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Zinc deficiency is a real, worldwide problem that humanity is currently facing.
As humans, we’re consuming less Zinc-rich foods such as meat, shellfish and legumes than our paleolithic ancestors. In place of these highly nutritious foods, we’ve resorted to a much cheaper alternative – lots and lots of grains.
(Let me put on my white lab coat for a moment and explain the kicker here…)
Grains are high in a substance called phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of certain minerals including… you guessed it… Zinc!
This two pronged attack means that unless you live off Steaks and Oysters, with no grains (Zero-Carb Keto heads, I’m talking to you…) there’s a very good chance you should be taking a Zinc supplement.
From my personal experience, taking the right form of Zinc can help you reduce acne breakouts, feel more energized during the day and have more focus and drive.
However, I’ve taken some ineffective forms of Zinc before – Zinc Gluconate didn’t seem to do much at all for me.
(It turns out quite a few forms of Zinc aren’t absorbed too well by the body, with Zinc Gluconate being one of them…)
On the other hand, Zinc Picolinate is absorbed much better by the body, hence is a lot more effective.
Today’s article on Vitalized Future features my personal experience with NOW Zinc Picolinate.
Let’s dive in…
About NOW Zinc Picolinate
NOW Zinc Picolinate (Amazon) has been my go-to source of Zinc for quite some time.
It’s highly-soluble, meaning your body can actually utilize the Zinc in the capsules.
(The Achilles heel of many supplements is that they’re not absorbed well by the body. For me and you, this means we end up with a lighter wallet and expensive urine, but none of the glowing benefits they promised to deliver.)
Each capsule contains 50mg of Zinc Picolinate, which is on the high end for Zinc supplements. The combination of high strength capsules + a highly-soluble form in Zinc Picolinate has delivered me many of promised benefits of Zinc:
- Less colds
- Improved focus
- Less Acne breakout
I personally buy my capsules from Amazon.com, where you can get a bottle of 120 capsules for around 10 bucks – that is a fantastic price for a 6 month supply of high-quality Zinc.
To put this into perspective, 10 bucks will get you 2 large Starbucks these days, so around 20 minutes of pleasure. Why not take control of your health for the same price?
To put the icing on the cake, the capsules are super easy-to-swallow too.
(Is it just me who hates the feeling of “Chunky” tablets going down my throat?)
Let’s just say if you stop reading this article right now in order to grab a bottle of NOW Zinc Picolinate (Amazon), you will almost certainly be very happy with your decision.
NOW are a great supplement brand
NOW are a very reputable supplement brand; they’re a family run business since 1968, they use non-GMO ingredients and they’ve won multiple awards in the supplement industry, including the betternutrition Best of Supplements Award Winner in 2018.
What I also like about NOW is that they’re one of very few supplement brands who own and operate their own in-house laboratories.
This basically means they’re in control of the full production process of their nutritional supplements; a surprising rarity in the supplement industry.
Within these laboratories, NOW perform a whopping 16,000 tests each month, testing raw materials and ingredients, in-process ingredients, and finished products.
I’ve bought many supplements from NOW in the past, and based off my experiences with them combined with their operating processes, it’s easy to see why they win so many supplements awards.
They’re certainly a company I trust, and it’s fair to say that your health is in good hands by using their supplements.
NOW Zinc Picolinate Dosage
As mentioned earlier, each capsule of NOW Zinc Picolinate (Amazon) provides you with 50mg of highly soluble Zinc. Although NOW advise 1 capsule daily, be advised that 50mg equates to 455% of your RDA. I personally take 1 every other day to be on the safe side.
A wise man once said too much of a good thing is a bad thing and that logic applies here too.
It’s also important to take your capsule with/after a meal, as I’ve sometimes experienced stomach cramps when taking on an empty stomach.
(This seems to be quite common for people when taking on an empty stomach, so proceed with caution.)
Conclusion
From this article, you now know that Zinc supplementation is very important for most people eating a modern diet. Zinc deficiency is becoming much more common and supplementation is a safe, cost-effective and convenient way to tackle this problem.
Whilst it’s true… you don’t NEED Zinc supplements to avoid deficiency, the alternative would be to have a caveman style diet. For most people though, eating high-quality steak everyday simply isn’t affordable (or arguably healthy for that matter).
It’s also important to re-iterate that the form of Zinc you supplement with matters. A lot.
The form of Zinc you take has a yuuuuuge impact on how well it’s absorbed by the body.
By taking a Zinc supplement that’s poorly absorbed (ahem, Zinc Gluconate), you can say goodbye to the many benefits that high-quality Zinc has to offer.
Taking a form of Zinc that is highly absorbable (Zinc Picolinate) can improve your health for the better, as it did with me!
(Remember the Golden Rule of Zinc – Zinc Picolinate is your mate.)
NOW Zinc Picolinate (Amazon) is an excellent choice as it’s cost-effective, highly soluble, from a trusted brand and to put it simply – it works!
Since using NOW Zinc Picolinate, I’ve noticed less acne breakouts, more energy throughout the day and more drive, and I’m sure you’ll experience these benefits too.
Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Have you had the chance to try Zinc Picolinate before?
Please let us know if this form of Zinc has impacted your energy levels, skin and overall well-being.
Sources
NOW Zinc Picolinate (Amazon.com)
https://amzn.to/2HFHnQc
PubMed (Absorption of Different Forms of Zinc) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3630857
PubMed (The Importance of Zinc in Human Health) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3724376/
NOW Foods
https://www.nowfoods.com/now/nowledge/nows-world-class-labs
Your place is valuable for me. Thanks!
You’re welcome, hope you enjoy!
Im impressed, I must say. Really rarely do I encounter a blog thats both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. Your idea is outstanding; the issue is something that not enough people are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy that I stumbled across this in my search for something relating to this.
Thanks for your generous feedback 🙂
I had great success with last yr zinc to avoid colds. Ran out. Looked up dosage. Got a cal mag zinc. Decided to try this for cold season. Too strong for me. Didn’t feel right 1st day taking. Instead of tossing thinking of opening cap & putting half in liquid. Watcha think?? Paula
Hi Paula. Thanks for your comment! That sounds like it could work. Or if the taste isn’t great in liquid, you could always try just pouring half of it out and then putting the other half of the cap back on and swallowing it as normal. Let me know how you get on 🙂
Correction. Now Zinc Picolinate provides 50mg of Picolinate form of Zinc. There is about 21% of elemental Zinc in Picolinate from which can be absorbed. However, it is never absorbed 100%. Therefore, you get less than 10.5mg from one 50mg capsule.
Excessive absorption of zinc suppresses copper and iron absorption. The recommended intake of zinc for adults is 8 mg per day for women and 11 mg per day for men. Children need less zinc, with the exception of young women between the ages of 14 to 18, who need 9 mg/day.
Hey Jamal,
Too much of anything is bad for you of course!
Where did you find those recommended doses? I’d love to see the source.
Robb
Hey Robb,
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020, The recommended intake of zinc for adults is 8 mg per day for women and 11 mg per day for men. Children need less zinc, with the exception of young women between the ages of 14 to 18, who need 9 mg/day
References
1. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey
2. Journal of Clinical Toxicology.
https://www.omicsonline.org/copper-and-zinc-biological-role-and-significance-of-copper-zincimbalance-2161-0495.S3-001.php?aid=3055
Thanks for the references. The JoCT is a super interesting read.
The only issue I have with Dietary Guidelines is that they assume you’re not deficient, but as stated in your referred JoCT, Billions of people are in fact deficient.
Robb
Zinc is an essential trace mineral that helps to transfer vitamin A from the liver to the retina, zinc increases the absorption of vitamin A and maintains the blood’s vitamin E.
As men reached 50 and above, there’s a natural decline in zinc.
The classic physical sign of lack of zinc is WHITE SPOTS on your fingernails.
Zinc is more rapidly depleted when a person is under stress and also through sweat. Chronic diarrhea leads to excessive loss of zinc (Zn), long term use of oral contraceptives may reduce zinc level.
Symptoms:
Zinc deficiency means unhealthy prostate and unhealthy sex life.
– Muscles weakness
– Low six drive
– Poor sense of smell and taste
– Hearing problems
– Loss of appetite
– Hair loss
A diet high in fiber and phytate (eg, in whole-grain bread) reduces zinc absorption.
https://www.msdmanuals.com/en-nz/professional/nutritional-disorders/mineral-deficiency-and-toxicity/zinc