MaryRuth’s Liquid Ionic Zinc is a liquid dietary supplement that provides zinc in ionic form, meaning that zinc is found as ions in the solution. While science may not yet completely understand the absorption pathway of zinc in humans, intestinal zinc absorption is mainly mediated by the ZIP4 transporter to import ionic zinc into intestinal cells called enterocytes. Zinc sulfate is considered GRAS by the FDA, and it was chosen for our product because it has a high reported absorption rate at 71% (compared, for example, to zinc citrate at 61.3%, zinc gluconate at 60.9% or zinc oxide at 49.9%). Please do not hesitate to let me know of any additional questions or if you need further assistance.

The organic glycerin is sourced from mustard seed. 

The Glycerin (also called Glycerol or Glycerine) in this product acts as a carrier, or base liquid, that our Zinc is suspended in, and was chosen for a couple of reasons. As a producer of vegan supplements, Glycerin is a great option for us because it can be sourced from vegan ingredients; the Glycerin in this product is derived from mustard seed. Not only is Glycerin a natural preservative, but it’s also a natural sweetener, which helps mitigate the strong mineral-y taste of the Zinc, making our Liquid Zinc supplement more palatable.

This product is recommended for kids ages 4 to 13 years old, and the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) as established by The Institute of Medicine with the Food and Nutrition Board for Zinc are 5 mg and 8 mg for 4 to 8 and 9 to 13 year olds respectively. The “Tolerable Upper Intake Levels” (ULs) for those age brackets range from 12-23 mg Zinc. The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA)’s Daily Value (DV) takes both of these numbers into consideration to establish their DV for consistency across Supplement Fact Panels (SFPs) that you’ll find on our products and any other supplement on the market. That being said, the FDA’s DV for Zinc for ages 4 and up (grouping 4-13 years with adults) is 11 mg, which is double the amount of our serving of 5.5 mg. We opted to make our product 50% the DV to be closer to the Food and Nutrition Board’s RDAs. Since this supplement is in liquid form, you may choose to adjust the dosage depending on your child’s needs to easily intake more or less of the liquid. In order to make the best health decisions possible for your little one, we recommend speaking with your pediatrician, physician, or healthcare professional to best determine what is best for your child.