HOUSTON—A little nip and tuck may go a long way but researchers are discovering more and more how nutraceuticals and the world of “plastics", i.e., Botox, plastic surgery, work synergistically for enhanced effects and reduced recovery time. According a recent study at The Methodist Hospital, taking a dietary supplement of organic zinc and the enzyme phytase four days prior to receiving botulinum toxin injections (Botox®, Dysport®, or Myobloc®) injections boosted the toxin’s effectiveness in 93 percent of patients tested.
Charles Soparkar M.D., Ph.D., an oculoplastic surgeon at The Methodist Hospital, is releasing a patent-pending dietary supplement combining zinc and phytase (ZYTAZE™), which will be available to patients as early as September, as a result of his research. A total of 41 of the 44 patients who took the oral supplements prior to botulinum toxin showed improved results. Many of the patients in the study were being treated for a rare form of eyelid spasm called blepharospasm and had previously responded poorly to botulinum toxin injections.
The effects of dietary zinc supplementation on botulinum toxin treatments will be presented by Soparkar at the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery’s 41st Annual Fall Scientific Symposium on Oct. 14 in Chicago.
“Surprisingly, the results showed in more than 90 percent of the patients studied, the zinc/phytase combination improved responsiveness to treatment of blepharospasm using the same amount of botulinum toxin as previously used," said Soparkar. "The toxins seemed to have greater effect and last longer. Potentially, this could mean using fewer toxins, offering patients financial savings, greater safety and more consistent results."
In a modified double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study BTX injections were compared with either 50 mg of zinc citrate plus 3,000 PU of phytase and 10 mg of zinc gluconate or placebo supplementation in individuals being treated for blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm and cosmetic wrinkles. Duration of effect was compared to each participant's established pre-study treatment interval, and efficacy was participant-graded using participants’ experience prior to study inclusion as a baseline. Descriptive statistical analysis determined mean duration and effect rating for each supplementation group, and 95 percent confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to determine statistical significance.