Zinc tablets associated with 40% less death, half the ICU admission, and a quicker release from hospital

By Jo Nova

Two weeks treatment costs $3.75*

In Tunisia from February to May last year 470 people with Covid were randomly either given 50mg of zinc each day for two weeks or given a placebo. In the zinc group, after 30 days, 6% had died, and 5% had been admitted to intensive care. Meanwhile in the placebo group 9% had died and 11% had gone to the ICU. People taking zinc got out of hospital a few days before the people who didn’t.

Since there were no serious adverse effects in anyone from taking zinc, it’s obvious that good governments were handing out zinc tablets in carparks, schools and shopping malls, thus saving lives, millions of dollars, and keeping hospitals half empty. The rich world looks to healthcare systems like El Salvador. Shame about the other sclerotic swamps and backwaters of crony medicine. Sometimes countries have too much money to get good treatment.

In Australia, the government spent billions on experimental barely-tested vaccines with hidden results and secret contracts. Our TGA told everyone the vaccines were safe and useful but fined someone $8,000 for advertising on their website that ivermectin and zinc lozenges were effective against Covid. But who fines the TGA?

The error bars are large in the little Tunisian study (below), and we could debate the meaning of it except that there are 40 other studies on 45,000 patients in 16 countries which largely say that same thing. Early treatment with zinc reduces deaths by 40%, or even more.

Zinc reduced mortality by 40%, Study Tunisia.

https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/76/2/185/6795268?login=false

 

With viruses every day counts

In larger study (Mayberry) 940 patients start zinc a week before or within 48 hours of getting hospitalized, and those people were 50% less likely to die.

In the Tunisian study people who got treatment in three days were vastly better off than those who didn’t start til 4 to 7 days. This also makes it fairly easy to design other studies to fail simply by starting treatment too late.

For any virus, ideally, we’d have figured out a plan with our legally approved doctor and have it in the cupboard ready to use.

Treatment delays, Zinc supplementation, Covid-19

Every day counts. https://c19early.org/zmeta.html

Nationally, those delays waiting for an appointment, a chemist, or a test result mean we need bigger hospitals. But then, hospitals probably don’t mind that. With the whole system profiting from treating sick people, not stopping them getting sick, it’s “probably” not an accident that cheap solutions get forgotten on the side of the stockholder’s super-highway. Billions of dollars depends upon it.

Zinc is useful in so many ways

Zinc is used in about 100 different enzymes. Without enough zinc, immune cells don’t work properly. Zinc prevents the virus getting into cells preserving the tissue barriers. It slows the viral factory assembly line that is trying to churn out baby viruses. Zinc is needed to stop our immune cells from dumping too many of the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that do so much damage to our tissues. So zinc reduces inflammation storm — mostly just by helping our immune system do what it is supposed to do.

 

Zinc mechanism of action against Covid-19

Source: Wessels et al  Click to enlarge.

Wessels even suggests that quite a few Covid symptoms might be related to zinc deficiencies.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are impaired smell and taste, fever, cough, sore throat, general weakness, pain as aching limbs, runny nose, and in some cases diarrhea (). In the subsequent chapters, we will associate most of those symptoms with altered zinc homeostasis and explain how zinc might prevent or attenuate those symptoms, as summarized in Figure 1

Indeed, most of the highest risk patients for Covid are also conditions where zinc deficiencies are common:

…the intersection between risk groups of COVID-19 and zinc deficiency is impressive. In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchial asthma, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, kidney diseases, dialysis, obesity, diabetes, cancer, atherosclerosis, liver cirrhosis, immunosuppression, and known liver damage low serum zinc levels are regularly observed

Long term higher dose zinc may cause a copper deficiency, which has its own problems. But during illness, needs for zinc probably dramatically increase as our immune system ramps up.

For whatever it’s worth, the RDA is 11mg for men, and 8mg for women. And the upper tolerable intake is 40mg according to Harvard.

Zinc has been used for healing infections since ancient Greek times. It’s not like we didn’t get some warning.

The best sources of zinc are meat, fish and seafood

Six oysters will give you 50mg. A 5oz chuck steak — 15mg and a cup of lentils has 3mg. Oysters are way out ahead. The largest source of zinc for most people is probably steak, and yes, vegetarians are more likely to be deficient.

*The cost of $3.75 was calculated on Australian Chemist Warehouse prices. But currently bulk zinc trades for $3,000 a ton (US) so the base cost is one hundredth of a cent per dose. There is some room for bulk savings, not that anyone in government seems interested in saving taxpayer funds or stopping them dying of basic nutritional deficiencies…

REFERENCE

Abdalla et al (2022) Twice-Daily Oral Zinc in the Treatment of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial, Clinical Infectious Diseases

Mayberry et al (2021) Zinc use is associated with improved outcomes in Covid-19: Results from the Crush-Covid registry, Critical Care Medicine 50(1):p 81, January 2022. | DOI: 10.1097/01.ccm.0000807104.82650.d6

Wessels I, et al. (2020) The Potential Impact of Zinc Supplementation on COVID-19 Pathogenesis. Front Immunol. 2020 Jul 10;11:1712. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01712. PMID: 32754164; PMCID: PMC7365891.

 

h/t CraigKelly

9.7 out of 10 based on 81 ratings

70 comments to Zinc tablets associated with 40% less death, half the ICU admission, and a quicker release from hospital

  • #
    Kevin a

    https://www.smh.com.au/national/6-daily-meal-budget-causing-staggering-malnutrition-in-aged-care-20210301-p576u7.html
    $6 daily meal budget causing ‘staggering’ malnutrition in aged care.

    Basically died from malnutrition and or scurvy.

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  • #
    Graeme No.3

    If vegans suffer from zinc deficiency, the cure must be in breeding crickets and other edible(?) insects with higher zinc content.
    Should be good for a million or more for an enterprising academic to tackle.

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    • #
      David Maddison

      (NOT A JOKE)

      the cure must be in breeding crickets and other edible(?) insects with higher zinc content.

      Don’t worry, they’re already planning that. Get it accepted in the Third World first, however.

      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35387693/

      The potential contribution of house crickets to the dietary zinc content and nutrient adequacy in young Kenyan children: a linear programming analysis using Optifood

      Hester Coppoolse et al. Br J Nutr. 2023.

      ….Results revealed that Zn would cease to be a problem nutrient when including house crickets to children’s diets….

      SEE LINK FOR REST

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    • #

      Must not, but may, there are vegan sources of Zn.

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      • #
        Lawrie

        Are you saying that vegans are a good source of zinc. I have a vegan friend, or she was a vegan for 20 years or so until she smelled some bacon frying on a backyard BBQ. Is there zinc in bacon?

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  • #
    Dave of Gold Coast, Qld.

    Great article, Jo. Still no accountability from any Premier, CHO or health body in Australia. We used vitamin D, Zinc and a couple of others during covid and when our family got the virus we were all back on our feet in days. I followed your articles during the “plandemic” and took close notes on the positive reports on vitamins. What angers me is there are still adverts pushing the deadly experimental vaccines now. Still no medical statements on the high percentage of extra deaths or the worldwide sudden deaths of the young and fit.

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    • #
      Hanrahan

      And we get expected UV intensity on the radio every day with the warning to “slip. slap, slop” between quoted hours.

      At our well presented city beach near some workout bars is the warning “There is no such thing as a healthy tan”.

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    • #
      RickWill

      Over the last few days, there have been news reports of high rate of excess death but these are being blamed primarily on Covid and the need to get back to Covid controls.
      https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/thousands-more-aussies-dying-as-excess-deaths-rise/news-story/2e6d46659884d19d9a8d27c52808cf61

      The majority of the excess deaths were from Covid-19, the ABS said. More than 10,000 Australians died due to the disease and another 3000 “with” the disease, making it the deadliest year for Covid-19 in Australia on record.

      Deaths from cancer were up by 5 per cent, deaths from dementia were up by 15 per cent and deaths from diabetes were up by a staggering 19 per cent. There were also minor increases in deaths due to heart disease and respiratory illnesses.

      It was a reality about which many health professionals warned while Australian cities were emerging from lockdown.

      But there is also recognition that some of the excess deathsaree due to delayed diagnosis and care, which creates a dilemma for increased controls.

      Covid vaccines are not safe or particularly effective in the current circumstances.

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    • #
      Lawrie

      Dave. I take some zinc in a multi mineral and vitamin supplement but it is as zinc oxide, a less easily absorbed form. I read where zinc gluconate is a more easily absorbed form but each tablet is 40 mg when the recommended intake for adult males is 11 mg. What rate did you take and for how long?

      10

  • #
    Bruce

    Well, here’s another twist.

    Australia, being older than dirt, has a wide variety of soils.. One common feature, though, is that many of these soils are seriously zinc deficient. Thus, there is less zinc available for transfer through the food chain.

    Every decent publication on gardening refers to this and details the symptoms of it.

    The country is sitting on top of serious deposits of Zinc, but, except by deep mining, that stuff is unlikely to make it into surface soils until the continent wears down quite a bit more.

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    • #
      Ross

      Not only gardening Bruce , every broadacre agronomist/ advisor knows of the zinc deficiency in a lot our soils. Hence the need for zinc supplementation with fertilisers for most crops. Hugely important for root systems of newly planted crops.

      50

      • #
        gf1

        Bruce, we have been using zinc in agriculture for at least 40 years to prevent virus infections in orchards and foot disease in sheep. We pay agronomists to keep these elements in balance yet those looking after people don’t care. We send sap samples to laboratories two or three times a season.

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        • #
          Lawrie

          Dry dog food is more thoroughly prepared and contains more minerals than baby food. Doctors spend very little time studying nutrition, a day I have heard. The average farmer probably knows much more. I was told by a doctor to forget supplements as all I needed was in the food I ate. I told him that was only true if the ground in which the crop grew had the mineral in the first place and whether it was ever replaced. Since NPK are the most common fertilizers there is a good chance vital trace elements have been exhausted. Cattle supplements seem much more balanced than many human supplements.

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  • #
    David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

    Thanks Jo,
    Zinc is more useful than I’d realised.
    As I’m not a fan of oysters I’ve been taking one tablet a day a day since Dr Zelenko emphasised it. If I’ve had Covid I thought it was just my usual hay fever.
    Cheers
    Dave B

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    • #

      I think a moderate zinc supplement is probably essential in these times in Australia, just be aware that copper and zinc are in a kind of balance where too much of one limits the absorption of the other.

      I’m not overly concerned about me since I eat enough dark chocolate, with leafy greens, nuts (especially cashews). But 50mg Zinc is a high dose to be taking long term and it will push copper levels down. This paper suggests a 15:1 ratio, so a 3mg copper supplement might be wise if someone is using long term zinc.

      The body uses copper in energy production and to support bone, skin, neurological, and cardiovascular health.* Along with zinc, copper is a component of superoxide dismutase, an important antioxidant enzyme utilized by the immune system.* Although copper deficiency is rare, it can result from high levels of zinc intake because of a decreased ability to absorb and use copper from the diet.2

      Copper is a fairly common part of blood tests. Keep your eye on it.

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      • #

        Jo you are right about Zn enhancing the immune system but for some with immune system problems that may not be a good idea. I had/have polymyalgia. I tried some Zn supplement tablets and in a short time my polymyalgia symptoms got worse and I had to up my prednisone tablets (for depressing the immune system). In some of my reading about Covid I found that a doctor in South Africa was giving his patients some prednisone as a treatment (also aspirin for those with heart problems). The doctor stated in a published SA medical journal that no patient of over 3000 he treated with/or for covid needed to go to a hospital.

        40

      • #
        peter

        Zinc is an odd metal. Analysis of various body enzymes and hormones shows no zinc content in the chemical composition but zinc is essential (as a catalyst) for them to work. Insulin, for example, is essential for sugar control and your health and requires the presence of Zn to work but there is no zinc in the insulin molecule. Zinc is an essential element for human health, just ask the Iranian Dwarfs – google it.

        I take 15mg of Zn as a supplement per day and have done so for years with no ill effect. 15mg matches a theoretical daily intake from food, so should be unlikely to suppress Cu and Calcium uptakes significantly. Cu is around us everywhere in water pipes, cookware, processed food and various alloy utensils and materials. So we have plenty of Cu sources but not so many Zn sources. But it may not be the amount of zinc in the diet that is the problem but malabsorption instead. Vegetarians beware that many good sources of vegan zinc such as nuts and wholegrains contain phytates that complex the zinc and prevent efficient absorption. Red meat and seafood are better sources. Older people commonly have deteriorating absorption efficiency so Zn deficiency increases with age.

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  • #
    David Maddison

    I have ZERO trust in Australia’s TGA (equivalent to US FDA and also funded by Big Pharma) and does NOT follow science or evidence.

    From November 2021.

    https://www.tga.gov.au/news/media-releases/nsw-individual-fined-7992-alleged-unlawful-advertising-ivermectin-and-zinc-covid-19

    NSW individual fined $7,992 for alleged unlawful advertising of ivermectin and zinc for COVID-19

    The TGA has issued three infringement notices totalling $7,992 to an individual for allegedly advertising ivermectin and zinc lozenges to treat COVID-19 in breach of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.

    Published
    30 November 2021

    [..]

    It is also alleged that the individual claimed, on their website, that ivermectin is “safe” when used for COVID-19. Under the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code (No.2) 2018 (the Code), the advertising of products for therapeutic use in humans, must not claim they are safe, cannot cause harm or have no side-effects.<

    But don’t worry, homeopathic “medicines” are OK.

    Some homoeopathic and natural medicines are exempt from the requirement to be entered in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. However, advertisers of exempt products must comply with other requirements in the Act, including the rules on restricted representations in advertising, as well as compliance with the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code.

    SEE LINK FOR REST

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  • #

    Sources of zinc include beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, walnuts, cashew nuts, chia seeds, ground linseed, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, wholemeal bread and quinoa.

    Look here for vegetarian Zn sources

    70

  • #
    David Maddison

    Zinc deficiency is very common around the world.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3510072/

    Estimating the Global Prevalence of Zinc Deficiency: Results Based on Zinc Availability in National Food Supplies and the Prevalence of Stunting

    [..]

    An estimated 17.3% of the global population is at risk of inadequate zinc intake. The regional estimated prevalence of inadequate zinc intake ranged from 7.5% in high-income regions to 30% in South Asia.

    [..]

    SEE LINK FOR REST

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  • #
    David Maddison

    I know that Big Pharma and their vast army of useless idiot supporters such as medical “authorities”, senior government officials, politicians, media, many in the “scientific” establishment and the Left in general, are either corrupt, incompetent or have no understanding of science or individual rights.

    But nevertheless, I keep suffering cognitive dissonance thinking about the absurdity, dangers and non-effectiveness of Australia’s compulsory mass “vaccination” campaign with experimental, barely tested substances when there were known from the very beginning of the pandemic simple, safe, inexpensive treatments such as HCQ, with zinc and taken according to published protocols such as the Zelenko protocol which was perhaps the first. The use of IVM and the FLCCC and other protocols came later, I think.

    How hard would it have been for government or medical “authorities” to suggest a standard protocol for prophylaxis and/or treatment based on the Zelenko Protocol and others that included zinc, vitamin D, quercertin or other zinc ionophore such as HCQ or IVM etc.?

    I think part of the reason is that once Dr Zelenko reported his findings to President Trump and Trump said something about HCQ at a press conference and also said he was taking it, the Leftist media and all other useless idiots with Trump Derangement Syndrome (a serious, real, mental condition) went on an anti HCQ frenzy because “Orange Man Bad”.

    And after that, Big Pharma got exempted from properly testing their experimental products and laughed all the way to the bank. And the Left lived happily ever after, content in their blissful ignorance and having had their TDS temporarily satiated.

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    • #

      Trump spoke about HCQ and Remdesivir in one sentence as possible gamechanger… if I remember well.

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      • #
        David Maddison

        A “hit piece” was even written about President Trump, disguised as a “scientific” paper.

        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7685699/

        Individuals with large followings can influence public opinions and behaviors, especially during a pandemic. In the early days of the pandemic, US president Donald J Trump has endorsed the use of unproven therapies. Subsequently, a death attributed to the wrongful ingestion of a chloroquine-containing compound occurred.

        Objective

        We investigated Donald J Trump’s speeches and Twitter posts, as well as Google searches and Amazon purchases, and television airtime for mentions of hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, azithromycin, and remdesivir.

        SEE LINK FOR REST

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        • #
          KP

          “We investigated Donald J Trump’s speeches and Twitter posts, as well as Google searches and Amazon purchases, and television airtime for mentions of hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, azithromycin, and remdesivir.”

          I don’t consider any ‘scientific’ article that is just a gathering of other papers as science at all. The knowledge has already been discovered by the original people, yet there seems to be thousands of ‘researchers’ running around these days who make a living from reading exactly what any of us could read and then pretending it is important that they publish it.

          I rate them with all those clowns on Youtube who just want to be famous..

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        • #

          From the link:

          Individuals in positions of power can sway public purchasing, resulting in undesired effects when the individuals’ claims are unverified. Public health officials must work to dissuade the use of unproven treatments for COVID-19.

          As there are Fauci, Drosten, Lauterbach, Spahn, RKI, PEI, Stiko (beside Fauci all German institutions or individuals taken as “specialist” – so in position of power.)

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  • #
    Adellad

    The Harvard recommended daily Zn intake of 11mg seems low. My tablets – ordinary Chemist Warehouse brand – are 25mg. Am I going to die of Cu deficiency?

    81

    • #
      David Maddison

      Yes, I think the “official” recommended doses are very low.

      I think Zelenko and FLCCC protocols for prophylaxis or treatment recommend 50mg, which is what I take daily.

      70

    • #
      KP

      That is the standard tablet as far as I can see. The copper/zinc relationship is complicated, and levels vary in women over their menstrual cycle as one dominates, then the other.

      I wonder what all the thousands of engineers who work with galvanised metal suffer from? I’ll bet its not covid! Welding it gives off fumes of zinc oxide, building up to the ‘zinc shakes’ if you breathe enough of them. They clear from the body over time as zinc is so soluble.

      60

  • #
    David Maddison

    Zinc deficiency can show up in finger or toe nails as white spots.

    The condition of white marks on the nails is called leukonychia.

    There are two main types (but others as well).

    Leukonychia punctata are white spots due to zinc deficiency.

    Leukonychia striata are white horizontal lines due to a selenium deficiency.

    (But there may be other causes, if in doubt see your doctor. NOT medical advice.)

    110

  • #
    Lank

    Chinese medicine for many centuries has used a species of black ant, dried and ground into a powder for zinc supplements and these critters have several percent zinc content.
    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/black-ant-extract-benefits-coach-my-health
    Zinc concentrations in the jaws of ants and many insects such as termites and scorpions can be many percent. It is used to harden the mandibles etc for biting.

    50

    • #
      David Maddison

      https://livingwithinsects.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/9113/

      The incorporation of metals, especially zinc into the cutting surfaces of insect mouthparts is widespread among many insect orders.

      [..]

      Schofield and colleagues* measured zinc accumulation in the mandibles of the odorless house ant as they developed during the pupa stages until after eclosion as an adult.

      [..]

      The final zinc concentration in the mandible can reach 16%. This high percentage makes it likely that zinc is present as a deposited metal or salt on the surface of the mandible rather than present in a protein matrix.

      SEE LINK FOR REST

      I’d rather get my zinc as a mineral-derived supplement, however.

      60

  • #
    Kalm Keith

    A few days ago there was a comment that puzzled.

    It seemed to link vitamin D deficiency to diabetes type 2.

    https://joannenova.com.au/2023/04/vaccine-damage-300000-deaths-in-the-us-148-billion-lost-and-10-say-a-member-of-their-house-died/#comment-2654041

    This new post by Jo helps.

    What I see now is that once you contract D2 then it’s important to keep up the vitamin D levels to help cope with the damage.

    Too much research seems to be focused on the side issues and not on the initial cause of Diabetes.

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    • #
      David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

      G’day K K,
      The third graphic Jo supplied can be enlarged and diabetes is included in the common segment of the two circles of 1. “Risk Groups”, towards the bottom.
      Cheers
      Dave B

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      • #
        Kalm Keith

        Thanks, I think that the main issues are being complexified by focusing on treatments rather than prevention.

        Diabetes 2 results from eating more than your given insulin availability.

        Insulin setting during pregnancy replicates that being experienced by the mother and within limits your food intake should be governed by that.

        Unfortunately modern pharmaceutical push says that if you become obese you have been the victim but they can give you the solution in the form of a needle pumping insulin.

        True, vit D and Zinc are necessary after you get sick but I don’t think they are causal in any big way.

        20

        • #
          David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

          G’day K K,
          I wonder if we’re being too pedantic about the word “causal” here.

          Seems to me that for a healthy life our immune system needs to be, and continue working at an optimal level, and vitamin D is at least significant in its operation and modulation. The immune system is operating continuously to prevent infection and is active in repair work as well.
          An adequate immune system can stop infections, so needs to be ready for unexpected attacks. Waiting until you’re sick can be too late, the reason for early treatment.

          With Covid adequate immune systems (with zinc) at the time of exposure have stopped the virus in many patients before it has been able to replicate and reach lungs and beyond.
          So I reckon that means vitamin D, at adequate levels is causal in producing an adequate immune system and so preventing ill health and providing good health.

          Cheers
          Dave B

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          • #
            Kalm Keith

            I totally agree with you David in that vitamin deficiency may leave a person susceptible to covid.

            My concern is that diabetes works via a different mechanism that’s not going to be stopped by vitamins and Zinc.

            20

  • #
    Neville

    I take one multi vitamin a day and there is 15 mg of zinc from zinc oxide in each tablet.
    According to the Aussie govt site below adult males could take 14 mg per day and females less.
    But they say that we shouldn’t take more than 40 mg per day.
    I’ve had CV-19 but I also had the jab of Moderna before then and I’m now well overdue for another jab.
    I was over the symptoms in about 2 to 3 days and didn’t require any help and was carrying on my normal daily routine.
    BUT I wasn’t taking my multi-vitamin then so I could’ve been low in zinc. Who knows?
    Here’s the link to the govt site and seems to make sense about why we need zinc to be at normal levels.
    Thanks again to Jo for updating us and making me source more info.

    https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/zinc

    50

  • #

    If we allowed people to promote Zn and IVM, it would make them complacent, and it would result in low vaccine uptake.
    /sarc

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  • #
    STJOHNOFGRAFTON

    Long term higher dose zinc may cause a copper deficiency,..
    Cu²⁺ deficiency may affect thyroid function causing nodules. If nodules develop and you are taking Zn²⁺ stop the Zn²⁺ for a while (up to 3 months) to see if the nodules shrink and even disappear. In my case they disappeared completely. Thyroid nodules aren’t always about Iodine deficiency either. In any case, watchful waiting is the key. If you have concerns, get your thyroid function checked out by an endocrinologist.

    50

    • #
      David Maddison

      Here are some comments on consequences of over-consumption of zinc.

      https://www.nutritionletter.tufts.edu/ask-experts/q-i-take-50-milligrams-of-zinc-daily-but-it-looks-like-you-should-take-only-40-milligrams-per-day-is-it-ok-to-continue-what-are-the-consequences-of-too-much-zinc/

      Q. I take 50 milligrams of zinc daily, but it looks like you should take only 40 milligrams per day. Is it OK to continue? What are the consequences of too much zinc?

      “High zinc intakes (150-450 milligrams per day) have been reported to inhibit copper absorption, sometimes resulting in copper deficiency, associated anemia, reduced immune function, and reduced levels of high-density or ‘good’ cholesterol. Intake of 80 milligrams per day of zinc in the form of zinc oxide for an average of 6.3 years in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) has been associated with a significant increase in hospitalizations for genitourinary issues. Even moderately high intakes of zinc of about 60 milligrams per day for up to 10 weeks have been reported to reduce a copper-containing enzyme (a marker of copper status). Zinc supplements also have the potential to interact with several types of medications (such as antibiotics and diuretics). As such, be sure to discuss your zinc intake with your healthcare provider.”

      40

      • #
        StephenP

        IIRC the worst cases of zinc poisoning have occurred when welders have burnt off the zinc coating on galvanised iron without proper protection and as a result have inhaled a relatively massive dose of zinc.

        20

        • #
          peter

          StephenP,
          What you are describing is called “zinc fume fever” and is NOT zinc toxicity from a “massive dose of zinc”. It is an auto-immune reaction to breathing into the Lungs the ‘respirable’ very small size particles of zinc oxide smoke emitted off galvanised steel with welding heat. The actual mechanism of response is not understood but is not a toxic dose. A relatively small amount of zinc is actually ingested. Symptoms onset is acute within a few hours and resemble a bad case of influenza with fever, fatigue, aches and pains etc. My first experience with Zinc Fume fever occurred 3 decades ago when a welder was so sick from it he was admitted to hospital but recovered completely from it within a couple of days with no lasting affects. One welder told me once, having experienced it, that it was the worst Flu he had ever experienced – poor bugger. Other “metal fume fevers” can occur with similar symptoms from a number other metal coatings that can fume-off from welded steel like zinc does. Zinc smoke will fume-off welded galvanised steel very strongly.

          00

    • #
      Hanrahan

      Why not add some Cu to the Zn? It is hardly logical not to correct a deficiency because you MAY cause another.

      30

      • #
        Tel

        The metals with valency 2+ will compete with one another in the human digestion: Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, Iron, Calcium … therefore high doses of any one of those will drive the others out of balance.

        There are some ways to avoid this problem, by consuming chelated metals but it’s difficult to find out which study takes this into account.

        30

  • #
    David Maddison

    You can trust Their ABC (Australia) and the Australian Government to keep pushing the narrative that supplements of any kind are potentially dangerous.

    Obviously extreme overdoses of anything, including water, can be dangerous, but they also don’t say anything about correcting common deficiencies such as Vitamin D or zinc to prevent or reduce the impact of covid.

    https://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghealth/factbuster/stories/2013/12/03/3903806.htm

    Doses of vitamin C above one gram can cause diarrhoea.
    A large intake of zinc can reduce or prevent iron and copper absorption and can contribute to impaired immunity, heart problems and anaemia.
    Iron toxicity is common with even small amounts above the recommended dietary intake, having the potential to cause gastrointestinal upset, nausea, fatigue and joint pain.
    Too much selenium can lead to problems, including hair loss, gastrointestinal upset, fatigue and mild nerve damage.
    High levels of vitamin B6 can cause nerve damage.

    All true in extreme but they miss the point of correcting deficiencies. They don’t tell us how Vitamin D or zinc deficiency leads to greater susceptibility to bad or deadly outcomes from covid, for example.

    Neither does the Government web site warn of zinc deficiency and susceptibility to covid. I wonder why…?(sarc).:

    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/zinc-overdose-symptoms

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    • #
      Ross

      Ah, the good ol’ ABC! Mary Anne Demasi did a program on the poor links between cholesterol / heart problems and the overuse of prescribed statins. Years back now and I recall possibly in the ABC’s Catalyst program. That pseudo science program which very often tortures science reporting. Needless to say there was some “ feedback” to the ABC from the usual suspects and Demasi soon left the organisation. So much for balanced and fearless reporting.

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    • #
      David Maddison

      Correction. The second URL I posted was not the one I meant. It was meant to be:

      https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/zinc

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    Ross

    That loss of smell/ taste thing when you get a cold/ flu/C19. I have always understood that is your body pulling Zinc out of less needy areas during an infection to bolster other more important tissues. Jo mentions this as changes in homeostasis. I know that when I copped Omicron early last year my taste and smell were ok. But I was certainly taking zinc tablets at the time from a Ziverdo kit. Eat your greens, eat red meat and then obviously supplement during other times. As Neville mentions above there is also not much wrong with taking a good well balanced multivitamin daily or regularly.

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    John Hultquist

    For whatever it’s worth, the RDA is 11mg for men,

    That’s common in daily tablets.
    Also, Quercetin, a Zinc ionophore, was also mention on this site back in March 2020. I upped my intake of veggies and fruits with red colors (sources of Quercetin) but did not bother with any other supplementation.

    That summer, someone marketed a combo pill for about $2 each. After a week the end-of-aisle display disappeared.
    At $2 per bottle, I might have gone for it.

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    John Connor II

    Yes, oysters are the highest Zn source but as with all fish you’d better be aware of where they come from due to Mercury and Cadmium contamination. The price rules them out for most people for daily consumption.
    Excess Zinc consumption can interfere with Iron absorption too.
    I’m surprised no-one’s mentioned lamb.
    No aussies here?😇
    A mere 120 grams gives you your RDI, beating beef which you’d need 350g of.
    If you can find Hemp seeds, you’ll only need 90g.
    No doubt most people will opt for a pill, in which case go for the Picolinate or Citrate versions if available, or Chelate if not.

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    Grogery

    I wasn’t aware of these much lower max. daily zinc supplement recommendations. I used the FLCCC i-prevent recommendation of 20-50mg/day and currently take a 50mg capsule daily.

    I eat plenty of red meat and vegies (and oysters when eating out) so maybe I should cut the zinc to 25mg daily – although I haven’t noticed any ill effects as yet.

    FWIW – My daily vitamins in addition to the 50mg of zinc are: 1000mg of C, 180 micrograms of K2, 50 micrograms of D3 (2000IU). My little spreadsheet based on Chemist Warehouse products shows me a cost of 65 cents a day for these vitamins.

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    Dave in the States

    I recall reading somewhere that zinc needs to balanced against copper.

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    UK-Weather Lass

    I prefer to think of the logic within preventive medicine just the same as any investment in that it prevents larger and more drastic costs arising for hospitalisations and risky vaccination procedures which may further impact upon the general public’s health as we saw with COVID-19. It seems the WHO is incapable of leading nations in the right way. It seems Sweden didn’t get it completely right but was certainly much more sensible than most others. Heads must roll of we want to see this kind of political negligence redused to sensible levels. Shutting the WHO down would send a very loud message to all the other hangers on that are not value for money.

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    Destroyer D69

    Is this another example of “This works and is so cheap that we will have it banned so that we can sell our expensive cure”?????http://www.health-science-spirit.com/Healing_the_Body/The-Borax-Conspiracy.html Worked for the pain and stiffness in my hands!

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    TomR

    Hydroxyurea also helped dealing with Covid, but was not popular as treatment at all.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8647674/

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    […] disease in history.  It responds to vitamin D and safe re-purposed drugs.  It even responds to zinc supplements and nasal […]

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