack of zinc can contribute to acne.

When asked his opinion, here's what Dr. Wong had to say about Zinc Citrate:

"This warrants repeating: 'Zinc is the most essential mineral for sexual function' and Zinc Citrate is the best absorbed zinc! Why? Because most zinc supplements are very, very poorly absorbed. The oxides are mostly excreted. Those Zincs that are chelated to amino acids need to further bond to a lipid (fat) to be transported across the intestinal wall. Zincs that are chelated to sugars (gluconates) don’t get in well either. But, anything bonded to anything in the Vit. C family such as citric acid, Vit. C, ascorbates, etc. are taken in instantly and almost completely! That is why, despite all the sales hype to the contrary, calcium citrate, magnesium citrate and zinc citrate are the best absorbed minerals of their kind."