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Zinc


Karen

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I had a blood test for zinc and came back as deficient. Doing some reading, it looks like it's very readily available in red meat and chicken. Since I crave and eat both of those constantly - we're talking every meal, and often in large quantities for dinner - I'm assuming it's my body's way of telling me I'm not getting what I need from food and need to supplement.

Any recommendations on forms/types/brands or other foods to stock up on? My doctor gave me a dose; I just need to find the right kind. I can ask at my co-op but figured I'd start here, see if anyone has any pointers. (And, yes, I know to take copper with it.) In addition, if anyone has a story about being deficient and correcting it (and hopefully feeling much more awesome), I'd love to hear it!

Honestly, I'm thrilled it was low because a new doctor I saw recently felt that was the only thing that could explain my symptoms. If it was was normal, he was ready to throw me in the generic 'chronic fatigue' category... And he's even the head of the integrative medicine department!

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Yeah, I've seen similar lists. Of the ones I can tolerate and are readily available, I eat them in large quantities. In particular I've been going through pork shoulder like it's going out of style! Peanuts, legumes, cheese, seeds cause both bloat and digestion slow-down... we're talking a screaming halt... so those are out. I'm all about solving deficiencies with food, but I clearly have a deficiency that diet isn't helping with and is very likely contributing to my complete lack of energy for 2+ years, so I'm jumping into supplementation. There are several forms and am hoping for feedback on them from people that have experience.

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Update: I started supplementing mid-last week. I feel like a 100% different person. I never had any more energy on a Whole30, and despite eating lots of zinc sources daily, I apparently wasn't getting/absorbing what I needed. I now have a LOT more energy than I've had in a few years.

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Winddust - I'm still playing around with my doses a bit, trying to find that sweet spot that I had right after I started. It's been elusive since. In an interesting note, though - I haven't craved nearly as much protein since I started supplementing as I did before - I could have eaten it all day, ever day, and still wanted more - so perhaps I'm actually absorbing zinc now.

I've read that zinc picolinate is the least harsh on the tummy. Some people report stomach issues if they take other forms or on an empty stomach. I don't always take mine with food - sometimes I forget - but I haven't had any issues yet. Then again, I have an iron stomach... As for brand, I settled on the brand Now as it came recommended at my co-op.

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  • 2 years later...

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