50mg Zinc Too much?

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Carl Farrington - 24 Jan 2004 16:31 GMT

Is 50mg Zinc too much to take a day? I've always had a pasty complexion (so
I go on sunbeds when I remember) and umm don't have the best diet so I have
1 or 2 effervescent (fizzy tablet) 1,000mg vitamin-c drinks a day, and 2 -
3grams of fish oils + 2 - 3 grams of evening primrose / starflower oils
daily. I've recently added Zinc to my routine. They are 25mg tabs (166% EU
RDA) but I've taken two tablets (50mg) these two first days because I'm sure
I'm lacking in something.

I have eczema and my lips tend to be a touch cracked in the corners a lot of
the time (I find coffee leaves crap in there which doesn't help, and acidy
things like salt + vinegar crisps, fresh tomatoes especially cause this skin
to break and / or go red.)

anyway the fish oils I'm comfortable with because I want to sample the mood
stabilising effects, the primrose/starflower is because people with eczema
can be not very good at absorbing or using the dha epa omega-3 fatty acids
of the fish oils.

What I'm a little worried about is the Zinc. I haven't heard too much about
it, but in my last few minutes of research I see a few mentions of anaemia
like syndromes (because the different minerals fight for absorption, so my
body will be absorbing Zinc and leaving some of it's other essential
minerals behind). Now this of course is the last thing I want. I want to
look (but actually more importantly (although I don't know if it'll ever
happen) feel ) healthy.

Copper? Should I be taking a little of this too? I can't imagine there being
much of that stuff in my KFC Zinger Tower Burgers.

thanks for any and all tips and pointers.

oh p.s since it's probably weight and age and sex dependant I'm a 22yr old
male, about 12stone getting a bit of a belly but otherwise apparently
fit-ish.

cheers,
Carl

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Larry Hoover - 26 Jan 2004 16:35 GMT

> Is 50mg Zinc too much to take a day? I've always had a pasty complexion (so
> I go on sunbeds when I remember) and umm don't have the best diet so I have
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> RDA) but I've taken two tablets (50mg) these two first days because I'm sure
> I'm lacking in something.

Long-term intake should be conceptualized separately from short-term or
acute supplementation. Food sources of zinc should be providing you with at
least 10 mg/day, and the Upper Limit (safe zinc intake on a chronic basis)
is set at 40 mg/day, with the Lowest Observeable Adverse Effects Level
(LOAEL is the threshold at which the most sensitive people begin to show
toxicity symptoms) set at 60 mg/day. Taking 50 mg/day zinc for, say, one
month, is not going to do you any harm, but you should bear in mind that
excess zinc blocks copper uptake (the primary "toxicity" effect at this dose
range).

For more than you ever wanted to know about zinc, see:
http://books.nap.edu/books/0309072794/html/442.html#pagetop

BTW, all the NAP books are available in full-text online formats. An
exceedingly valuable database at your fingertips...

> I have eczema and my lips tend to be a touch cracked in the corners a lot of
> the time (I find coffee leaves crap in there which doesn't help, and acidy
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> can be not very good at absorbing or using the dha epa omega-3 fatty acids
> of the fish oils.

The effect of combining gamma-linolenic acid supps with fish oil is not due
to improved absorption of the latter, but they do work together
synergistically in improving eczema.

> What I'm a little worried about is the Zinc. I haven't heard too much about
> it, but in my last few minutes of research I see a few mentions of anaemia
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Copper? Should I be taking a little of this too? I can't imagine there being
> much of that stuff in my KFC Zinger Tower Burgers.

You're unlikely to suffer from copper deficiency, given the amount of copper
plumbing around. In my opinion, too much copper might be more likely than
too little.

> thanks for any and all tips and pointers.
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> cheers,
> Carl

Otherwise fit-ish? There is no substitute for exercise. And do try and steer
away from the fast-food world.

Lar

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Trent Duke - 26 Jan 2004 17:54 GMT

I have read 30mg should be the limit per day for zinc.

However, this list @
http://1stholistic.com/Nutrition/hol_nutr-toxic-dosages.htm suggests 75mg is
when one can start having problems.

HTH

Trent

-- Look and Feel Great! FREE weight loss and anti-aging group. Join now @
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/weightloss_health

> From: "Carl Farrington" <carl@000compsup000.net.invalid>
> Newsgroups: alt.skincare,sci.med.nutrition
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
> cheers,
> Carl

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