LAZU Virocin becomes now five times more bioavailable than standard quercetin supplements
LAZU, a health and nutrition brand, based in Kapiti Coast, New Zealand has filed a final update to its patent application for its novel zinc ionophore supplement, LAZU Virocin.
According to the company CEO, Richard Eltherington, zinc is an essential mineral in the body, and it works in every cell and plays an incredibly important role in supporting immune function. However, the concentration of zinc within our cells is tightly controlled and regulated. To be truly effective, zinc needs help from a special transporter molecule called a ’zinc ionophore’. Quercetin, a natural compound found in onion and cocoa, is the ideal compound to transport zinc in the cell where it can increase the cellular concentration and support immune function.
Eltherington said, “We chose quercetin because, once it transports zinc into the cell, it then releases the zinc where it can be used in several biochemical processes. There was another potential natural zinc ionophore from green tea called EGCG, but scientific research suggests that this compound had difficultly releasing zinc once it had entered the cell, rendering that zinc mostly ineffective.
“Our biggest problem with quercetin, however,” Eltherington said, “was that quercetin; while being an excellent transporter of zinc, was poorly absorbed by the body. You would need to consume around 5 grams of quercetin to ensure enough was absorbed and for it to function as an effective zinc ionophore. Our patent addresses this issue by improving the absorption of quercetin. We call this patent pending technology, Enhanced Bioavailability and Absorption Technology or EBAT.”
With the addition of the new and updated patent pending absorption technology, LAZU Virocin becomes now five times more bioavailable than standard quercetin supplements meaning that LAZU Virocin is an effective zinc ionophore with a single dose.
Taking standard zinc supplements is fine, Eltherington said, but this tends to only increase serum zinc levels within the blood, after which, the zinc is either excreted, or in some cases, the excess zinc accumulates in the tissues, without entering the cells, and that can lead to other problems.
