Optimal Zinc Levels: The Key to Human Health, According to Researchers

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered that zinc plays a vital role in cell growth and proliferation. Using genetically encoded fluorescent sensors, the researchers found that when zinc levels are too low or too high, cell proliferation stops until zinc levels return to an acceptable range. They also observed a "zinc pulse" right after a cell divides, where there is a transient increase in zinc that lasts for about an hour. Understanding the cellular mechanisms of zinc and its importance in cell function could have implications for human nutrition and disease.