Assessment and Plan: Zinc
- Zinc should be consumed in the form of zinc containing foods, but the amount supported by research in randomized controlled trials is difficult to obtain from foods alone. Many of these trials show evidence of benefit for various health conditions at doses above the maximum recommended intakes. The most positive randomized controlled trials have supportive evidence for zinc gluconate and zinc acetate forms of the mineral to have the best potential for benefit in various health conditions. (2,3) Zinc orotate does not have enough research backed by randomized controlled trials to support its use. (1)