Life Extension Peppermint Flavored Enhanced Zinc Lozenges 30 Count

What Enhanced Zinc Lozenges are

Life Extension Enhanced Zinc Lozenges are peppermint-flavored vegetarian lozenges sold in a bottle of 30, each one supplying 18.75 mg of zinc as zinc acetate. The front of the bottle labels the product a dietary supplement and carries both a gluten-free mark and a Non-GMO LE Certified mark. It is a single-mineral product rather than a multi-ingredient blend: zinc is the only nutrient listed on the Supplement Facts panel, and everything else on the label is there to form the lozenge and flavor it.

A lozenge is a different format from a capsule or a tablet, and that difference is most of the reason to pick one. It is made to be held in the mouth and dissolved slowly rather than swallowed whole with water, which is why the peppermint flavoring matters more here than it would on a coated pill and why the lozenge is built on a sugar base. It sits in our supplements range alongside the capsule and tablet formats.

What is inside

The active ingredient is zinc, an essential trace mineral that the human body cannot make or store in large amounts, so it has to come from food or supplements. It occurs naturally in oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts and whole grains. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements consumer fact sheet on zinc gives general background on the mineral, including how much adults typically get from an ordinary diet and the upper intake levels it describes.

The specific form used here is zinc acetate, the acetate salt of zinc. Supplement makers choose between several zinc salts — gluconate, citrate, picolinate, sulfate and acetate among them — and the choice affects how the mineral behaves in a lozenge and how it tastes. At 18.75 mg per lozenge, one serving is listed on the panel at 170% of the Daily Value for zinc, so this is a concentrated single-nutrient product rather than the small maintenance dose you would find in a daily multivitamin.

The other ingredients are printed on the back of the bottle as dextrose, peppermint flavor, stearic acid, vegetable stearate and silica. Dextrose is a simple sugar and is what accounts for the 4 g of added sugars and the 20 calories the panel declares per lozenge — it is the body of the lozenge, the part that actually dissolves in your mouth. Peppermint flavor is what you taste. Stearic acid and vegetable stearate are fatty-acid based processing aids that keep the mix flowing evenly through a tablet press, and silica is an anti-caking agent that stops fine powders clumping together. There is no gelatin in the list, which is consistent with the "vegetarian lozenges" wording on the front of the bottle.

If you want to compare this formula against other labels on the market, the NIH maintains a public Dietary Supplement Label Database of transcribed supplement panels.

Supplement Facts

† % Daily Value is based on a 2,000 calorie diet, as printed on the label. Transcribed from the bottle's own Supplement Facts panel.

How to use it

The serving size printed on the panel is one vegetarian lozenge. Lozenges are made to dissolve slowly in the mouth rather than be chewed or swallowed whole, which is what separates them from a tablet of the same mineral. Follow the dosing schedule printed on the bottle in front of you, and speak to a pharmacist or doctor about how much supplemental zinc is appropriate for you before you start — at 170% of the Daily Value per lozenge the amount adds up quickly, particularly if you already take a multivitamin that contains zinc.

Storage is printed on the back of the bottle in one line: store tightly closed in a cool, dry place. Two printed facts set the arithmetic for the bottle — 30 lozenges on the front, one lozenge per serving on the panel — so a bottle holds 30 servings.

Who it is for

This is a general adult dietary supplement, not a targeted or gendered product. It suits an adult who wants zinc in a mint lozenge instead of a capsule — people who dislike swallowing pills, people who want the option of taking one without a glass of water, and people who simply prefer the taste. Anyone who is pregnant, nursing, under 18, taking prescription medication or managing a health condition should speak to a healthcare professional first rather than self-selecting a mineral at this strength. The NIH's consumer guide to dietary supplements is a reasonable starting point if you are new to buying them.

Good to know

• It contains sugar. Each lozenge declares 5 g of total carbohydrates, 4 g of which are added sugars from the dextrose base, and 20 calories. That is worth knowing if you are counting sugar or carbohydrates.
• Zinc has documented interactions. The NIH fact sheet linked above sets out how zinc interacts with certain antibiotics and with other minerals, including copper. Your pharmacist can check that list against what you actually take.
• Keep it out of reach of children. A mint-flavored lozenge looks like a sweet, and this one is a concentrated mineral supplement.
• Dietary marks. The front label carries a gluten-free mark and a Non-GMO LE Certified mark, and the lozenges are described on the pack as vegetarian.
• Questions for the manufacturer. The bottle prints a line for product information and adverse-event reporting: 1-866-280-2852. Regulatory background on how supplements are overseen in the United States is available from the FDA's consumer page on dietary supplements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much zinc is in one lozenge?

Each lozenge contains 18.75 mg of zinc supplied as zinc acetate, which the label lists as 170% of the Daily Value. The bottle holds 30 lozenges and the serving size is one lozenge, so there are 30 servings in a bottle.

Do I chew these or swallow them?

Neither — a lozenge is made to dissolve slowly in the mouth, which is the point of the format and the reason it is flavored with peppermint. Check the directions printed on your own bottle for the schedule the manufacturer specifies.

Are these vegetarian and gluten free?

Yes on both counts according to the packaging: the front of the bottle carries a gluten-free mark and describes the product as 30 vegetarian lozenges. The other-ingredients line contains no gelatin — the processing aids are stearic acid and vegetable stearate, and the base is dextrose.

Do the lozenges contain sugar?

Yes. The Supplement Facts panel declares 20 calories, 5 g of total carbohydrates and 4 g of added sugars per lozenge, all of it from the dextrose that forms the body of the lozenge.

How is the order packaged for delivery?

Orders ship in plain, unbranded outer packaging with no product imagery or description of the contents on the outside. The bottle itself arrives sealed as supplied by the manufacturer.

Product information compiled and reviewed by the Gear Isle product team. We transcribe supplement facts directly from manufacturer packaging. Found an error? Tell us.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Dietary supplement for adults 18 and over. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before use, especially if you have a medical condition, heart concerns, or take prescription medication (including nitrates). Keep out of reach of children.