Very often patients ask me if they should take zinc tablets to prevent or treat the common cold. And this is one leftover routine from Covid that has caught on with everybody. Truth is, you cannot pop in zinc tablets at your own sweet will, do it only at your doctor’s recommendation and never overdo it. The last can actually negatively impact your health.
Why does your body need zinc?
Zinc is needed for building the body’s defence mechanisms, immunity and developing a sense of smell and taste. Mothers need it during pregnancy while infants need it post-birth for normal body development. Given its antioxidant properties, it plays a key role in healing wounds, repairing the skin and maintaining reproductive and eye health.
What is the link between zinc and the common flu?
Existing medical literature has shown mixed results. Mostly, the common cold is caused by rhinoviruses, which cluster around the nose and throat. In lab experiments, scientists found that zinc blocked the rhinovirus from getting into cells. Since zinc interferes with viral replication, it is believed to limit the duration and intensity of symptoms. Some studies found that it reduced the duration of the common cold by a couple of days, that it works like an antiviral and shortens the duration of your infection by 33 per cent. Other studies found no such effect. So there is still no definitive impact except that it could bolster the body’s defence system during an infection. But zinc can’t prevent you from getting a cold.
Sometimes Vitamin C and zinc tablets are had together because they have a synergistic relationship. They both support the immune system and reduce the risk of disease. Taking these two nutrients together gives a joint boost to your immune system. They are only to be had together on the doctor’s prescription.
Do we really need zinc supplements?
The body doesn’t need a large amount of zinc. An adult man needs 11 mg and a woman 8 mg of zinc daily. Normally a healthy balanced diet is enough to meet daily requirements. The elderly, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and those with gut problems may need zinc supplements.
The body absorbs 20 to 40 per cent of the zinc present in food. You would find zinc in oysters, meat, fish, and poultry. Zinc is best absorbed when taken with a meal that contains protein. Plant sources of zinc include legume, soybeans, peanuts, whole grains, mushrooms, beans, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds.
How to have supplements?
Zinc should always be had with water or juice. Do not take it together with iron or calcium supplements. Zinc use is also related to copper. Too much of one can cause a deficiency in the other. If you take zinc, including zinc in a multivitamin, you should also take copper.
What does an overdose do?
The tolerable limit is 40 mg. An overdose of zinc can trigger gastric symptoms, nausea and abdominal pain. Genetic factors can also influence the way your body reacts to zinc. So the immune response differs from person to person. High doses of zinc can cause dizziness, headache, drowsiness, increased sweating, loss of muscle coordination, hallucinations and anaemia. High doses of zinc may also lower high density lipoprotein (HDL or good cholesterol) and raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL or bad cholesterol).
