Do zinc supplements give a metallic taste?

Question

When I take a zinc supplement I get a strong metallic taste in my mouth that takes hours to go away. I've read conflicting stories online about what that means, some say that's a zinc deficiency while others claim that you've taken too much zinc. Does anyone know the answer to this and can prove it by explaining what causes this taste?

Answer 1

How much are you taking? Are they chewable wafers? The USRDA for zinc is 15mg for adults; 20mg for pregnancy; 25mg for nursing. A highly processed diet requires more zinc. A diet rich in B6 and C requires less. Only 20% of this mineral is absorbed by the average person, so a supplement might have as much as 75mg and still be in balance. Too much zinc can throw your levels of copper out of whack. RDA for copper is .05 to .2mg.

Zinc enhances the sense of taste and smell and tastes awful (metallic.) I would suggest you follow the guidelines above and always take with a meal.

Answer 2

I have in the past suffered this metallic taste,  would like to suggest you visit your dentist first.   I needed an antibiotic to clear this up, which was prescribed by my GP.