The Risks of Taking Zinc Supplements

More people are jumping on board the supplement bandwagon and taking zinc supplements these days – but too much of a good thing isn’t always better. Taking zinc supplements can potentially cause serious problems and even lead to a deficiency in another element needed by the body – copper. Unfortunately, few people are aware of this problem. What are the health risks of taking zinc supplements?

What is Zinc and Why Do You Need It?

There’s little doubt that zinc is important. It’s involved in hundreds of different reactions in the human body and when a person doesn’t get enough, it can lead to problems such as poor growth, delayed sexual development, decreased immunity, poor wound healing, and decreased fertility. Low zinc levels can also affect sperm counts in men and hormone levels in women.

Do Most People Get Enough Zinc in Their Diet?

Most experts believe that the average person gets enough zinc in their diet as long as they eat a relatively healthy diet and aren’t malnourished. Two groups of people who are more prone to zinc deficiencies are vegetarians and the elderly. The best sources of zinc are animal sources including meats of all types. Many whole grains have respectable amounts of zinc, but it’s not as readily absorbed as zinc from animal sources – which is why vegetarians are often deficient in zinc. Elderly people have more difficulty absorbing zinc and mild zinc deficiencies are also common in this population.

What are the Risks of Taking Zinc Supplements?

The major concern with taking zinc supplements is that too much can lead to a copper deficiency. As is often the case, when you get too much of one nutrient it has an impact on another. Such is the case with zinc and copper. When a person takes excessive amounts of zinc through supplements, it decreases the absorption of copper which can lead to anemia, decreased immunity, hair loss, fatigue, abnormal heart rhythms, and reduced thyroid function. There have been cases of copper deficiencies resulting from heavy use of denture creams that contain zinc. It doesn’t take high doses of zinc supplements to cause a copper deficiency – as little as three times the RDA can do it.

Who Should Take a Zinc Supplement?

Most people should not take zinc supplements because of the risk of copper deficiency. Vegetarians should consider taking zinc, but should use a multi-vitamin that has zinc in it to avoid getting too much. A multi-vitamin also has B12 which many vegetarians need – since B12 is only found in meat and dairy products. Elderly people should also consider taking a multi-vitamin with zinc – although they should choose one without iron unless they’re known to have an iron deficiency.

The bottom line? Zinc is important, but too much can be a problem. Don’t overdo it with the zinc supplements. Get your zinc through diet instead.

References:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8353362
The Nutritionist. Robert Wildman, PhD, RD. 2002