Too much zinc?

I had been suffering from low libido lately and read that Increasing zinc in your diet can improve testosterone levels. I started eating a few oysters a day, and it might just be in my head, but after a few days my sex drive went up and I got erections easier.

Are there any dangers to eating too many oysters (>5 / day) or too much zinc?

Also, can someone suggest a cheaper alternative, ZMA maybe?

Yes, zinc for the average male should be kept under 100mg/day.

Zinc supplementation in excess can cause diarrhea and nausea and actually interfere with immune system function. Take zinc in the PM if supplementing as it can interfere with uptake of other minerals such as copper.

Take a good multi-vitamin and eat a diet that includes lean meat & nut proteins.

The health risk of taking too much zinc is moderate to high. Zinc toxicity has been seen in both acute and chronic forms. Intakes of 150 to 450 mg of zinc per day have been associated with low copper status, altered iron function, reduced immune function, and reduced levels of high-density lipoproteins (the good cholesterol). One case report cited severe nausea and vomiting within 30 minutes after the person ingested four grams of zinc gluconate (570 mg elemental zinc). The 1989 RDA committee stated that “chronic ingestion of zinc supplements exceeding 15 mg/day is not recommended without adequate medical supervision.” The National Academy of Sciences is currently reviewing recent research and considering new recommendations on zinc intake and risk.

Some food sources of zinc
Oysters, 6 medium: 76.4 mg of zinc
Beef chuck, lean, cooked, 3 oz: 7.4 mg
Pork tenderloin, lean, cooked, 3 oz: 2.2 mg
Baked beans, canned, 1/2 c: 1.8 mg
Cashews, unsalted, dry roasted, 1 oz: 1.6 mg
Pecans, unsalted, dry roasted, 1 oz: 1.6 mg
Raisin bran, 1 oz: 1.5 mg
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) canned, 1/2 c: 1.3 mg
Milk or yogurt, 1 c: 1.0 mg
Flounder/sole, cooked, 3 oz: .5 mg

If you were low on zinc before, your diet change may have helped. Adequate zinc is required for optimum testosterone production. However, consuming more than is needed won’t boost your testosterone higher.

If taking zinc supplements, realize that copper is competitive. If you ingest large amounts of zinc for long enough without providing enough copper in proportion you’ll eventually become copper deficient.

I started taking a pill of 30mg Zinc a day last year, and took it for a few months with good results relating to increase in semen load. I found it to be a easy and cheap way to increase load.

However, lately, I notice that even with one 30mg pill, I tend to get nausea and feel like throwing up. I also feel like something going to my head. Not really pain or dizziness, but just weird. Has anyone ever had similar symptoms?

I have stopped taking it for now.

zinc gluconate can be harsh on the stomach, take it with food and you’ll be fine.

I’ve been doing research on the proper amount of zinc to take (supplement) and it seems the average amount of zince a adult male needs a day is truly no more then 30mg. Most pills are a least 50mg . Some are even 100mg.

I would say to cut the pill (50mg) in half and take it at night away from any other medicine.

Anyone wanna back me up? :)

Well, here in Sweden we have 15 mg and 30 mg pills. I am at the moment taking one 30 mg pill each day in conjunction with my supper. Works great for me but I have only done that for about 2 months. My sex drive went up like crazy and I became horny as hell when I started taking them :) Also, I workout 4 - 5 days a week so I don’t think it is a problem that I take 30 mg of Zinc.

I take 50mg of Zinc is this fine? I’ve taken 220mg before, I only took one pill cause I was so scared after reading where it could make your prostate swell or have prostate cancer, I have chronic prostatitis now I don’t need anything else to go wrong with me!

Well, the recommended daily intake here in Sweden (as told by the Swedish Health Authorities) is 15 mg so 50 mg may be a bit overboard.

I found taking to much zinc caused my testosterone to get to high (like i am angry and horny all day high) and hair loss started to occur, when i stopped taking zinc (40-70mg a day) my hairloss stopped. i probably only get 10-15mg a day now and thats ok by me.

I’ve taken fairly high doses of zinc (150-450mg) and it would make me feel nauseous and dizzy. It felt like i wanted to puke out my stomach. I stopped using it but while I was on it my loads were bigger and i was hornier with stronger erections.

This is an old thread but if you are eating the zinc naturally you probably have nothing to worry about. Cray you probably just had a placebo effect but your testosterone can’t get “too high” from over dosing on zinc your post may make someone go do the same. Your amount of testosterone you had was probably just the natural amount your supposed to have and you wasn’t used to it. Most zinc supplements like other supplements, 1mg of the form of zinc they have doesn’t exactly equal 1mg of zinc which I don’t totally understand.

Blueray, high dose zinc can raise both testosterone and free testosterone. Need a lot more then 30mg of whatever to do that. If your moderately deficient than 30mg may bring one back to normal. You are correct about zinc supplements. 50 mg of zinc gluconate does not contain 50 mg of elemental zinc. More like a couple of milligrams. I don’t have the exact amounts in front of me at the moment. So one would have to take many, many pills to get 100mg of pure zinc.

Yes gluconate and sulfate (the one most doctors and studies use is the sulfate version) can cause one to have an upset stomach and some even throw up from it. Taking with food does usually prevent this. In fact in some studies the zinc was taken with a glass of milk. And I bet many here have read calcium interferes with zinc absorption. I’m sure it does but maybe not as bad as is thought? Calcium competes more heavily with magnesium.

Yes there is at least one study that correlates 100mg of zinc with prostate cancer. It also can effect the urinary track causing pee problems.

Yes to much zinc can accelerate hair loss just as to little zinc can.

Yes zinc can cause headaches.

The main zinc concern is it’s possible effect on copper depletion. It my compete with copper. If you have copper plumbing pipes in your house your probably getting plenty of copper if you drink your water. If you take a multi your probably getting plenty of copper. I would not worry about to little copper unless your actually taking 100+ mg of pure zinc every day for an extended length of time. One has to make up their own minds concerning all of this stuff.

It is doubtful one would take enough pure zinc to (acute dose) to wind up in the E.R. Chronic use may do that? I would cycle high doses if I decide to use it that way. I would not worry about dying from taking a couple of 100 milligram zinc gluconate pills. Again, it’s like maybe 20 mg of actual zinc. I would expect to feel sick and maybe throw up. I would also advise spreading doses through out the day. To avoid feeling sick.

Have fun. Play safe. Research every recommendation. Make your own informed choice.