- Absorbed in Small Intestine (jejunum)
- Functions
- Avoid intranasal zinc (risk of permanent Loss of Smell)
- Supplementation
- Gastrointestinal effects
- Metallic Taste
- Nausea or Vomiting
- Abdominal cramping
- Diarrhea
- Genitourinary effects
- Miscellaneous effects
- Decreased HDL Cholesterol
- Supplementation (aside from Zinc Deficiency)
- Dietary Zinc Sources
- Human Breast Milk
- Meats
- Shellfish
- Chickpeas
- Cashews
- Pumpkin seeds
- Medications
- Zinc Acetate: 25 mg (7.5 mg elemental zinc), 50 mg (15 mg elemental zinc)
- Zinc Gluconate: 50 mg (7 mg elemental zinc), 100 mg (14 mg elemental zinc)
- Zinc Sulfate: 110 mg (25 mg elemental zinc), 220 mg (50 mg elemental zinc)
- Zinc Oxide: 100 mg (80 mg elemental zinc)
- Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
- See Zinc Deficiency for dosing
- Age 0-6 months: 2 mg elemental zinc
- Age 7-36 months: 3 mg elemental zinc
- Age 4-8: 5 mg elemental zinc
- Age 9-13: 8 mg elemental zinc
- Age 14 and older: 11 mg (men) or 8 mg (women) elemental zinc
- Pregnancy and Lactation: 11-12 mg elemental zinc
- Supplementation Possible Benefits (Aside from Zinc Deficiency)
-
Pediatric Diarrhea
- Zinc 5-20 mg orally daily
- Lukacik (2008) Pediatrics 121(2): 326-36 [PubMed]
- Macular Degeneration (protection from oxidative stress)
-
Pediatric Pneumonia
- Zinc supplementation associated with decreased mortality, shorter hospitalizations and fewer treatment failures
- Greatest benefit appears to be in developing countries where Zinc Deficiency occurs frequently (30% of world population)
- Basnet (2012) Pediatrics 129(4): 701-8 [PubMed]
- Srinivasan (2012) BMC Med 10: 14 [PubMed]
- Pregnancy
- Zinc (25 mg) in Prenatal Vitamins
- Effects
- Increased birth weight and Head Circumference
- Resulted in birth at later Gestational age
- Resulted in shorter hospital stay
- Greatest benefit in thin women
- Goldenberg (1995) JAMA 274:463-8 [PubMed]
- Supplementation Disproven Benefits
- Wound Healing
-
Upper Respiratory Infection
- No consistent benefit with zinc preparations
- Turner (2000) Clin Infect Dis 31:1202-8 [PubMed]
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (unless significant Zinc Deficiency)
- Acne Vulgaris