Not for nothing is it distributed to every cell, organ and gland in the body under ideal conditions, of course. When it is not, there is trouble for the body one way or another. It obviously has a major role in the immune response generally and including gene expression, protein synthesis, DNA and RNA polymerases, glucose metabolism, brain enzymes, reproductive functions and various hormones. This names just a few of the many aspects in which zinc is intimately concerned. The problem of poor absorption generally, due to diet, gut antagonism or phytate and fibre binding, need no longer pose a problem now that aspirin assisted gastric infiltration has been shown, over a 4 year period, to be highly effective and without side effects.
Reference is made in many books of zinc going into or coming out of bone.
Ash assay does not support this contention. For calcium, a mechanism exists which uses calcitonin and parathyroid hormones under renal control, to effect bone absorption or resorption depending on serum level. Zinc is not included in this reaction and no similar mechanism exists for zinc. Sponsored by the Wellcome Foundation and collated by N.M Hooper of Leeds University Biochemistry of Zinc. Professor A.S. Prasad, Dir.