Are zinc supplements worth taking?

The bottom line

Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a key role in multiple aspects of your health. Supplementing with 15–30 mg of elemental zinc daily may improve immunity, blood sugar levels, and eye, heart, and skin health.

Is it OK to take a zinc supplement daily?

The National Institutes of Health considers 40 mg of zinc a day to be the upper limit dose for adults and 4 mg of zinc a day for infants under age 6 months.

What happens if you take zinc daily?

Yes, if you get too much. Signs of too much zinc include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and headaches. When people take too much zinc for a long time, they sometimes have problems such as low copper levels, lower immunity, and low levels of HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol).

Who should not take zinc?

Medications that may interfere with zinc include: blood pressure medications, penicillamine, amiloride, certain antibiotics, ACE inhibitors, cisplatin, immunosuppressant medications, deferoxamine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and thiazide diuretics.

Can zinc cause blood clots?

There is a lot of evidence linking zinc to blood clotting. Zinc is released from cells called platelets that control blood clotting, and scientists have found unwanted blood clots can form when zinc levels in the blood are faulty.

Should I Take ZINC Supplements? Benefits

Can you take zinc and vitamin D together?

No interactions were found between Vitamin D3 and Zinc.

Can you take vitamin C and zinc together?

In pooled analyses of both studies (n=94), vitamin C plus zinc was significantly more efficient than placebo at reducing rhinorrhoea over 5 days of treatment. Furthermore, symptom relief was quicker and the product was well tolerated.

Can too much zinc raise your blood pressure?

Conclusions: Excessive Zn intake may be a factor to elevate systemic BP levels in a normotensive state presumably through the oxidative stress caused by superoxide.

What are the symptoms of too much zinc?

Adverse effects of high zinc intake include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and headaches. Intakes of 150–450 mg of zinc per day have been associated with such chronic effects as low copper status, altered iron function and reduced immune function.

When should I take zinc morning or night?

Zinc supplement, if taken at night will be beneficial for the body in multiple ways. Zinc is involved in the production of at least 300 enzymes, helps in hundreds of body processes, from producing DNA to repairing cells and boosting immune system.

Is zinc good for your heart?

Zinc, an essential micronutrient, affects the heart by modulating cardiomyocyte oxidative stress and maintaining myocardial structure, among other mechanisms. In cross-sectional studies, patients with heart failure have often had zinc deficiencies, suggesting effects on the ongoing pathogenesis of heart failure.

How much zinc should a 65 year old woman take?

The daily intake recommended by several reviews for people aged more than 70 are 11 mg for males and 8 mg for women with 40 mg being the top tolerable dosage (56, 59). Nine European reports indicate needs of Zn that range from 7 to 14 mg in males and 4.9–9 mg in women (60).

Can zinc make me gain weight?

Getting extra zinc in your diet isn't likely to cause weight gain if you are already getting the recommended amount, although some studies have shown beneficial effects on weight gain in people who are zinc deficient.

Should you take all your vitamins at once?

You can—but it's probably not a good idea. For some supplements, optimal absorption can depend on the time of day taken. Not only that—taking certain vitamins, minerals, or other supplements together can also reduce absorption and may result in adverse interactions, which can be harmful to your health.

What vitamins should not be taken together?

Does zinc help with belly fat?

In agreement with the present study, Payahoo et al. [16] showed that daily administration of 30 mg zinc gluconate for 1 month reduced body weight, BMI and waist circumferences in the healthy obese adults.

What does zinc do for a woman body?

Zinc is needed for DNA synthesis, immune function, metabolism and growth. It may reduce inflammation and your risk of some age-related diseases. Most people meet the RDI of 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women through diet, but older adults and people with diseases that inhibit zinc absorption may need to supplement.

How much zinc should a female take daily?

Dosing. Zinc is an essential nutrient found in foods such as red meat, poultry, and fish. The amount that should be consumed on a daily basis is called the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). For females 18 years of age the RDA is 9 mg, and for females 19 years and older the RDA is 8 mg.

Do older people need zinc?

All senior citizens should take a dietary supplement that includes the full recommended daily allowance for zinc, which is 11 milligrams for men and 8 milligrams for women, Ho recommended. Dietary sources of zinc include seafood and meat.

Is 30 mg of zinc a day too much?

Health authorities have set the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for zinc at 40 mg daily for adults. The UL is the highest recommended daily amount of a nutrient. For most people, this amount is unlikely to cause negative side effects ( 1 , 2).

Should elderly people take zinc supplements?

Ensuring adequate zinc consumption by older adults could have a significant impact on reducing the incidence of infection, according to a study co-authored by a School of Public Health researcher.

Can zinc cause heart attacks?

It appears to have protective effects in coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy. Intracellular zinc plays a critical role in the redox signaling pathway, whereby certain triggers such as ischemia and infarction lead to release of zinc from proteins and cause myocardial damage.

Can zinc damage the heart?

Several animal and human studies have shown that zinc is associated with cellular damage and cardiac dysfunction.

Can zinc affect blood pressure meds?

Do not take zinc supplements if you take amiloride. Blood pressure medications, ACE Inhibitors -- A class of medications called ACE inhibitors, used to treat high blood pressure, may decrease the levels of zinc in your blood.

What is the best form of zinc to take?