Are All Zinc Supplements Equally Beneficial?

Are All Zinc Supplements Equally Beneficial?

One of the interesting facts about zinc is that the standard American diet usually supplies enough of this element, but the amount in the diet is frequently not well absorbed. Absorption is also an issue with nutritional supplements.

In North America, most of Latin America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, the median daily intake of zinc is about 9 mg for women and 14 mg for men. Nutritional scientists estimate that the average woman needs about 8 mg a day (on average) and the average man needs about 13 mg. Since beef is a good source of this trace mineral, you can at least get your requirements even if you frequently dine at McDonald's, Whataburger, and Jack in the Box. Other zinc-rich foods include lamb, liver, most nuts and seeds (especially pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, alfalfa, celery seed mustard seed, and wheat germ), and whole grains.

Whether your body will absorb the amount it needs from the standard American diet to take advantage of zinc benefits is another matter. Diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, and other, rarer conditions all interfere with the absorption of this nutrient. Sometimes supplementation is necessary.

What supplement makers won't tell you is that, the more easily the zinc compound is absorbed, the more of the compound they have to put in the supplement.

Picolinate is better absorbed than gluconate. Gluconate is better absorbed than citrate. Citrate is better absorbed than carbonate.

But when you take, for example, picolinate, you are taking the picolinate along with the zinc. The more helpful the chemical entity combined with the target nutrient is for absorption, the more it weighs. That's why you need to be very sure that you are looking at elemental zinc content on the label. However, the better this metal is absorbed, the more variably it is absorbed, too, so you'll need to take your supplement for at least a few weeks to be assured of repletion.

Don't take your supplement after eating whole grain cereals, whole grain bread, or a high-fiber meal. Your body can't absorb zinc or other trace minerals effectively when whole grains are in your digestive tract with them. Also, try to take zinc in combination with appropriate (small) doses of other trace minerals, most importantly, at least 1 mg of copper a day.

Read about Zinc Deficiency Symptoms and What to Do About Them.

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