Signs of too much zinc include nausea, dizziness, headaches, upset stomach, vomiting, and loss of appetite. If you take too much zinc for a long time, you could have problems such as lower immunity, low levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol, and low copper levels.
Adults should avoid taking more than 40 mg of zinc each day. If you accidentally take more than this, it's more likely to cause stomach symptoms than any serious health problems. Check with your healthcare provider if you are considering taking zinc supplements.
Your body doesn't need a large amount of zinc. The recommended daily allowance for adults is 8 - 11 mg. It's common to have slightly low levels of zinc, but taking a multivitamin, plus eating a healthy diet, should give you all the zinc you need.
In some people, zinc might cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, metallic taste, kidney and stomach damage, and other side effects. Using zinc on broken skin may cause burning, stinging, itching, and tingling. Zinc is POSSIBLY SAFE when taking by mouth in doses greater than 40 mg daily.
Chelation is a process that removes excess metals, such as zinc, copper, or lead, from the body. During this treatment, a doctor gives the person a drug that helps bind the excess zinc and remove it from the body through the urine.
Zinc is a mineral that is essential for many of the body's normal functions and systems, including the immune system, wound healing, blood clotting, thyroid function, and the senses of taste and smell. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence.
Reduces skin inflammation: Zinc has anti-inflammatory properties and, when used topically, can help reduce inflammation caused by chronic skin diseases (like eczema, rosacea, and acne), according to Jordan Harper MSN, NP-C Founder and CEO of Barefaced.
Then there's the anti-aging benefits: zinc is known to encourage the production of collagen fibers and elastin, which can firm skin and boost healing. “Both help support the underlying structure of the skin, which reduces the appearance of wrinkles and other signs of aging,” explains Cleeve.
Zinc is an Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Agent: Its Role in Human Health.
And while too little zinc may negatively impact hair growth, some research also suggests that consuming excess zinc can lead to hair shedding or hair loss.
Weight Loss: The Bottom Line
Getting enough zinc in your diet may have a beneficial effect on weight loss if you're overweight or obese. Having said that, zinc does not work that simply. The majority of your weight loss results would stem from making changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Zinc is also an essential nutrient for hair growth, and a severe zinc deficiency could lead to hair loss.
What are the symptoms of zinc deficiency? Zinc deficiency can result in skin changes that look like eczema at first. There may be cracks and a glazed appearance on the skin, often found around the mouth, nappy area and hands. The rash doesn't get better with moisturisers or steroid creams or lotions.
The daily intake recommended by several reviews for people aged more than 70 are 11 mg for males and 8 mg for women with 40 mg being the top tolerable dosage (56, 59).
Too much zinc or magnesium can cause diarrhea, nausea, and cramping, and when taken in high doses over a period of time, zinc can lower the body's immunity and its levels of HDL, or “good,” cholesterol.
There is some thought that grey hair may reflect a deficiency in certain nutrients including the minerals zinc and copper. Taking 15 mg of zinc along with 1 mg of copper each day may possibly help to prevent or delay the onset of grey hair.
Based on the available data, as well as on the popularity that zinc has gained in the COVID era as an immune booster, it is recommended that zinc be supplied in patients with post-COVID-19 hair loss, if the baseline concentration of zinc is low.
“Vitamins are essential for healthy hair growth and may help in preventing hair shedding and thinning,” says Michele Green, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in New York. “The best vitamins for hair growth include B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, biotin and iron.
Zinc is an essential microelement that plays many important functions in the body. It is crucial for the regulation of cell growth, hormone release, immunological response and reproduction.
It can help speed up your metabolism, make your skin glow, and bring volume back to your hair. "Zinc is an essential micronutrient that helps your metabolism function efficiently," Shafipour notes. "It stimulates hundreds of enzymes involved in cellular processes.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Zinc supplementation may exacerbate rheumatoid arthritis (RA), new laboratory data suggest.
For most people, taking zinc doesn't have any effect on the hair in any way. However, there will be some people who experience a reduction in daily shedding - especially if they had low zinc to begin with.