Zinc Tablets: Everything to Effect, Dosage and More

Zinc tablets can help you compensate for a problematic zinc deficiency. But how exactly do they work and what do you have to pay attention to when taking them? What types of tablets are right for you and where is the difference at all? All important information can be found here.

Before we get to the zinc tablets, however, we should look at how you can even detect a zinc deficiency.

Since our body needs zinc for many different functions, a lack of trace element can manifest itself in different ways. However, the most common symptoms are:

• Problems with skin and hair such as inflammation or hair loss
• disturbed wound healing
• Susceptibility to inflammation and infections
• Diarrhea
• Disturbed taste sensation and decreased appetite

The reasons for a zinc deficiency are just as varied. However, since zinc cannot be produced in our bodies, nutrition plays an important role.

Of particular interest is that zinc shows interactions with copper and iron. So if you absorb a lot of iron through the food, this in turn can affect the intake of zinc in the intestine. Zinc deficiency is often caused by the continuous drinking of water from copper pipes.

If you suffer from such a shortage, zinc tablets can help you. But how exactly do they work?

How do zinc tablets work in the body?

No matter what type of zinc tablets it is, since you usually take them orally, the absorption of the trace element always happens through the intestine. Then the zinc enters our cells, where it is responsible for a whole lot of tasks. These include, for example:

• Metabolism
• cell growth
• Function of the immune system
• Maintaining memory and ability to concentrate

Zinc tablets can help you in case of deficiency to compensate for malfunctions in this area.

What types of zinc preparations are there?

From the water-soluble effervescent tablet to food supplement capsules, zinc can be found in a wide variety of dosage forms. In addition, there are several types of zinc that are used in these preparations. Frequently, one finds in for taking about:

• Zinc gluconate
• zinc acetate
• Zinc picolinate
• Zinc citrate

So which zinc preparations are right for you?

Often this question is not so easy to answer. To take a bit of a scare into your choice, you should pay attention to two things: bioavailability and the type of packaging.

What about bioavailability?

Bioavailability is a term used in pharmacology that describes how effectively a nutrient is absorbed by the body. More specifically, this refers to the proportion of a substance that arrives unchanged in the bloodstream after ingestion. With oral supplements, something is usually always lost on the way through our digestive system. Converted to zinc, this means that the higher the bioavailability, the more zinc portions from a tablet are available to your body after taking it.

Zinc gluconate and acetate are among the most commonly offered forms and are often found in cold medications. However, their bioavailability is not very high. Zinc citrate and zinc picolinate, on the other hand, can be absorbed much better by the body, with zinc picolinate leading the way in terms of bioavailability, according to some studies.

In general, zinc tablets,which are advertised as “gastric juice-resistant”, perform worst in bioavailability tests. Capsules are clearly the better alternative here.

Packaging is also important

It’s hard to think, but packaging also plays a role in zinc tablets. This primarily does not mean the plastic or cardboard packaging of the, but the shell of the preparation itself. Although this primarily concerns zinc capsules and not zinc tablets, it is no less important: especially vegetarian or vegan people often resort to zinc supplements due to their diet. However, since certain capsule shells use animal substances in production, they are not always vegan!

If you live vegan and reach for zinc capsules, you should definitely check whether all the ingredients of the preparation are vegan.

What dosage is the right one for zinc tablets?

The WHO-recommended daily dose of zinc is 12mg for women and 15mg for men. However, since too much zinc can also be harmful, you should not overdose the trace element. As a limit for safe intake, the European Food Safety Authority mentions about 25mg of zinc per day (including zinc from the diet).

However, these values are not the same for every person. The need for zinc can vary depending on the situation, health and dietary habits. In most cases, diet has the greatest influence on how much zinc your body needs.

Zinc tablets are particularly important for nutrition

As mentioned above, there is an interaction between zinc and other minerals such as iron or copper. The optimal care therefore often becomes a balancing act. In addition, certain other substances can also hinder the absorption of zinc in the body. These include phytate,which is mainly found in legumes, or the tanninscontained in tea and coffee. A supply of these substances is especially crucial when the zinc intake is limited by your diet. So if, for example, you don’t eat meat and your zinc supply passes mainly through phytata-containing foods such as legumes, whole grains– or soy products, zinc deficiency could manifest in the long run. If you suspect you are affected, your doctor or your doctor of confidence in supplementation with zinc can advise you.

Zinc tablets: All information at a glance

Finally, we have summarized the most important information about zinc tablets for you:

• If you don’t get enough zinc, you can help your body with zinc tablets on the jumps.
• Your doctor can help you to detect a zinc deficiency. Pay attention to the symptoms!
• Zinc capsules have a higher bioavailability compared to zinc tablets. This means that more of the zinc ingested arrives in your circulation.
• Your need for zinc depends on gender, health, age and, above all, your diet.
• Especially with a one-sided, vegan diet, a deficiency can manifest itself. This is due to the interaction of zinc with other minerals as well as with phytate and tannins.