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Flavor(s) Artificial

"The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional."

The new labeling law effective in 2006, The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), requires manufacturers to declare if one or more of the 8 major food allergens are contained in a natural flavoring. The top 8 major food allergens are defined as: milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans.

If you are managing food allergies other than the top 8 major food allergens, however, the new law will not be of assistance to you in identifying the sources in any natural flavoring stated on a label.

The FDA does not require companies to disclose ingredients of color or flavor additives so long as all the chemicals in them are considered by the agency to be GRAS ("generally recognized as safe") enabling companies to maintain secrecy of formulas. It also hides the fact that flavors often contain more ingredients than the foods to which they give taste.

A typical artificial strawberry flavor contains over 30 chemicals. According to manufacturer safety data sheets those chemicals cause eye irritation, corneal damage, eye burns, skin irritation, severe / permanent damage to digestive tract, gastrointestinal irritation, gastrointestinal tract burns, CNS depression, neurological effects, liver abnormalities, cardiac abnormalities, or other harm.

Natural flavor, according to the FDA, must be derived entirely from natural sources (herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, beef, chicken, yeast, bark, roots, etc). Consumers prefer to see natural flavors on a label out of a belief they are more healthful.

Natural flavor is not necessarily more healthful or purer than an artificial flavor. Almond flavor when derived from natural sources may contain traces of hydrogen cyanide, a deadly poison. When derived by mixing oil of clove & amyl acetate, it does not. Natural flavors and artificial flavors are often manufactured at same chemical plants.

Flavor manufacturing may also involve biotechnology, using enzyme reactions, fermentation, & fungal and tissue cultures. Flavors created by these methods are considered natural flavors by the FDA.

In addition to flavor chemicals also think about genetic engineering of food, DNA or gene alteration, and medicines and hormones given to cows, cattle, hogs, and chickens. What affect does it have upon us? Some are suspected causes of cancer or other problems.

When a natural flavor or artificial flavor is added to a food or drink the resultant processed food is no longer natural & is potentially harmful.

Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20030608101921/www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/opa-bckg.html

Aspartame

One of the most common artificial sweeteners is aspartame, also seen as Equal or Nutrasweet. It is 200 times sweeter than table sugar and lower in calories. It is composed of the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylananine, which are building blocks of proteins. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends the acceptable daily intake of 50 mg/kg of body weight/day. The European Food Safety Authority recommends only 40 mg/kg. There is much controversy on whether aspartame causes cancer. Expert agencies in the United States declare aspartame as safe to consume. A few studies have given rats aspartame with leukemia and lymphomas occurring in rats. However, many studies in the lab and by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) examined the effects of aspartame and saw no signs of aspartame as a carcinogen, or causing cancer. Health problems can still occur with the consumption of aspartame. People with phenylketonuria (PKU) should not eat foods with aspartame because phenylalanine is a component of aspartame and they cannot break down that specific amino acid. If it does, levels of phenylalanine can build up in the blood, preventing necessary chemicals to reach the brain.

"Aspartame." American Cancer Society :: Information and Resources for Cancer: Breast, Colon, Prostate, Lung and Other Forms. 17 Feb. 2011.

Web. 17 May 2011. .

A colorless, crystalline organic compound belonging to the family of carboxylic acids, present in practically all plants and in many animal tissues and fluids. It is one of a series of compounds involved in the physiological oxidation of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to carbon dioxide and water.



First isolated from lemon juice by a Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, in 1784, citric acid is manufactured by fermentation of cane sugar or molasses in the presence of a fungus, Aspergillus niger. It is used in confections and soft drinks (as a flavoring agent), in metal-cleaning compositions, and in improving the stability of foods and other organic substances (by suppressing the deleterious action of dissolved metal salts)."



Citrus fruits are notable for their fragrance, and most are juice-laden. They contain a high proportion of citric acid giving them their characteristic astringent odour and flavour. They are also good sources of vitamin C. In botanical terms, "The fruit of all Citrus trees, in which the true fruit is the peel, [is] made up of an outer layer, brightly colored and rich in glands, a spongey whitish mesocarp, and a membraneous endocarp surrounding the segments. The succulent parts we eat is only a secondary tissue developed as a filler"



List of citrus fruits:

Amanatsu

Bergamot orange

Bitter orange (Seville Orange)

Calamondin (Calamansi)

Citron

Clementine

Golden Lime - hybrid between the genus Citrus and the genus Fortunella

Daidai

Dancy

Grapefruit

Ichang Lemon

Iyokan

Kaffir lime

Key lime

Kumquat - in the related genus Fortunella, not Citrus; forms hybrids with Citrus

Lemon

Lime

Limequat

Mandarin Lime

Mandarin Orange

Meyer Lemon

Mikan

Minneola

Natsumikan

Orange

Orangelo (Chironja)

Orangequat

Persian lime (Tahiti lime)

Pomelo (Pummelo, Shaddock)

Ponkan

Rangpur (Lemanderin)

Rough Lemon

Satsuma

Shekwasha (Taiwan Tangerine)

Sudachi

Sweetie

Tachibana Orange

Tangelo

Tangerine

Tangor

Ugli

Yuzu



Some brands of Citric Acid may be made from wheat, however this is very rare.

Echinacea, the purple coneflower, is the best known and researched herb for stimulating the immune system. Thousands of Europeans and Americans use echinacea preparations against colds and flu, minor infections, and a host of other major and minor ailments. This native American herb has an impressive record of laboratory and clinical research. Thousands of doctors currently use echinacea for treating infectious diseases.

Echinacea has a rich tradition of use by North American Plains Indians who used it medicinally more than any other plant. It was prominent in modern American medicine in the early 20th Century, and was discovered by Europeans, who have used it extensively since the 1930s. Today millions of Europeans use echinacea as their primary therapy for colds, flus, infections, and for general immune-boosting effects.



Source: http://www.herbs.org/greenpapers/echinacea.html

Eucalyptus (pronounced /?ju?k?'l?pt?s/[2] ) is a diverse genus of flowering trees (and a few shrubs) in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia. There are more than 700 species of Eucalyptus, mostly native to Australia, and a very small number are found in adjacent parts of New Guinea and Indonesia and one as far north as the Philippines islands. Only 15 species occur outside Australia, and only 9 do not occur in Australia. Species of Eucalyptus are cultivated throughout the tropics and subtropics including the Americas, England, Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East, China and the Indian Subcontinent.



Eucalyptus is one of three similar genera that are commonly referred to as "eucalypts," the others being Corymbia and Angophora. Many, but far from all, are known as gum trees because many species exude copious sap from any break in the bark (e.g. Scribbly Gum). The name eucalyptus comes from the Greek: e?????pt??, eukályptos, meaning "well covered".



Eucalyptus has attracted attention from global development researchers and environmentalists. It is a fast-growing source of wood, its oil can be used for cleaning and functions as a natural insecticide, and it is sometimes used to drain swamps and thereby reduce the risk of malaria. Outside their natural ranges, eucalypts are both lauded for their beneficial economic impact on poor populations[3][4]:22 and derided for being invasive water-suckers,[5] leading to controversy over their total impact.

The Ginkgo tree is the only living representative of the order Ginkgoales, with its earliest leaf fossils dating back to 270 million years ago in the Permian period, so in the era of the dinosaurs it already existed. The earliest record of the use of the leaves as a medicine is said to be mentioned in the Chinese Materia Medica Shen Nung (which should originate from about 2800 BC) as an aid for blood circulation and the lungs. Nowadays Ginkgo is prescribed in Europe and used by many people in the U.S., Canada and other countries for its medicinal abilities.



Source: Foodfacts.com



Also known as the maidenhair tree, gingko is an herb native to China. Gingko became popular in the 1960's when technology isolated flavinoids as the active ingredient. These essential compounds help protect against free radical damage. To date, approximately 40 flavanoids have been identified in gingko. In addition to its antioxidant properties, gingko is also used to support increased blood flow to the brain.



Source: GNC.com

In nature, glycerin forms the backbone of fat and oil molecules. The body uses it as a source of energy or as a starting material in making more-complex molecules..



In its common liquid form, glycerol is nonpoisonous, colorless, odorless and sweet tasting and has a high viscosity. Glycerine is an important component of fat and vegoil molecules and phospholipids

Serves as humectant, solvent and sweetener, may help preserve foods.

Solvent for flavors (such as vanilla) and food coloring.

Humectant and softening agent in candy, cakes and casings for meats and cheeses.

Manufacture of mono- and di-glycerides for use as emulsifiers.

Used in manufacture of polyglycerol esters going into shortenings and margarine.

Used as filler in low-fat food products (i.e., cookies).

Goldenseal is a native American medicinal plant introduced to early settlers by Cherokee Indians who used it as a wash for skin diseases, wounds, and for sore, inflamed eyes. Its roots are bright yellow, thus the name. Goldenseal root has acquired a considerable reputation as a natural antibiotic and as a remedy for various gastric and genitourinary disorders.

Numerous references to Goldenseal began to appear in medical writings as far back as 1820 as a strong tea for indigestion. Today it is used to treat symptoms of the cold and flu and as an astringent, antibacterial remedy for the mucous membranes of the body.



This popular North American herb grows wild in moist mountainous woodland areas. Goldenseal's long history of use among North Americans flourished after the Civil War as it was an ingredient in many patent medicines. It has been collected to the point of near extinction. Goldenseal supplies are diminishing and most is now wildcrafted, making herbal supplements costly.



Goldenseal is used in many combination formulas and is reported to enhance the potency of other herbs. Preparations have been marketed for the treatment of menstrual disorders, urinary infections, rheumatic and muscular pain and as an antispasmodic.



The active ingredients in Goldenseal are the alkaloids hydrastine and berberine. Similar in action, they destroy many types of bacterial and viral infections. These alkaloids can also reduce gastric inflammation and relieve congestion. Berberine is a bitter that aids digestion and that has a sedative action on the central nervous system.



Goldenseal works wonders in combination with Echinacea particularly at the onset of cold and flu symptoms, especially coughs and sore throats. Goldenseal, Echinacea and Zinc lozenges should be in every medicine cabinet.



Goldenseal is a cure-all type of herb that strengthens the immune system, acts as an antibiotic, has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, potentiates insulin, and cleanses vital organs. It promotes the functioning capacity of the heart, the lymphatic and respiratory system, the liver, the spleen, the pancreas, and the colon.



Taken internally, Goldenseal increases digestive secretions, astringes the mucous membranes that line the gut, and checks inflammation. It also aids digestion by promoting the production of saliva, bile, and other digestive enzymes. In addition it may control heavy menstrual and postpartum bleeding by means of its astringent action.



As a dilute infusion, Goldenseal can be used as an eyewash and as a mouthwash for gum disease, and canker sores. It is also an effective wash or douche for yeast infections. External applications have been used in the treatment of skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, athlete's foot, herpes, and ringworm.



Part Used: Whole root. Available in bulk, capsules, and tincture.



Common Use: Treatment of any infection, inflammation and congestion of lungs, throat and sinuses. Famous for use in treatment of cold and flu. A potent remedy for disorders of the stomach and intestines such as irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, ulcers, and gastritis and internal parasites.



Care: Perennial. Grows best in humid regions with rich humus soil and in shady areas.



Cautions: The use of very large doses can or extended use is not suggested. Not for use during pregnancy or by children under two. Children and older adults should take smaller doses.



Source: http://www.kcweb.com/herb/goldenseal.htm

A thick, sweet liquid made by bees from flower nectar. Contrary to what many people think, a honey's color and flavor does not derive from the bee, but from the nectar's source. In general, the darker the color the stronger the flavor. There are hundreds of different honeys throughout the world, most of them named for the flower from which they originate. The flowers that produce some of America's most popular honeys are clover, orange blossom and sage

Horehound is a bitter perennial herb of the mint family (Lamiaceae) whose leaves and flowering tops are used as flavouring for beverages and candies and as a traditional medicine. Infusions or extracts of horehound in the form of syrups, beverages, or lozenges are popular.



source: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/262606/herb

The licorice plant (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is used as a medicine around the world. It originated in Europe. Now licorice grows all across Eurasia. It has been used for thousands of years to treat the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts with its soothing and coating action and to treat the adrenals. Concerning the mouth and lungs, its demulcent properties soothe sore throats, while its anti-inflammatory actions help with asthma and bronchitis. Recent studies have found licorice has remarkable rejuvenating effects on the cells of the digestive system and liver and may act as a powerful anti-oxidant in the body

Menthol is an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or other mint oils. It is a waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above. The main form of menthol occurring in nature is (-)-menthol, which is assigned the (1R,2S,5R) configuration. Menthol has local anesthetic and counterirritant qualities, and it is widely used to relieve minor throat irritation. Menthol also acts as a weak Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonist.

The parabens are esters of para-hydroxibenzoic acid. The two most common esters are methyl and propyl parabens, which are approved for food use in the United States under the GRAS classification. The maximum concentration allowed is 0.1 %. They are most active against yeasts and molds.



Parabens are white powders with faint odor and fair solubility in water at room temperature. The solubility is greatly increased by heating the water to 160°F-180°F. Methyl paraben is more soluble in water but less effective against molds than propyl paraben. To balance these differences, mixtures of 2 to 3 parts of methyl paraben with 1 part propyl paraben are normally used.



Important advantages of parabens are their effectiveness at higher pH values, from 3 up to 8, and stability to high and low temperatures, even to steam sterilization. Despite these properties, parabens are not as widely used as other antimicrobial agents, probably due to higher cost and flavor objections. Applications include bakery products (formulated without yeast), beverages, flavor extracts, food colors, fruit products, jams, jellies, preserves (artificially sweetened), gelatin, marinated and smoked fish, pickles, salad dressings, syrups, wine and olives.



If preservatives are used in a food, they must be declared in the list of ingredients, along with a short explanation of intended use, such as "preservative", "mold inhibitor", "to retard spoilage".

Potassium is a mineral that is found naturally in foods and is necessary for many normal functions of your body, especially the beating of your heart.



Potassium is important in controlling the activity of your heart, muscles, nervous system, and just about every living cell in your body. Potassium helps activate enzymes for the use of amino acids, and is involved in bone calcification, the conversion of blood sugar into the stored glycogen for energy reserves, muscle contraction & coordination. It plays a role in maintaining the water balance & integrity of your cells. It is important to nerve transmission. It is involved in the transport of choline for acetylcholine synthesis in your brain. Protein & carbohydrate metabolism, glucose breakdown, & glycogen (stored glucose) are all potassium dependent. It is yet to be completely understood its function on the thyroid gland.

Naturaly found in: kelp, fresh & dried fruits and vegetables, rice, wheat bran, potatoes, bananas, orange juice, apricots, nuts, seeds, grains, mushrooms, molasses, and some seafood.

Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid, and is much more soluble in water than the acid. Potassium sorbate will produce sorbic acid once it is dissolved in water and is the most widely used food preservative in the world. It is effective up to pH 6.5 but effectiveness increases as the pH decreases.

Sweetener; humectant, wetting agent, dispersing agent, petroleum based; its glycerin like taste has made it popular for children's medications and other elixirs; used in many topical creams and ointments, cosmetics, hair products and deodorants; has been linked with fatal heart attacks (when given intravenously), central nervous system depression and cosmetic or pharmaceutical contact dermatitis.



What are ethylene glycol and propylene glycol?

Both ethylene glycol and propylene glycol are clear, colorless, slightly syrupy liquids at room temperature. Either compound may exist in air in the vapor form, although propylene glycol must be heated or briskly shaken to produce a vapor. Ethylene glycol is odorless but has a sweet taste. Propylene glycol is practically odorless and tasteless.



Both compounds are used to make antifreeze and de-icing solutions for cars, airplanes, and boats; to make polyester compounds; and as solvents in the paint and plastics industries. Ethylene glycol is also an ingredient in photographic developing solutions, hydraulic brake fluids and in inks used in stamp pads, ballpoint pens, and print shops.









Source: http://www.foodag.com/

Sweetener; humectant, wetting agent, dispersing agent, petroleum based; its glycerin like taste has made it popular for children's medications and other elixirs; used in many topical creams and ointments, cosmetics, hair products and deodorants; has been linked with fatal heart attacks (when given intravenously), central nervous system depression and cosmetic or pharmaceutical contact dermatitis.



What are ethylene glycol and propylene glycol?

Both ethylene glycol and propylene glycol are clear, colorless, slightly syrupy liquids at room temperature. Either compound may exist in air in the vapor form, although propylene glycol must be heated or briskly shaken to produce a vapor. Ethylene glycol is odorless but has a sweet taste. Propylene glycol is practically odorless and tasteless.



Both compounds are used to make antifreeze and de-icing solutions for cars, airplanes, and boats; to make polyester compounds; and as solvents in the paint and plastics industries. Ethylene glycol is also an ingredient in photographic developing solutions, hydraulic brake fluids and in inks used in stamp pads, ballpoint pens, and print shops.









Source: http://www.foodag.com/

Propylparaben, the propyl ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, occurs as a natural substance found in many plants and some insects, although it is manufactured synthetically for use in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and foods. It is a preservative typically found in many water-based cosmetics, such as creams, lotions, shampoos and bath products.

Most would agree that drinking unfiltered tap water could be hazardous to your health because of things like parasites, chlorine, fluoride and dioxins. Many health fanatics, however, are often surprised to hear that drinking purified water on a regular, daily basis is potentially dangerous.

Paavo Airola wrote about the dangers of purified water in the 1970's when it first became a fad with the health food crowd

Purified or reverse osmosis water is free of dissolved minerals and, because of this, has the special property of being able to actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate them. Studies validate the benefits of drinking purified water when one is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods of time (a few weeks at a time). Fasting using purified water can be dangerous because of the rapid loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart beat irregularities and high blood pressure. Cooking foods in purified water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their nutrient value.

The most toxic commercial beverages that people consume (i.e. cola beverages and other soft drinks) are made from purified water. Studies have consistently shown that heavy consumers of soft drinks (with or without sugar) spill huge amounts of calcium, magnesium and other trace minerals into the urine. The more mineral loss, the greater the risk for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and a long list of degenerative diseases generally associated with premature aging.



A growing number of health care practitioners and scientists from around the world have been advocating the theory that aging and disease is the direct result of the accumulation of acid waste products in the body. There is a great deal of scientific documentation that supports such a theory. A poor diet may be partially to blame for the waste accumulation. Meats, sugar, white flour products, fried foods, soft drinks, processed foods, alcohol, dairy products and other junk foods cause the body to become more acidic. Stress, whether mental or physical can lead to acid deposits in the body.



There is a correlation between the consumption of soft water (purified water is extremely soft) and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Cells, tissues and organs do not like to be dipped in acid and will do anything to buffer this acidity including the removal of minerals from the skeleton and the manufacture of bicarbonate in the blood. The longer one drinks purified water, the more likely the development of mineral deficiencies and an acid state. I have done well over 3000 mineral evaluations using a combination of blood, urine and hair tests in my practice. Almost without exception, people who consume purified water exclusively, eventually develop multiple mineral deficiencies. Those who supplement their purified water intake with trace minerals are not as deficient but still not as adequately nourished in minerals as their non-purified water drinking counterparts even after several years of mineral supplementation.



The ideal water for the human body should be slightly alkaline and this requires the presence of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Purified water tends to be acidic and can only be recommended as a way of drawing poisons out of the body. Once this is accomplished, the continued drinking of purified water is a bad idea



Reference

by Zoltan P. Rona MD, MSc

http://watershed.net/purified.htm

Slippery Elm is a valuable tree that has many traditional uses. The inner bark can be ground into a nutrient-rich gruel, off which one can solely survive for a short period.[citation needed] The bark also contains a mucilage that is used as a remedy for sore throats.[citation needed] Sometimes it is dried and ground into a powder beforehand, then made into a tea. Both Slippery Elm gruel and tea are said to[who?] soothe the digestive tract, especially the GI tracts of those with irritable bowel syndrome or gastritis.[citation needed] There are no known contraindications for Slippery Elm.[citation needed] It is also not technically a drug because it comprises mainly mucilage and various nutrients. [4][dead link][citation needed] According to Herbs and Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Guide, "Although Slippery Elm has not been scientifically investigated, the FDA has approved it as a safe demulcent substance."[5]



The bark has also been used historically as an abortifacient, first moistened with water and then inserted into the cervix. This practice became thoroughly regulated by "elm stick laws" in several US states, which forbade selling pieces of slippery elm bark longer than a certain length. Selling whole Slippery Elm bark is banned in several countries including the UK because of its ability to induce an abortion

Salt.

"Please pass the sodium chloride." That's just another way you can request the salt for your baked potato the next time you sit down with your family for dinner.



Most foods and tap water contain sodium and chloride. Sodium is an essential nutrient, a mineral that the body cannot manufacture itself.

Because of sodium's importance to your body, the excretory and nervous systems guard against under-consumption of salt, which is a threat to your body's nerves and muscles. Other ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are also very important. Concentrations of these ions are held in narrow ranges by the kidney.



The association between eating salt and the risk of blood pressure increasing is difficult to quantify. Some people are sensitive to changes in salt intake whereas others can adjust so that blood pressure does not rise at all.



Americans typically consume 4,000-8,000 mg each day, well above their daily needs. A goal for moderation for all adults, (including pregnancy and lactation) is approximately 2,400 mg of sodium per day.

Lactic acid (chemically, alpha or 2-Hydroxypropionic acid) takes roles in metabolic processes in the body; in red blood and in skeletal muscle tissues as a product of glucose and glycogen metabolism. Lactic acid is an "alpha hydroxy acid: which has a hydroxyl group on the carbon atom next to the acid group. If the hydroxy group is on the second carbon next to the acid group, it is called beta-hydroxy acid. Lactic acid is converted in vivo to pyruvic acid (an alpha keto acid) which occurs as an intermediate product in carbohydrate and protein metabolism in the body. Lactic acid occurs as two optical isomers since the central carbon atom is bound to four different groups; a dextro and a levo form ( or an inactive racemic mixture of the two); only the levo form takes part in animal metabolism. Lactic acid is present in sour milk and dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and koumiss, leban, wines. Lactic acid causes tooth decay since lactic acid bacteria operates in the mouth. Although it can be prepared by chemical synthesis, production of lactic acid by fermentation of glucose and other sugar substances in the presence of alkaline such as lime or calcium carbonate is a less expensive method. The six-carbon glucose molecule is broken down to two molecules of the three-carbon compounds (lactic acid), during this anaerobic condition. Synthetic lactic acid is used commercially in tanning leather and dyeing wool; as a flavouring agent and preservative in food processing and carbonated beverages; and as a raw material in making plastics, solvents, inks, and lacquers; as a catalyst in numerous chemical processes. Lactic Acid is available as aqueous solutions of various concentrations, usually 22 - 85 percent (pure lactic acid is a colourless, crystalline substance.)



Zinc is an essential mineral having a role in the maintenance of the body's nervous and immune systems (T-cell function). This mineral is involved in the biochemical reactions as an antioxidant in the healing process and develops normal tissues Zinc is a cofactor in enzymatic reactions such as protein synthesis polymerases and in carbonic acid anhydrase. Zinc maintains the body's alkaline balance. Zinc finger, a structural domain found in many gene-regulatory proteins, is a component of hydrophobic hormones acting stabilizing the biomembrane structures and cell membrane metabolism. Zinc deficiencies may result in prolonged wound healing, delayed sexual maturation, mental lethargy, skin changes, and susceptibility to infections. Gluconate and citrate forms are mainly used as zinc supplements. They are easily absorbed by the body.