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How much zinc is needed for colds?
One review of seven studies showed that zinc lozenges containing 80-92 mg of zinc may reduce common cold duration by up to 33% ( 10. Trusted Source. ). Zinc may also act as an antioxidant, helping reduce inflammation and protecting against chronic conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes ( 11.
How much zinc is in 220 mg?
For example, zinc sulfate consists of about 23% elemental zinc, so 220 mg of zinc sulfate would equate to about 50 mg of zinc ( 27 ).
What is zinc gluconate used for?
Here are a few you might find on the market: Zinc gluconate: As one of the most common over-the-counter forms of zinc, zinc gluconate is often used in cold remedies, such as lozenges and nasal sprays ( 2 ). ).
What is the best zinc for colds?
Here are a few you might find on the market: 1 Zinc gluconate: As one of the most common over-the-counter forms of zinc, zinc gluconate is often used in cold remedies, such as lozenges and nasal sprays ( 2 ). 2 Zinc acetate: Like zinc gluconate, zinc acetate is often added to cold lozenges to reduce symptoms and speed up the rate of recovery ( 3#N#Trusted Source#N#). 3 Zinc sulfate: In addition to helping prevent zinc deficiency, zinc sulfate has been shown to reduce the severity of acne ( 4#N#Trusted Source#N#). 4 Zinc picolinate: Some research suggests that your body may absorb this form better than other types of zinc, including zinc gluconate and zinc citrate ( 5#N#Trusted Source#N#). 5 Zinc orotate: This form is bound to orotic acid and one of the most common types of zinc supplements on the market ( 6 ). 6 Zinc citrate: One study showed that this type of zinc supplement is as well-absorbed as zinc gluconate but has a less bitter, more appealing taste ( 7#N#Trusted Source#N#).
What is zinc used for?
Zinc is well known for its role in blood sugar control and insulin secretion. Insulin is the hormone responsible for transporting sugar from your bloodstream to your tissues ( 14#N#Trusted Source#N#).
Why is zinc important for health?
Many over-the-counter medications and natural remedies feature zinc due to its ability to boost immune function and fight inflammation.
What foods are rich in zinc?
Plus, if you want to try and increase your zinc intake through your diet, many foods are rich in this mineral, such as nuts, seeds, legumes, meat, seafood, and dairy.
How long after zinc can you take antibiotics?
Taking the antibiotic two hours before or four to six hours after taking zinc can minimize this effect. Penicillamine. Using oral zinc with the rheumatoid arthritis drug penicillamine (Cuprimine, Depen) can reduce the drug's ability to ease arthritis symptoms.
Why is zinc important for the body?
Zinc is also important to wound healing and your sense of taste and smell.
What blood pressure medication increases the amount of zinc lost in urine?
Thiazide diuretics. These blood pressure drugs increase the amount of zinc lost in urine.
What is zinc oxide cream?
Zinc that's used topically is known as zinc oxide. Zinc oxide cream, ointment or paste is applied to the skin to prevent conditions such as diaper rash and sunburn.
Can zinc help with diarrhea?
Oral zinc supplements can reduce the symptoms of diarrhea in children with low levels of zinc, such as from malnutrition. There isn't enough evidence to recommend use of oral zinc for children with diarrhea who have a healthy, varied diet. Age-related macular degeneration.
Does zinc help with colds?
People use oral zinc to help treat colds, but it can decrease the effectiveness of certain drugs and cause side effects.
Can you use zinc intranasal?
Don't use intranasal zinc. This form of zinc has been linked with the loss of the sense of smell.
How long after taking zinc can you take quinolone?
Quinolone or tetracycline antibiotics should be taken 1 hour before or 4 to 6 hours after taking zinc. Zinc can reduce the absorption and action of penicillamine. Zinc supplements should be taken at least 2 hours before or after taking penicillamine. Thiazide diuretics increase urinary zinc excretion by as much as 60%.
Can thiazide deplete zinc?
Prolonged use of thiazide diuretics could deplete zinc tissue levels, so healthcare providers should monitor zinc status in patients taking these medications. Frequent monitoring of zinc blood levels is recommended for TPN patients receiving more than the usual maintenance dosage level of zinc.
How much sulfate is in a day?
Adult and teenage females—12 mg per day.
Can you change your dose of a medicine?
The following information includes only the average doses of these medicines. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
Can you take zinc supplements twice a day?
Do not double doses. If you miss taking zinc supplements for one or more days there is no cause for concern, since it takes some time for your body to become seriously low in zinc. However, if your health care professional has recommended that you take zinc, try to remember to take it as directed every day.
How much zinc is needed for cellular metabolism?
It takes just 11 milligrams of zinc to maintain its optimal role in your cellular metabolism. Image Credit: rodrigobark/iStock/GettyImages. It takes just 11 milligrams of zinc to maintain its optimal role in your cellular metabolism, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.
What percentage of zinc is in skin?
Hospitals often use zinc to accelerate healing for burns, skin ulcers and other skin conditions. Your skin holds about 6 percent of your body's zinc.
How long does it take for zinc to taste good?
The more deficient you are, the less metal you'll taste. If you're good on zinc, the flavor will hit you with an immediate strong taste. If it takes you a few seconds to a few minutes to notice the metallic flavor, you're mildly to moderately zinc deficient.
Why is zinc important for pregnancy?
Present in virtually every cell in the human body, zinc helps protect and mobilize sperm so it can fertilize an egg, and is vital in healthy growth and development during every stage of pregnancy. A deficiency of zinc in childhood results in stunted growth, and puberty is delayed in adolescents short on the substance.
Why is zinc malabsorbed?
Digestive issues can also cause zinc to be malabsorbed by the body. Leaky gut, low stomach acidity and other stomach woes can cause zinc to pass through your system with less-than-optimal uptake into your system.
How do you know if you have zinc deficiency?
Symptoms of zinc deficiency include diarrhea, insomnia, and frequent colds and flu. You might feel itchy, mentally foggy or moody. Food might start to taste bland, and you might start spending more time on the couch binging Netflix, due to low energy.
Why does my body burn zinc?
Chronic stress is another culprit that causes your body to burn through its zinc supply more quickly than usual. Exposure to toxins like heavy metals in vehicle emissions, pesticides or even zinc-leaching copper in city water supplies can drain your body and trigger it to need even more.
What Are the Benefits of Taking Zinc?
Zinc starts helping the body even before birth. Thanks to zinc’s role in aiding cells growth and division, it’s important to get adequate zinc intake during times of rapid growth (think pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence). [2]
How Much Zinc Should You Take Daily?
As mentioned earlier, zinc is a trace mineral, meaning you only need a small amount in your diet everyday to meet your daily requirements. So, exactly how much zinc should you take a day? Experts say that the amount of daily zinc you need (measured in milligrams) depends on your age and life stage, with the following recommendations. [8]
What Are the Different Types of Zinc Supplements?
Concerned about your zinc status? Whether you want to maintain adequate zinc levels or your doctor has diagnosed significant zinc loss or a zinc deficiency and prescribed zinc supplementation, several options are available.
How long after taking antibiotics can you take zinc?
To avoid this interaction take zinc supplements at least 1 hour after antibiotics. Some of these antibiotics that might interact with zinc include ciprofloxacin (Cipro), enoxacin (Penetrex), norfloxacin (Chibroxin, Noroxin), sparfloxacin (Zagam), trovafloxacin (Trovan), and grepafloxacin (Raxar).
What are the effects of zinc deficiency?
Zinc is used for the treatment and prevention of zinc deficiency and its consequences, including stunted growth and acute diarrhea in children, slow wound healing, and Wilson's disease.
Why is zinc considered an essential trace element?
It is called an "essential trace element" because very small amounts of zinc are necessary for human health. Since the human body does not store excess zinc, it must be consumed regularly as part of the diet. Common dietary sources of zinc include red meat, poultry, and fish.
What is the role of zinc in the body?
Zinc plays a key role in maintaining vision, and it is present in high concentrations in the eye.
Why is zinc important for infants?
Giving zinc to underweight infants in developing countries seems to decrease the risk of death, prevent certain complications, and improve mental ability. Giving zinc supplements to low birth weight infants in industrialized countries also seems to help prevent some complications and death.
How to treat warts with zinc?
Warts. Applying a zinc ointment appears to be as effective as conventional treatments for curing warts. Taking zinc sulfate by mouth also appears to help.
What foods have zinc in them?
It is found in several systems and biological reactions, and it is needed for immune function, wound healing, blood clotting, thyroid function, and much more. Meats, seafood, dairy products, nuts, legumes, and whole grains offer relatively high levels of zinc.
How much zinc should I take for an elderly person?
An analysis of NHANES III data found that 35%–45% of adults aged 60 years or older had zinc intakes below the estimated average requirement of 6.8 mg/day for elderly females and 9.4 mg/day for elderly males . When the investigators considered intakes from both food and dietary supplements, they found that 20%–25% of older adults still had inadequate zinc intakes [22].
How much zinc should an infant take?
Breast milk provides sufficient zinc (2 mg/day) for the first 4–6 months of life but does not provide recommended amounts of zinc for infants aged 7–12 months, who need 3 mg/day [ 2, 34 ].
Why do alcoholics have low zinc levels?
Approximately 30%–50% of alcoholics have low zinc status because ethanol consumption decreases intestinal absorption of zinc and increases urinary zinc excretion [ 45 ]. In addition, the variety and amount of food consumed by many alcoholics is limited, leading to inadequate zinc intake [ 2, 46, 47, 48 ].
What is the DRI for zinc?
DRI is the general term for a set of reference values used for planning and assessing nutrient intakes of healthy people . These values, which vary by age and gender [ 2 ], include the following:
What is zinc used for?
Zinc is involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism. It is required for the catalytic activity of approximately 100 enzymes [1,2] and it plays a role in immune function [3,4], protein synthesis [4], wound healing [5], DNA synthesis [2,4], and cell division [4]. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence [6-8] and is required for proper sense of taste and smell [9]. A daily intake of zinc is required to maintain a steady state because the body has no specialized zinc storage system [10].
What foods contain zinc?
Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food , but red meat and poultry provide the majority of zinc in the American diet . Other good food sources include beans, nuts, certain types of seafood (such as crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products [ 2, 11 ].
How much zinc is in cereal?
Breakfast cereal, fortified with 25% of the DV for zinc, 1 serving
Overview
Deficiency
- Much of what is known about severe zinc deficiency was derived from the study of individuals born with acrodermatitis enteropathica, a genetic disorder resulting from the impaired uptake and transport of zinc. The symptoms of severe zinc deficiency include the slowing or cessation of growth and development, delayed sexual maturation, characteristic skin rashes, chronic and severe diarrhea, immune system deficiencies, impaired woun…
- While the average U.S. diet provides adequate zinc for most men and women, symptomatic zinc deficiency does sometimes occur in the U.S. Unlike for many of the other minerals, however, the beef-rich diet of many Americans (averaging about 1 pound of beef per week) tends to provide zinc in good supply. Not only beef, but other animal meats, provide us with substantial amounts of zinc, including grass-fed lamb and pasture-raised turkey. Perhap…
- Symptoms of zinc deficiency include poor growth and delayed sexual maturation in children, poor wound healing, hair loss, impaired immune function, and dermatitis—especially around body orifices (3).
Medical Uses
- Use of zinc sulfate may provide benefit to patients with uremic pruritus based on 2 studies assessed in the 2016 updated Cochrane systematic review of pharmacological interventions for pruritus in adult palliative care. Each of the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials enrolled 40 patients suffering from uremic pruritus. Zinc sulfate 220 mg was administered twice daily for 8 weeks in one study and once daily for 4 weeks in the second. …
- Zinc is used to galvanize iron to inhibit corrosion. Zinc forms many alloys with other metals such as brass, German silver, nickel silver, typewriter metal and solders. Zinc alloys are used in die-castings for the car industry. The metal acts as both the container and as an electrode in zinc-carbon batteries. The drawback of this dual use is that the electrode is consumed when the battery is in use, getting thinner until eventually the battery starts lea…
- Intranasal zinc preparations, designed to be applied directly to the nasal epithelium (cells lining the nasal passages), are also marketed as over-the-counter cold remedies. While two placebo-controlled trials found that intranasal zinc gluconate modestly shortened the duration of cold symptoms (69, 70), three other placebo-controlled studies found intranasal zinc to be of no benefit (71-73). In the most rigorously controlled of these stu…
- The construction, transport and appliance manufacturing industries use large amounts of zinc, mainly as anti-corrosion coatings (galvanising) on sheet steel, steel beams, vehicle panels, chain-link fencing, guard rails and light posts. World-wide, galvanising accounts for about half of the world’s total consumption of zinc. The widespread use of zinc as a protective coating is mainly because of its resistance to weathering as a consequen…
Properties
- As a reactant, zinc forms different colors as well. For example, blue copper chloride solution turns reddish when a zinc strip is added. Also, zinc produces green crystals when it is in silicate form.
- Pure zinc is a bluish-white, shiny metal which is resistant to corrosion.Zinc has never been found naturally in its pure form. It can be alloyed (mixed) with a number of other metals. Zinc is brittle at ordinary temperatures but is malleable and ductile (can be beaten and drawn into a wire) when heated to 1000°C. Zinc has a relatively low melting point and is a good electrical conductor. About 30% of zinc used in the Western World comes from recyc…
- Zinc is a bluish-white, lustrous metal. It is brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable at 100 to 150°C. It is a fair conductor of electricity, and burns in air at high red heat with evolution of white clouds of the oxide.It exhibits superplasticity. Neither zinc nor zirconium is ferromagnetic; but ZrZn2 exhibits ferromagnetism at temperatures below 35°K. It has unusual electrical, thermal, optical, and solid-state properties that have not been fully investig…
- Zinc is a shiny bluish grey metal. When it has just been cut, zinc has a whitish-grey color. If it is exposed to air, it will not stay shiny for long. Its melting point is at (419.58 °C (787.24 °F)) and boiling point is (907.0 °C (1,664.6 °F)). This temperature is lower than most transition metals but higher than tin or lead. It can be melted on a cooking stove. It boils at a low temperature for a metal. It is not magnetic. When heated a little, it becomes ver…
Toxicity
- Typical daily doses range widely from 12 to 150 mg daily as free zinc or up to 220 mg as zinc sulfate. Avoid high-dose, long-term zinc supplementation.
- Intranasal zinc is known to cause a loss of the sense of smell (anosmia) in laboratory animals (100), and there have been several case reports of individuals who developed anosmia after using intranasal zinc gluconate (75). Since zinc-associated anosmia may be irreversible, zinc nasal gels and sprays should be avoided.
- The major risk associated with excessive zinc intake is that you will crowd out the ability to absorb other important minerals. In particular, high zinc intakes impair absorption of copper, a nutrient we already struggle to obtain from our diets. Reduced copper absorption, in turn, can lead to anemia and a resulting fatigue.Fortunately, it appears that all the published cases of excessive zinc intake involve either a nutritional supplement or a relate…
History
- Ancient use
Various isolated examples of the use of impure zinc in ancient times have been discovered. Zinc ores were used to make the zinc–copper alloy brass thousands of years prior to the discovery of zinc as a separate element. Judean brass from the 14th to 10th centuries BC contains 23% - Early studies and naming
Zinc was distinctly recognized as a metal under the designation of Yasada or Jasada in the medical Lexicon ascribed to the Hindu king Madanapala and written about the year 1374. Smelting and extraction of impure zinc by reducing calamine with wool and other organic substances was...
- The 2013 update of this article was underwritten, in part, by a grant from Bayer Consumer Care AG, Basel, Switzerland.
- Zinc (Zn) was used in Rome and China more than 2000 years ago as a component of brass which is a zinc-copper alloy. The Romans and Chinese smelted zinc ores such as calamine (zinc carbonate) with copper to produce brass, used for coins, containers, armour and jewellery. They did not actually realise that zinc was a metal. The Romans also used calamine for healing wounds. Pure zinc was probably first produced in India and China in the …
- From the German word Zink, of obscure origin. Centuries before zinc was recognized as a distinct element, zinc ores were used for making brass. An alloy containing 87 percent zinc has been found in prehistoric ruins in Transylvania.Metallic zinc was produced in the 13th century A.D. India by reducing calamine with organic substances such as wool. The metal was rediscovered in Europe by Marggraf in 1746. He demonstrated that zin…
Discovery
- Zinc ores have been used to make brass (a mixture of copper and zinc) and other alloys since ancient times. A zinc alloy comprising 87.5% zinc was discovered in an ancient site in Transylvania. Zinc smelting began in the 12th century in India by reducing calamine (zinc carbonate, ZnCO3) with wool and other organic materials. The element name is reported to come from the old German word ‘zinke’ meaning pointed; a reference to the sharp p…
- The discovery of zinc traces to the Romans during the time of Augustus, between 20 B.C. and 14 A.D., which is the earliest dating of brass. Zinc ore is used to make brass and other compounds. However, zinc was recognized as a unique metal in 12th-century India. European discovery of zinc as a separate metal occurred in the 16th century, when zinc smelting processes were developed.
- Humans have been using zinc for thousands of years; the element was used extensively in India in particular. Around the 1500s, it began to be imported into Europe, where it was a costly and unusual metal. Allegedly, zinc was named by Paracelsus, after the German zinke, jagged, to describe the way it behaved in a furnace. By the 1700s, several European scientists had managed to isolate the element; there is some dispute over who did it fir…
Safety
- Trials evaluating the efficacy of zinc versus placebo or a comparator drug are likely to have methodological issues related to blinding, as the taste of the zinc preparation is difficult to mask. Therefore, subjective outcomes are likely to be affected by bias.9, 10, 11...
- Isolated outbreaks of acute zinc toxicity have occurred as a result of the consumption of food or beverages contaminated with zinc released from galvanized containers. Signs of acute zinc toxicity are abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Single doses of 225 to 450 mg of zinc usually induce vomiting. Milder gastrointestinal distress has been reported at doses of 50 to 150 mg/day of supplemental zinc. Metal fume feve…
- Pure zinc metal is not toxic, but the element should be handled cautiously in some circumstances. The fumes can be toxic for people who work with the metal while it's heated, and free ions can be very dangerous. It is important to wear proper protection when smelting and heating metals in general to reduce exposure to toxic fumes. People who are exposed to too much zinc may have difficulty taking in necessary dietary minerals, as the metal can blo…
- Large amounts of zinc metal are toxic. It can dissolve in stomach acid. When too much zinc is eaten, copper and iron levels go down in the body. Zinc compounds can be corrosive in the stomach. Zinc compounds put in the nose can ruin the sense of smell.Zinc ions are very toxic to fish and many things that live in water.
Isotopes
- There are five stable isotopes of zinc, these include zinc-64, zinc-66, zinc-67, zinc68 and zinc-70. The most abundant natural isotope is zinc-64, which has an abundance of 48.63% . It has a half life of around 4.3×1018 year, which is so high that it is considered almost stable. There are several dozen radioactive isotopes of zinc.
- Naturally occurring zinc contains five stable isotopes. Sixteen other unstable isotopes are recognized.
Side Effects
- The most common adverse reactions of oral zinc are nausea, bad taste, diarrhea, vomiting, mouth irritation, and, rarely, mouth sores. Nasal and throat irritation may occur with the zinc spray. There have been case reports of apparent zinc-induced copper deficiency, immune system dysfunction, and myeloneuropathy. An increase in genitourinary symptoms and prostate cancer has been related to zinc supplementation.
- It has been estimated that 82% of pregnant women worldwide are likely to have inadequate zinc intakes. Poor maternal zinc nutritional status has been associated with a number of adverse outcomes of pregnancy, including low birth weight, premature delivery, labor and delivery complications, and congenital anomalies (59). However, results of maternal zinc supplementation trials in the US and developing countries have been mixed (31). Althou…