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Long term Zinc supplementation

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
Hi,
I am currently taking ~45mg of Zinc on a daily basis, I find it useful and I also tested positive for HPL and Kryptopyrroles so I could have an extra reason to supplement.

The only concern is... how long can zinc be taken at 3-4x the RDA?

I have started zinc in July, after a couple of months I have done a blood test and found Zinc at the top of the range (no wonder) and copper slightly below the minimum. I think copper was low even before taking zinc, it's always been low in my hair analyses since 2010.

The high zinc in the serum also doesn't tell me much, because I didn't stop it before the blood test, so I was expecting it to be high.

To avoid going low on copper I am taking 2mg of Cu + other minerals from a supplement called PicMins by Thorne.

Zinc (as Zinc Picolinate) 15mg / 100%
Selenium (as Selenomethionine) 100mcg / 143%
Manganese (as Manganese Picolinate) 2.5mg / 125%
Chromium (as Chromium Chelidamate Arginate) 100mcg / 83%
Molybdenum (as Molybdenum Picolinate) 50mcg / 67%
Boron (as Boron Picolinate) 700mcg / *
Vanadium (as Vanadium Picolinate) 50mcg / *

Any suggestions?
Is there any concern to be taken into account for long term zinc supplementation?

thanks
 

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,092
Zinc (as Zinc Picolinate) 15mg / 100%
Selenium (as Selenomethionine) 100mcg / 143%
Manganese (as Manganese Picolinate) 2.5mg / 125%
Chromium (as Chromium Chelidamate Arginate) 100mcg / 83%
Molybdenum (as Molybdenum Picolinate) 50mcg / 67%
Boron (as Boron Picolinate) 700mcg / *
Vanadium (as Vanadium Picolinate) 50mcg / *
It seems like a well-balanced supplement. I will probably order it :thumbsup:
Just as a parameter of comparison, I replenished my magnesium deficiency after 5-6 weeks of aggressive supplementation. Now I take none. You may try taking just the multimin at this point.

Edit: oops no copper, no deal :thumbdown:
 
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Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,092
Have you heard about the Polident lawsuits?
My toothpaste is magnesium based, and now I add calcium carbonate powder to it since my teeth don't feel smooth if I only use the toothpaste.

Yep, a zinc (magnesium) based toothpaste can be poisonous in the low term...
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
Have you heard about the Polident lawsuits?
No. I looked it up and found this:

Studies estimate that denture wearers who use Super Polygrip or other similar denture cream products may be exposed to 330 mg of zinc daily, while the recommended daily allowance is only 8mg for women and 11 mg for men. The National Academy of Science has indicated that the largest tolerable zinc intake is 40 mg.

300+mg is an awful lot of zinc! :wide-eyed:
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
It seems like a well-balanced supplement. I will probably order it :thumbsup:
Just as a parameter of comparison, I replenished my magnesium deficiency after 5-6 week of aggressive supplementation. Now I take none. You my try taking just the multimin at this point.
Good point. The problem is the elevated HPL (380, max range 250 marker of Pyroluria... which is supposed to bind the zinc at a greater rate.

I am not sure if there's a good way to quantify the zinc that goes out. Maybe via urine test?
 

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,092
I can't take anything with glycine. I do have copper gluconate at home, but it didn't work when I added it to my multimin (felt toxic). But a multimin including wel-balanced Zn/Cu works wonders.
The problem is the elevated HPL (380, max range 250 marker of Pyroluria... which is supposed to bind the zinc at a greater rate.
Did you tested HPL recently?
Maybe via urine test?
If it is availble, I find urine tells a lot.
 

drob31

Senior Member
Messages
1,487
The question is, are you taking 45 mg's of elemental zinc, or just 45 mg's of a zinc compound? Because 45 mg's of a compound depends on the compound itself but may only be like 10 mg's of elemental zinc.
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
The question is, are you taking 45 mg's of elemental zinc, or just 45 mg's of a zinc compound? Because 45 mg's of a compound depends on the compound itself but may only be like 10 mg's of elemental zinc.
I am referring to the amount of elemental zinc, yes.
 
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PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
What about if you already got enough Zn?
Exactly... problem is there doesn't seem a reliable way to measure it.
Serum levels may not be significative. Typically people with Pyroluria have increased need for Zinc and in general I do well on at least 30mg of elemental zinc. I stopped taking it for nearly 3 weeks in October and I noticed the slow reappearance of several symptoms which have faded away again after restarting the supplements.

At the same time the whole Pyroluria business seems a little bit fuzzy in terms of evidence... so I am keeping an open mind and watching the symptoms.

Probably it would be best to check the amount of zinc (and B6) in the urine after stopping the supplements for some time. That at least should tell me if I am tossing it away at a fast rate.
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
Or HPL would show low ;)
Hmm... that's not supposed to change with extra Zinc, unless the first test was a false positive... which I never heard of. Usually you can get a false negative. HPL can show up high during periods of stress, but I wasn't stressed at all when I checked.

Also high HPL is connected with leaky gut which I definitely have and it's not improving :( If the two are linked it's unlikely HPL will show any lower.
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
People with macular degeneration take a lot of zinc for the rest of their life. The last I heard, it was 70 mg of zinc oxide/day. Zinc oxide is hard on the digestive system and poorly absorbed. I take something that is easier on the digestive system and better absorbed. I use hair mineral testing to keep the zinc in average range and hope that is OK for my eyes.

I am taking 30 mg of zinc as L-monomethionine, 2 mg of copper as gluconate in with the zinc, and 2 mg of copper as citrate per day. I am trying to raise low copper. I have read that the zinc/copper ratio should be 15:1 or 8:1. My body does not seem to find the 15:1 in my OptiZinc enough.
 

SwanRonson

Senior Member
Messages
300
Location
Alabama
I've been taking this Zinc-Carnosine (one per meal / skip dinner dose). That gives 16mg of elemental zinc per day and the carnosine formulation is good for the stomach lining. It can actually heal ulcers comparably to Prilosec over the same number of weeks.
 

leela

Senior Member
Messages
3,290
Apologies for not having read this whole thread, but does anyone else get nausea and diarrhea from zinc supplementation?
Maybe I started to too high at about 35-40mg ionic zinc liquid (as sulfate).
I have high copper already, and the supp does have a couple mgs of copper in it.

It doesn't seem to matter if I take it with or without food--still get the nausea.

Any suggestions?
 

SwanRonson

Senior Member
Messages
300
Location
Alabama