Your body needs zinc for proper growth and development. Various forms of zinc perform biological functions important to growth and development and the treatment of acne. The particular form of zinc important to all three of these uses is a chelating compound composed of zinc sulfate and the amino acid, methionine. This compound is better known as zinc methionine sulfate.
Human growth and development
You can usually get your daily intake of zinc by eating meat and other animal products; however if you are a vegetarian, or do not get enough meat in your diet, you may not be getting the recommended amounts of zinc to keep you healthy. Pregnant women and children are usually at risk for low zinc supplies as well. Additionally, diets high in legumes and phytates (found in corn and beans) can block the absorption of zinc. The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, reports that zinc methionine sulfate is a combination of zinc sulfate (19 to 22 percent) and dL-methionine (46 to 50 percent) with no more than 0.05 parts per million of cadmium formed into a tablet for daily supplementation. According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, in a study testing the bio-availability--that is, what your body actually uses--of zinc on chicks, twice as much zinc methionine sulfate was absorbed compared with just zinc sulfate. These results occurred when the supplement was taken with a corn-soybean or soy isolate diet.
Animal health and growth
Because we get some of our daily allowance of zinc from meat, it only makes sense that cattle ranchers do what they can to improve the growth, health, performance and reproduction of their livestock. It is common practice to supplement feedlot diets with trace minerals such as zinc sulfate and methionine. In a study performed by the Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University and Global Animal Products Inc., cattle who received zinc methionine sulfate gained more weight than those that received just zinc sulfate alone.
Treating acne
If you are suffering from pimples and blemishes, taking a zinc supplement can help reduce your acne and address some of the hormonal effects that cause it. Most oral forms of zinc contain zinc gluconate, whereas topical forms contain zinc oxide. Taking 200 mg of zinc gluconate will only provide 30 mg of bio-available zinc. There are products that contain zinc methionine sulfate, which are far more bio-available than zinc gluconate, but they are far more expensive as well. Zinc methionine sulfate can also be found in certain energy drinks.
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