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Zinc is an essential trace element commonly found in red meat, poultry, and fish. It is necessary in small amounts for human health, growth, and sense of taste.
Zinc is found throughout the body. The body doesn't store excess zinc, so it must be obtained from the diet. It's needed for immune function, wound healing, blood clotting, thyroid function, and much more. It also plays a key role in maintaining vision and might have effects against viruses.
People commonly use zinc for zinc deficiency, diarrhea, and Wilson disease. Zinc is also used for acne, diabetes, anorexia, burns, and many other purposes. There is some scientific evidence to support its use for some of these conditions. But for most, there is no good scientific evidence to support its use. There is also no good evidence to support using zinc for COVID-19.
- Zinc deficiency.  Orally or intravenously, zinc is effective for treating and preventing zinc deficiency.
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- Diarrhea.  Oral zinc reduces duration and severity of acute diarrhea in malnourished children. Doses of 5-20 mg seem to be effective, while 5-10 mg daily is less likely to cause vomiting.
Login for details - Wilson disease.  Taking zinc orally improves symptoms of this condition.
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- Acne.  Orally, zinc might help to reduce symptoms of acne, however it's unclear how it compares to conventional acne treatments. Topical zinc doesn't seem to be beneficial if used alone.
Login for details - Acrodermatitis enteropathica.  Oral zinc seems to improve symptoms of this rare genetic disorder.
Login for details - Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).  Oral zinc, especially in combination with antioxidant vitamins, seems to slow the progression of AMD.
Login for details - Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  Adding oral zinc to stimulant therapy might improve certain symptoms or allow for a lower dose of stimulant therapy in children with ADHD.
Login for details - Common cold.  Oral zinc seems to help treat cold symptoms in adults. However, it is unclear if zinc is beneficial for common cold prevention.
Login for details - Depression.  Oral zinc seems to be beneficial when used in combination with antidepressant treatments.
Login for details - Diabetes.  Oral zinc might modestly improve glycemic control in some patients.
Login for details - Diaper rash.  Topical and oral zinc seem to reduce the incidence and severity of diaper rash in infants.
Login for details - Gingivitis.  Topical zinc seems to reduce the development of gingivitis.
Login for details - Halitosis.  Oral zinc seems to reduce halitosis when taken as a gum, mouth rinse, or candy.
Login for details - Herpes labialis (cold sores).  Topical zinc seems to reduce the severity and duration of cold sores.
Login for details - Hypogeusia.  Oral zinc might improve taste disturbance and taste acuity in people with hypogeusia of various etiologies.
Login for details - Leishmania lesions.  Oral zinc and intralesional injections of zinc might improve healing of these lesions.
Login for details - Leprosy.  Oral zinc seems to be beneficial when used in combination with anti-leprosy drugs.
Login for details - Peptic ulcers.  Oral zinc seems to treat and prevent peptic ulcers.
Login for details - Pneumonia.  Oral zinc might prevent pneumonia in children, but it doesn't seem to improve symptoms in children that already have pneumonia.
Login for details - Pressure ulcers.  Topical zinc paste seems to work as a skin barrier and improve pressure ulcer healing. Oral zinc with vitamin C and arginine might also improve healing.
Login for details - Sickle cell disease.  Oral zinc seems to improve symptoms of sickle cell disease in patients with zinc deficiency.
Login for details - Venous leg ulcers.  Topical zinc used in wound dressings seems to improve healing of leg ulcers. However, oral zinc does not seem to help.
Login for details - Warts.  Oral and topical zinc seem to improve the cure rate for warts of various types.
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- Alopecia areata.  Oral zinc does not seem to improve symptoms of this condition.
Login for details - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).  Oral zinc does not seem to speed recovery from COVID-19 in non-hospitalized patients.
Login for details - Cystic fibrosis.  Oral zinc does not improve cystic fibrosis symptoms or progression.
Login for details - HIV/AIDS.  Oral zinc does not seem to improve outcomes in patients with HIV.
Login for details - HIV/AIDS-related pregnancy complications.  Oral zinc does not prevent pregnancy complications related to HIV infection.
Login for details - HIV/AIDS-related wasting.  Oral zinc does not improve AIDS diarrhea-wasting syndrome.
Login for details - Infant development.  Oral zinc does not seem to improve infant mental and psychomotor development.
Login for details - Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).  Oral zinc does not improve symptoms of IBD.
Login for details - Influenza.  Oral zinc does not seem to reduce the risk for influenza.
Login for details - Otitis media.  Oral zinc does not prevent otitis media in children.
Login for details - Pre-eclampsia.  Oral zinc taken prenatally does not seem to be beneficial for pre-eclampsia prevention.
Login for details - Preterm labor.  Taking oral zinc prenatally does not seem to reduce the risk of preterm labor.
Login for details - Prostate cancer.  Oral zinc does not reduce the risk for prostate cancer or prostate cancer-related mortality.
Login for details - Psoriasis.  Oral zinc does not reduce the severity of psoriasis symptoms.
Login for details - Psoriatic arthritis.  Oral zinc does not improve psoriatic arthritis symptoms.
Login for details - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).  Oral zinc does not treat symptoms of RA.
Login for details - Rosacea.  Oral zinc does not improve symptoms of rosacea or quality of life.
Login for details - Sexual dysfunction.  Oral zinc does not improve sexual function in men with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Login for details - Tinnitus.  Oral zinc does not improve severity of tinnitus or reduce tinnitus-related disability.
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- Malaria.  Oral zinc does not prevent or treat malaria in undernourished children in developing countries.
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- Alcohol-related liver disease.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in patients with alcoholic-related liver cirrhosis.
Login for details - Anorexia nervosa.  Oral zinc seems to improve weight gain in people with anorexia nervosa.
Login for details - Arsenic poisoning.  Oral zinc has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
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- Atopic dermatitis (eczema).  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial for alleviating eczema in children.
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- Beta-thalassemia.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in patients with beta-thalassemia major.
Login for details - Brain tumor.  It is unclear if dietary zinc is beneficial for reducing the risk for brain cancer.
Login for details - Bronchiolitis.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial for viral bronchiolitis in infants and children.
Login for details - Burning mouth syndrome.  Topical zinc has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Burns.  Intravenous zinc has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Canker sores.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in patients with canker sores.
Login for details - Cataracts.  Oral zinc has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Chemotherapy-related fatigue.  It is unclear if oral zinc improves symptoms in patients with fatigue due to chemotherapy.
Login for details - Cirrhosis.  It is unclear if zinc is beneficial for reducing cirrhosis-related mortality.
Login for details - Colorectal adenoma.  Oral zinc has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Colorectal cancer.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial for reducing colorectal cancer risk.
Login for details - Dementia. Login for details
- Diabetic foot ulcers. Login for details
- Diabetic neuropathy.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in patients with diabetic neuropathy.
Login for details - Down syndrome.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial for improving immune function in people with this condition.
Login for details - Epilepsy.  There is limited evidence on the oral use of zinc in children with intractable seizures.
Login for details - Esophageal cancer.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial for esophageal cancer prevention.
Login for details - Fatigue.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial for reducing fatigue in older individuals.
Login for details - Fecal incontinence.  Topical zinc has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Gastric cancer.  It is unclear if dietary zinc is beneficial for gastric cancer prevention.
Login for details - Head and neck cancer.  It is unclear if oral zinc improves survival in patients with head and neck cancers.
Login for details - Hepatic encephalopathy.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial for reducing the severity of hepatic encephalopathy or preventing recurrence.
Login for details - HIV/AIDS-related diarrhea.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial for preventing diarrhea in adult HIV patients.
Login for details - HIV/AIDS-related opportunistic infections.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in opportunistic infections in patients with HIV/AIDs.
Login for details - Hypertension.  It is unclear if oral zinc reduces blood pressure in normotensive or hypertensive patients.
Login for details - Impaired glucose tolerance (prediabetes).  Small clinical studies suggest that oral zinc may improve glycemic control in patients with prediabetes.
Login for details - Intestinal parasite infection.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in patients with intestinal parasitic infections.
Login for details - Leukemia.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial for improving weight maintenance in children and adolescents with leukemia.
Login for details - Low birth weight.  Taking oral zinc during pregnancy does not seem to reduce the risk of having a low birth weight infant. However, oral zinc supplementation in low birth weight infants may improve outcomes.
Login for details - Male infertility.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial for infertility in males.
Login for details - Melasma.  It is unclear if topical zinc reduces melasma severity.
Login for details - Migraine headache.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in patients with migraine.
Login for details - Myocardial infarction (MI).  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in patients with MI.
Login for details - Nasopharyngeal cancer.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in patients with this type of cancer.
Login for details - Neonatal jaundice.  There is limited evidence on the oral use of zinc in idiopathic neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
Login for details - Neurological trauma.  There is limited evidence on the parenteral use of zinc in closed head injury.
Login for details - Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in patients with NAFLD.
Login for details - Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial for non-Hodgkin lymphoma prevention.
Login for details - Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).  It is unclear if oral zinc reduces symptoms in patients with OCD.
Login for details - Oral mucositis.  It is unclear if oral zinc prevents oral mucositis due to chemotherapy. Some small clinical studies suggest that oral zinc might prevent mucositis due to radiotherapy.
Login for details - Osteoporosis.  Oral zinc has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Pharyngitis.  There is limited evidence on the oral use of zinc for reducing the risk of postoperative sore throat.
Login for details - Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in patients with PCOS.
Login for details - Prematurity.  Small clinical studies suggest that oral zinc improves development and growth in premature infants.
Login for details - Premenstrual syndrome (PMS).  It is unclear if oral zinc improves symptoms in patients with PMS.
Login for details - Prostatitis.  It is unclear if oral zinc improves symptoms in men with chronic prostatitis.
Login for details - Pruritus.  There is limited evidence on the oral use of zinc for reducing pruritis in hemodialysis patients.
Login for details - Respiratory tract infections.  It is unclear if oral zinc reduces respiratory tract infections in children.
Login for details - Seizures.  It is unclear if oral zinc reduces recurrent febrile seizures in children.
Login for details - Sepsis.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in sepsis of the newborn.
Login for details - Shigellosis.  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in patients with acute shigellosis from food poisoning.
Login for details - Urinary tract infections (UTIs).  It is unclear if oral zinc is beneficial in children with UTI.
Login for details - Wound healing.  Topical zinc might be beneficial for the healing of uncomplicated wounds.
Login for details - Wrinkled skin.  Topical zinc has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
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When taken by mouth: Zinc is likely safe when used in amounts no greater than 40 mg daily. It is possibly safe when taken in larger doses, especially when used only for a short period of time. But taking doses higher than 40 mg daily might decrease how much copper the body absorbs. Taking very high doses of zinc is likely unsafe and might cause stomach pain, vomiting, and many other problems. Single doses of 10-30 grams of zinc can be fatal.
When applied to the skin: Zinc is likely safe. Using zinc on broken skin may cause burning, stinging, itching, and tingling.
When inhaled: Zinc is possibly unsafe when inhaled through the nose. It might cause permanent loss of smell. Avoid using nose sprays containing zinc.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy: Zinc is likely safe when used in the recommended amounts while pregnant. But it is likely unsafe when used in high doses. Those over 18 should not take more than 40 mg of zinc daily, and those 14-18 years old should not take more than 34 mg daily while pregnant.Breast-feeding: Zinc is likely safe when used in the recommended amounts while breast-feeding. But zinc is possibly unsafe when used in high doses. Those over 18 years old should not take more than 40 mg of zinc daily, and those 14-18 years old should not take more than 34 mg daily while breast-feeding.
Children: Zinc is likely safe when taken by mouth appropriately in recommended amounts. Daily doses of zinc should not exceed 4 mg daily in infants 0-6 months old, 5 mg daily in infants 7-12 months old, 7 mg daily in children 1-3 years old, 12 mg daily in children 4-8 years old, 23 mg daily in children 9-13 years old, and 34 mg daily in those 14-18 years old.
Alcohol use disorder: Long-term, excessive alcohol drinking may reduce the body's ability to absorb zinc.
Surgery for weight-loss (bariatric surgery): Bariatric surgery reduces the absorption of zinc and might increase the risk for zinc deficiency. Zinc levels may need to be monitored.
Kidney disease: Low zinc in the diet increases the risk of getting kidney disease. Also, people with kidney disease on hemodialysis are at risk for zinc deficiency and might require zinc supplements.
Vegetarianism: Vegetarian diets are often linked with lower zinc absorption. But the body adapts over time. It becomes better at absorbing zinc and reducing zinc loss.
Amiloride (Midamor)
Interaction Rating=Minor Be watchful with this combination.
Amiloride (Midamor) is used as a "water pill" to help remove excess water from the body. Another effect of amiloride (Midamor) is that it can increase the amount of zinc in the body. Taking zinc supplements with amiloride (Midamor) might cause you to have too much zinc in your body.
Antibiotics (Quinolone antibiotics)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Zinc might decrease how much antibiotic the body absorbs. Taking zinc along with some antibiotics might decrease the effectiveness of some antibiotics. 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).
Antibiotics (Tetracycline antibiotics)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Zinc can attach to tetracyclines in the stomach. This decreases the amount of tetracyclines that can be absorbed. Taking zinc with tetracyclines might decrease the effectiveness of tetracyclines. To avoid this interaction take zinc 2 hours before or 4 hours after taking tetracyclines.
Some tetracyclines include demeclocycline (Declomycin), minocycline (Minocin), and tetracycline (Achromycin).
Cisplatin (Platinol-AQ)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Cisplatin (Platinol-AQ) is used to treat cancer. Taking zinc along with EDTA and cisplatin (Platinol-AQ) might increase the effects and side effects of cisplatin (Platinol-AQ).
Penicillamine
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Penicillamine is used for Wilson's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Zinc might decrease how much penicillamine your body absorbs and decrease the effectiveness of penicillamine.
Beta-carotene: High doses of zinc can lower beta-carotene blood levels.
Bromelain: Zinc might reduce the effects of bromelain. But this isn't likely to be a big concern.
Calcium: Calcium supplements might decrease how much zinc the body absorbs from food. This usually doesn't seem to be much of a problem. But this interaction can be avoided by taking calcium supplements at bedtime instead of with meals.
Chromium: Taking chromium and zinc together can reduce the absorption of both chromium and zinc. This is probably not a big concern with usual doses of zinc and chromium.
Coffee: Taking zinc with coffee can reduce how much zinc the body absorbs.
Copper: Large amounts of zinc can reduce copper absorption. Taking zinc in high doses can cause copper deficiency and anemia. Some signs of copper deficiency have also occurred in people taking zinc in doses of 150 mg daily or more for 2 years.
EDTA: EDTA is a chemical compound that is given to people to remove excess metals from the body, especially lead. Repeated high doses of EDTA, as used in chelation treatment, can reduce blood zinc levels by up to 40%. People receiving chelation therapy should be monitored for zinc deficiency.
Folic acid: Folic acid supplements can change the absorption of zinc from food. But normal supplemental doses of folic acid are not likely to affect zinc levels in people with adequate dietary zinc intake.
IP-6 (Phytic acid): Phytic acid found naturally in foods can bind zinc and reduce how much is absorbed by the body. Avoid IP-6 supplements, which contain phytic acid, if you have other risk factors for zinc deficiency.
Iron: Iron and zinc can interfere with each other's absorption. To avoid this effect, take these supplements with food.
Magnesium: High doses of zinc supplements (142 mg/day), or high zinc intake from foods (53mg/day), seems to decrease magnesium levels. But it isn't clear if this is a big concern.
Manganese: Research suggests zinc supplements can increase the amount of manganese absorbed from supplements.
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): Research suggests riboflavin can improve zinc absorption. The importance of this isn't known.
Vitamin A: Zinc supplements can increase blood levels of vitamin A. Zinc might increase the effects and side effects of vitamin A.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D is involved in zinc absorption, but it's not clear whether vitamin D improves zinc absorption.
There are no known interactions with foods.
Zinc is an essential nutrient found in foods such as red meat, poultry, and fish. The amount that should be consumed on a daily basis is called the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). For females 18 years of age the RDA is 9 mg, and for females 19 years and older the RDA is 8 mg. For males 18 years and older the RDA is 11 mg. While pregnant, the RDA is 13 mg in those 18 years of age and 11 mg in those 19 years and older. While breast-feeding, the RDA is 17 mg in those 18 years of age and 12 mg in those 19 years and older. In children, the RDA depends on age.
Zinc is also available in supplements, lotions, gels, ointments, mouth rinses, and many other products. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what type of product and dose might be best for a specific condition.
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