The mineral taste is often referred to as the ‘zinc taste test’ because the aim is to confirm whether you have enough zinc in your body.
Zinc is essential for the correct functioning of your body. It is known to help cell division and growth. It is also needed for your immune system, healing your body, and breaking down carbohydrates. Perhaps most interestingly, it is a vital part of your ability to smell and taste things.
In fact, it is necessary for in excess of 300 chemical processes in your body, being low on zinc is going to affect your health.
The Zinc Mineral test
Zinc is actually stored inside your bones until needed, this can make it difficult to assess the exact levels of zinc in your body. Of course, an analysis of your hair, sweat, or even your white blood cells is possible. But, these are all generally costly procedures.
That’s why the taste test is the preferred starting place. It’s cheap and reliable, leaving the option open for further testing if necessary.
This test is for everyone, a recent Australian survey showed that 85% of women and 65% of men tested do not get enough zinc on a daily basis. This is not something that just affects older people.
The zinc taste test involves drinking a zinc enriched mineral solution. Zinc actually has a bitter taste, but, if your zinc levels are low you won’t notice this.
Taking the test and then repeating it after 30 days is a surprisingly effective way of discovering low levels of zinc in your body and defining the level of deficiency.
This will allow your practitioner to calculate how much zinc you need to take and monitor it to ensure your body is absorbing it properly.
Test Evaluation
The solution is just 10ml, it takes a moment to swallow and your reaction will tell the naturopath at Brisbane Naturopath whether you’re deficient or not, and how deficient you are.
They can then prescribe you with the required level of supplementation and talk to you about the potential for other mineral levels to be low.
This may require further testing, such as the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis.
