Anabolic Health follows strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make health choices with confidence. Some of the products we feature are from our partners. Here’s how we make money.
If you’re looking to improve your supplementation regimen, you might want to consider picking up zinc monomethionine. As we’ve said before, zinc is arguably the most important mineral or micronutrient in the context of male health.
Those suffering from zinc deficiency are likely to become sick, particularly since their immune function won’t be able to handle all invading microbes. Testosterone-related issues may also emerge, given how crucial the mineral is in hormone production.
In this post, we’ll discuss the other advantages of taking the mineral – and we will explain why we only recommend one specific form of the dietary supplement. Of course, we’ll also give insights on one of today’s most popular supplements – the ZMA.
Supporting Muscle Strength
You’re aware of the link between zinc and testosterone, but do you know that the former has a direct impact on muscle? Simply put, if you fail to get enough of the mineral, cellular growth and proliferation will be hampered – and that applies to the muscles as well.
Even though mass or size isn’t the only thing that determines strength, it is among the most important factors. Besides, if you hit the gym often, you’ll only be able to maximize muscle growth if you have the necessary tools to ensure that the process can indeed occur.
Zinc possibly supports anabolic processes through other ways. Whenever there’s a drop in the mineral availability in the blood, insulin-like growth factor (IGF) levels suffer a noticeable reduction – and that’s not a good thing, given that IGF allows muscles to increase in size.
Zinc works in several ways to beat acne. Furthermore, zinc supplementation will make wounds heal much faster (as we’ve explained, it does play a key role in cellular growth).
Putting an End to Acne Issues
Succeeding in the quest to attain that perfect physique won’t mean much if you’re losing the fight against acne – a problem that has been linked to whey protein supplementation. Fortunately, zinc acne treatment can help clear your skin of this dreaded dilemma.
Aside from having an anti-bacterial effect, zinc hastens the conversion of vitamin A to retinol – a form that excels in limiting androgen activity in the sebaceous glands and in keeping inflammation under control.
Furthermore, zinc supplementation will make wounds heal much faster. That’s quite important given that open wounds can get clogged again, potentially leading to even bigger problems.
Protecting Your Perfect Vision
Unlike the connection between zinc and skin health, the link between the mineral and good eyesight is still unclear. Nonetheless, it’s believed that age-related macular degeneration can be prevented through sufficient zinc intake.
To understand this, you’ll have to keep in mind that central vision is mainly processed in the macula (which is part of the retina). Now, macular degeneration is often associated with aging, and as it turns out, the retina’s zinc concentrations gradually drop as we age.
Therefore, in theory at least, ensuring that you’re getting enough zinc on a daily basis is one way of protecting your eyesight. And yes, the condition can also affect those still in their prime – and suffering from permanent vision loss is a possibility as well.
Explaining the Better Choice
You’re probably wondering though, why we specifically recommend zinc monomethionine. Well, we have two good reasons for that: (1) other forms of the mineral can actually interfere with copper absorption, and (2) methionine comes with several noteworthy benefits of its own.
Keep in mind that even though zinc is beneficial, it can cause problems when left in its unbound form in the bloodstream. As it becomes more abundant, copper’s levels drop – not having sufficient utilizable copper can lead to fatigue, and may even increase heart disease susceptibility.
What’s more concerning is that it doesn’t take much unbound zinc to negatively affect copper availability – 50 milligrams is enough. While a typical zinc supplement will only provide you with 15 milligrams per tablet, don’t forget that you’re also getting the mineral through the food you eat.
Beef, pork, and chicken all provide varying amounts of zinc – and don’t forget that legumes and seeds have it as well. To truly understand how easy it is to get too much zinc, just consider the fact that an ounce of oyster will already supply you with nine milligrams of the mineral.
Methionine greatly enhances mood, fights pain, and keeps the mind sharp. It's very important, however, to pick the right type of zinc supplementation.
As for our second reason for recommending a zinc methionine combination over zinc picolinate, zinc citrate, zinc gluconate, and even zinc sulfate, we chose to put more weight on the added perks that come with the amino acid. Methionine enhances mood, fights pain, and keeps the mind sharp.
To be specific though, the amino acid can only accomplish those things after it has been converted to S-adenosylmethionine (thebodyitself carries out the conversion process). Methionine is still beneficial on its own, given that it exhibits antioxidant activity.
Discussing Mineral Synergy
There’s a good chance that you’ll come across synergistic supplements while looking for that perfect product. Zinc magnesium aspartate (ZMA) has become a popular choice among bodybuilders and athletes, especially since it’s touted to build muscle and hasten muscle recovery.
Aside from containing magnesium stearate and zinc, a ZMA supplement will also come loaded with vitamin B (well, vitamin B6 to be specific). Although each of those micronutrients serve important roles in the human body, taking them all at the same time might not be the smartest idea.
In fact, zinc and magnesium compete with each other, and taking them together could hinder zinc absorption. Despite being widely produced, zinc magnesium aspartate hasn’t gone through enough scientific studies (we’re not saying that it won’t ever get our recommendation though).
Besides, if you’re taking medications (like antibiotics), you might want to check with your doctor about supplementing with both zinc and magnesium – again, this is due to the impact of such minerals on the body’s capacity to absorb and process substances.
So, for now, it won’t hurt to rely on other simpler sources of elemental zinc, such as the easily absorbedzinc monomethionine. That recommendation holds even if you’re trying to greatly raise your testosterone level and significantly boost muscle development.