The Study
EDTA disodium zinc has superior bioavailability compared to common inorganic or chelated zinc compounds in rats fed a high phytic acid diet.
This is like doing a small test on some lab rats to see which type of zinc works best. It shows that one type of zinc seemed to work better than others for these rats, but we can't be sure it would work the same way for people.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Scientists fed rats different kinds of zinc with a substance that makes zinc hard to absorb.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 59 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This is in rats, not humans, so it might not be the same for people.
- 2Rats got one type of zinc (EDTA disodium) grew better and had more zinc in their blood and bones than rats with other zinc types.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements
Year
2012
Authors
J. Bertinato, L. Sherrard, L. Plouffe
Related Content
Claims (4)
When male rats eat a diet high in phytic acid (which makes it hard for their bodies to absorb zinc), giving them a special type of zinc called EDTA disodium zinc helps their bodies use the zinc better than other zinc types. This leads to better growth and more zinc in their blood and bones.
When male rats eat food low in zinc and also get phytic acid added, it makes their zinc levels drop even more compared to rats that don't get the extra phytic acid.
Different types of zinc supplements work about the same in male rats eating a diet high in phytic acid, because they grew similarly and had similar zinc levels in their bodies.
Different zinc lozenges let your body absorb zinc differently. Some, like zinc acetate, let you use all the zinc, while others don't let you use any at all.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.