Advice for zinc users

Some people have found that zinc supplements can be helpful in preventing or shortening the duration of the common cold. But it’s important to know when enough zinc is enough.

An HSI member named Peter responded to the e-Alert “Double Blind” (7/9/03) that addressed the unlikely chance that the average man’s zinc intake might place him at high risk of prostate cancer. Peter, however, found another problem with high zinc intake:

“I used to catch colds continuously until I started taking 50 mg of zinc a day. I felt I was invincible even with people sneezing around me. However, after a month or two, my canine tooth chipped off a little bit chewing on a piece of rib. Later on, my molar experienced a hair line crack biting on something else. I found out later that taking zinc alone will reduce the absorption of calcium which contributed to my ‘side effect’ of taking zinc continuously.

Peter says he still takes a zinc supplement when he feels a cold coming on, but he’s cut down on the intake and now includes a calcium supplement. It seems that we always come back to this simple rule that holds true for just about any dietary supplement or natural remedy: Balance is the key.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute