If the daily recommended zinc intake is around 12mg, then why do zinc supplements come in 50mg tablets?

Question

Wouldn't that cause zinc toxicity (40mg) or am I missing something here?

http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/cc/zinc.html

Answer 1

there is a big difference between the RDI and therapeutic intake amounts. A therapeutic dose can be up to 100mg, anything above that is consider to be possibly toxic.

Answer 2

Daily recommended allowances amounts are not limits,but recommendations of amounts to prevent disease. Men need more than women and even 100MGs a day is safe for them. It needs to be balanced out with 3 mgs of copper though because excess of Zinc makes Copper levels go down and vise versa,BUT NEVER TAKE MORE THAN 3mgs OF COPPER A DAY! Not to be scared,but copper's limit is 3mgs a day and more than that damages organs.