Zinc overdose (WAS: Zinc deficiency)

[Guest guest]

Susie

You quoted:

>The German Health Association, for example,

> estimates that more than half of all Germans are

> zinc deficient .... Children, adolescents, pregnant

> women and the elderly are most at risk for zinc

> deficiency, but it's easy to get enough by eating

> certain foods or through supplements.

I never heard of the " German Health Association " Susie, but I am very

surprised that neither they nor you mentioned its effect on insulin storage.

After reading your report that " more than half of all Germans are zinc

deficient " I rush to let you know that more than half of all Germans are

deficient of almost everything except body fat. Compared with that problem,

a little zinc deficiency here and there would not get them excited.

> Don't take too much, though. More than 150 milligrams

> daily causes stomach pain or even vomiting. The American

> Society for Nutritional Sciences states that most people

> need between 10 and 15 milligrams daily; nursing mothers

> should consume up to 19 milligrams per day.

However, Germans could probably all do without the enormous doses you

mention. Those are well in excess of the official recommendations for

Germany, Austria and Switzerland which are as follows:

Babies 0-4 months: 1.0 mg/day

Babies 4-12 months: 2.0 mg/day

Children 1-4 years: 3.0 mg/day

Children 4-7 years: 5.0 mg/day

Children 7-10 years: 7.0 mg/day

Children 10-13 years: 9.0 mg/day (male), 7.0 mg/day (female)

Children 13-15 years: 9.5 mg/day (male), 7.0 mg/day (female)

Adults 15 upwards: 10.0 mg/day (male), 7.0 mg/day (female)

Pregnant women after 4th month: 10 mg/day

Nursing mothers: 11 mg/day

The work I am quoting (Referenzwerte fuer die Naehrstoffzufuehr, April 2000)

discusses in great detail deficiencies in most other dietary components but

makes no mention of a known deficiency of zinc in the German-speaking

population.

However, it claims that zinc poisoning can result from eating acidic foods

containing zinc and from drinking water out of galvanized containers (the

good old iron bucket!). Chronic intake of more than 110 mg/day is said to

cause microcytic anemia and neutropenia due to interaction with copper [1].

Even a short-term intake of about 50 mg/day is said to result in a

disturbance of the iron and copper metabolisms [2].

There is therefore a clear warning over here against a zinc intake exceeding

30 mg/day, yes, " thirty " ! Comparing that with your warning against ingesting

more than 150 mg/day I draw the conclusion that once again, what we are

getting is only a deficiency if American-recommended levels are applied to

us. It might even be possible that Americans are getting a zinc overdose! It

might be just a matter of viewpoint.

I wonder if American children are being dosed with 10 mg/day through baby

food etc. Ingested zinc passes through the pancreas and is a part of the

insulin storage mechanism - could that possible overdose be having an

adverse effect on American children and account for some of the reported

rise in the incidence of type 2 diabetes amongst the very young over there?

[1] Gyorffy, E.J., Chan, H.: Copper deficiency and microcytic anemia

resulting from prolonged ingestion of over-the-counter zinc. Am. J.

Gastroenterol. 87 (1992), 1054-1055.

[2] Yadrick, H.K., Kenney, M.A., Winterfield, E.A.: Iron, copper and zinc

status: response to supplementation with zinc and iron in adult females. Am.

J. Clin. Nutr. 49 (1989), 145-150.

[Guest guest]

Thornton wrote:

<< ... I wonder if American children are being dosed with 10 mg/day through

baby food etc. Ingested zinc passes through the pancreas and is a part of

the insulin storage mechanism - could that possible overdose be having an

adverse effect on American children and account for some of the reported

rise in the incidence of type 2 diabetes amongst the very young over there?

>>

A zinc deficiency is actually supposed to be harmful for diabetics. And I

think the explosion of type 2 among our youngsters is due to them being

these lazy little slugs who spend their lives in front of the TV and the

computer screen, combined with our incredibly crappy, sucky diet.

Susie