⁣How does Zinc help your body, is 50mg of Zinc too much and should you take Zinc supplements?

#zinc #zincsupplements #zincsulfate

What is Zinc?
Zinc is an essential trace element, which means that the body cannot generate it on its own or store it; it has to come from your diet.

Dietary Sources of Zinc:
• Chicken and other poultry.
• Seafood, particularly shellfish like oysters, crab, mussels and lobster.
• Nuts.
• Grains, beans, lentils and split peas.
• Spinach.
• Dairy products - milk, yoghurt, cheese.
• Fortified breakfast cereal.
• Red meat

Symptoms of Zinc Deficiency:
• Losing weight.
• Not feeling hungry.
• Diarrhoea.
• Having no energy.
• Being more prone to infections, such as colds, coughs and chest infections.
• Losing your hair.
• Skin rashes.
• Problems with eyesight, taste or smell.
• Impotence.
Symptoms in children and adolescents:
• Halting of growth.
• Delayed puberty.
Development of learning difficulty.

Causes of Zinc Deficiency:
• Malnourishment
• Being Vegetarian or Vegan
• Pregnancy & breastfeeding
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Crohn's Disease
• Coeliac Disease
• Chronic diarrhoea
• Alcohol addiction
• Chronic liver or kidney disease
• Taking high dose iron supplements
• Acrodermatitis enteropathica

Medications that interact with Zinc:
• Penicillamine
• Thiazide diuretics eg Bendrofluazide
• Quinolone and tetracycline antibiotics eg Ciprofloxacin or Doxycycline
Please discuss your medications with your pharmacist if you are unsure.

Zinc Supplement side effects:
• Headaches.
• An unpleasant taste.
• Tummy ache.
• Feeling sick (nausea), or being sick (vomiting).
• Diarrhoea.
• Indigestion.
• Tiredness.
Never take more than the recommended amount, due to the risks of excess zinc.

Cautions of Zinc Supplementation:
• Zinc may accumulate in Acute Kidney Disease
• Those with Haemochromatosis may absorb larger amounts of zinc.
• Excess zinc supplementation can interfere with iron and copper absorption.
• It can also reduce magnesium and calcium absorption.

Medical References & Papers:
1. The accuracy of the Zinc Taste Test method. J Altern Complement Med 2012 Jun;18(6):541-50. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22784341/
2. Zinc for the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Apr; 2015(4): CD001364. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6457799/
3. The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2019 Mar; 9(1): 51–70. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/

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