What is your thoughts on Zinc Sulfate? I have 220mg which yields 50mg of elemental zinc. Take daily or only if sick?
Caveat: I do not use mineral or vitamin supplements other than a very exceptions as I prefer food and herbs. But I have read that zinc can be overdone, too much is not healthy, so I take only when feeling sick or coming down with something, along with quercetin. And some herbs.
THere is a lot of info on this thread and anyone who has knowledge/experience to add, please do so, it has a large ping list and many are interested.
Natural Health
https://freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/3735908/posts?page=1114#1114
I have an anecdote about zinc. I have 50 mg tablets and started taking 1/4 tablet every day in May. I already eat a lot of meat, chicken and fish (apologies for grossing out all the vegetarians here). After about two weeks of the supplements, I developed an itch on my chin that was impossible not to scratch. I tried calamine lotion, various ointments and cortisone cream but nothing would stop the itch. I rubbed or scratched so much that my chin became raw, and after a couple of days, crusty, then flaky ... none of them an attractive look on me.
I stopped taking the zinc and was fine until mid-July when I started the daily zinc again and got the extraordinarily itchy chin again. I can’t prove it was the zinc but it hasn’t recurred since I stopped taking it daily. I now take 1/2 tablet (25 mg) once a week. Maybe one of the supplement experts here has heard about this?
50 mg of elemental is at the top of the range. And Med Cram did not advise taking that for long term. So I’d take it 3 or 4 times a week along with some quercetin or green tea pill.
When I anticipate going out among coofy places such as the Dr. office, I’d bump it up to 50mg starting a couple of days before hand and continuing for about 5 - 7 days along with increased Quercetin.
If your multi-vitamin doesn’t have copper in it, eat some dark Chocolate. Zinc supplements deplete copper.
Beans, Nuts, Grains can interfere with use of Zinc, so don’t take the zinc with those - wait till later. I usually take it on an empty stomach.