Not sure how long a course of zinc supplements should last? Here’s a summary, by health issue, of the durations and doses required for effective supplementation.
Zinc is an essential trace element thought to be involved in more than 300 different enzymatic reactions. In particular, it plays a role in:
Zinc cannot be produced by the body and must therefore be provided by our diet. Oysters, wheatgerm, beef, and sesame and pumpkin seeds are among the best sources.
The recommended daily intake for zinc is around 11mg-12mg for men and 8mg-10mg for women (which corresponds to the amount in our zinc supplement Advanced Zinc Lozenges, suckable lozenges which provide 10mg of elemental zinc a day, and which should be taken for 2-3 months to boost your levels).
Consuming lower than recommended amounts of zinc can quickly lead to zinc deficiency.
Note too, that certain nutritional factors reduce the absorption of zinc (including phytates in whole grains and pulses), which can put vegetarians and vegans at even greater risk of deficiency. More rarely, abnormally low zinc levels (hypozincaemia) are associated with liver disease or genetic diseases (acrodermatitis enteropathica) (7).
A lack of zinc typically manifests in one or more of the following symptoms: loss of appetite, impaired taste and smell, patchy hair loss, brittle nails, fatigue, increased irritability, rashes, slower wound-healing and greater susceptibility to infections (repeated colds,...) (8).
In the case of suspected deficiency, doctors can order blood and urine tests to confirm the diagnosis and initiate oral zinc supplementation, normally at a level of 5mg-45mg of elemental zinc a day. With regular medical supervision, up to 50mg of elemental zinc a day can be recommended for severe deficiency associated with absorption problems linked to IBS or Crohn’s disease (9). Supplementation should continue until normal zinc levels are restored.
In a study of children with acute upper respiratory infections, faster recovery was observed in those given supplements of 30mg of elemental zinc a day during the infectious period (for a maximum of 7 days) compared with a placebo group (10). Short-term, high-dose supplementation such as this may therefore be considered as providing potential benefits in fighting infection.
In another study, adult subjects suffering from a cold and given 80mg of elemental zinc a day for 4-5 days showed a reduction in the duration and severity of their symptoms (11). Note that in this case, the very high dose was mitigated by the short duration and was being medically supervised. It would help if you kept to normally recommended doses to avoid accumulating excess zinc (which can interfere with the absorption of copper).
It’s also worth noting that significantly low blood levels of zinc have been observed in women prone to vaginal candidiasis, and thus women affected by this problem may want to consider taking a course of zinc supplements (12).
Several studies have found reductions in zinc concentrations in tissues and/or impaired zinc metabolism in patients with various liver conditions, especially those with alcoholic hepatitis.
While medical advice is critical in such circumstances, several studies have highlighted the benefits of long-term supplementation in this context, with a daily intake of at least 50mg of elemental zinc for a minimum of 3-6 months, or at least until serum levels normalize (13-14).
Zinc plays an important role in the strength and appearance of the hair, by, amongst others, promoting keratin production (15). So to regain a strong and resilient head of hair, you may want to consider supplementing with zinc.
It’s also worth mentioning here a study of people suffering from alopecia (alopecia areata). Administration of 50mg of zinc gluconate a day (that’s around 7mg of elemental zinc) for 3 months showed positive effects in 9 of the 15 subjects treated, ie, almost 70% of patients (16).
In addition to its regulatory effect on sebum production, zinc has antioxidant and healing properties, and thus a well-deserved reputation as an aid to beautiful skin (17). It’s therefore a particularly widely-studied substance for dermatological problems.
For small skin imperfections, a daily dose of 10mg or 15mg of supplemental zinc for 3-5 months can be recommended. The dose can be increased for moderate to severe dermatological conditions with your doctor’s approval.
In the specific case of skin prone to acne, the dose and duration often recommended is 15mg-30mg a day for 3-5 months (providing 29.4mg of elemental zinc per capsule and broad-spectrum action, the supplement Zinc Orotate is an excellent option) (18-19).
Ask your dermatologist for advice. Unless otherwise indicated, supplementation can be combined with medically prescribed, targeted, topical treatments.
In the absence of any specific disease, a course of zinc supplements would normally be taken for between 4 and 12 weeks (1-3 months). It’s therefore perfectly possible to take 2-3 ‘maintenance’ courses a year to provide your body with all-round support, making sure you leave an adequate gap between each one. Alternatively, you could supplement once a year before the cold weather sets in, to help you cope better with any winter ailments.
SuperSmart’s range of zinc supplements offers a choice of different doses and degrees of bioavailability:
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