Because zinc is one of the most important elements that contribute to optimal health, and supplementation is recommended to replenish a possible deficit, scientists have developed a molecular sensor that can reveal the amount of zinc in cells.

The work conducted at Imperial College London and Eindhoven University of Technology in The Netherlands marks the first time a mechanism for measuring the concentration of zinc and its location in cells is available for health practitioners.

“This sort of information will help us to see what is going on inside different tissues,” says Professor Guy Rutter, one of the authors of the study from the Division of Medicine at Imperial College London.

“We hope this new sensor will help researchers learn more about diseases [that may be related to the amount of zinc in the body] and potentially identify new ways of treating them,” he adds.

Zinc plays an important biological function, including contributions to muscle and brain health, and it helps store insulin in pancreas cells, a process which is often defective in people with type 2 diabetes.

Those who are concerned about possible zinc or other antioxidant deficit may turn to nutritional supplements.