Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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Hi folks,

just bought this zinc supplement: http://www.nowfoods.com/Supplements/Products-by-Category/Minerals/Zinc/M003538.htm

here's the problem: the page says it contains 50mg zinc as zinc gluconate. But zinc gluconate only comprises 7mg elemental zinc. So is it actually only 7mg of elemental zinc inside one tablet, or is it actually 50mg elemental zinc correspondig to a much higher dose of zinc gluconate?

So if I want to reach about 15mg zinc per day, it would be 2 tablets of 50mg zinc gluconate. But if they mean 50mg elemental zinc per pill, I would be heavily overdosing.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

flag	asked Oct 12 at 18:25 Thomy 3,124●2●5●18

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I would contact the company directly to be sure. – Lynn Oct 12 at 20:06

Mscott · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-12 19:29:22Z UTC

Typically, mineral supplements containing salts such as zinc gluconate will list the amount of the mineral, not the amount of the salt itself. Assuming this is true, I calculated (based on the % of zinc in the complex) that it contains about 307mg of gluconic acid bonded to the 50mg of zinc.

daz · Answer 2 · 2012-10-13 04:20:12Z UTC

That's 50 mg elemental zinc*
If you want to supplement @ 15mg zinc per day, then you'll need a smaller pill.
or take the 50 mg every 3 days (=16.6 mg per day).

There's not that many 15 mg zinc pills on the market, i take this one; Jarrow Formulas Zinc Balance
Note that it also includes 1 mg Copper (which i like).

*but don't take my word for it, as Lynn says, contact the company directly for your own peace of mind

Confused about zinc supplement

2 Answers