i think the dri is justification for an 11mg zinc dose...
Either the evidence on which the DRI is based is justification or there is none. I don't get this line of reasoning, though. AFAIK the DRI applies to a. total intakes to satisfy the needs of xx% of the population and b. dietary intakes. It is not a prescription for supplement manufacturers, or is it? Wouldn't using 50-80% of the DRI serve as a much better & conservative baseline, although,...
unless someone is eating oysters or red meat daily there zinc will be in the 100-150% DRI range. the average imminster consuming copious amounts of vegetables & nuts will have a z:c balance in favor of copper. zinc also is susceptible to binding by fiber and phytates, so total uptake will likely be less actual intake.
...that is a good argument, but OTOH paleo guys (not that I approve of such a diet) & those with an average diet will get plenty of zinc and will want to take the multi.
@Pike, no one knows if you don't check your diet via cron-o-meter, but as a rule of thumb most taking an additional 100% of the RDA (be it 11 or 15mg; 15mg may have been based on older data, as I also remember seeing this recommended intake) will be "overzincing" (i.e. getting much more than necessary) -- the question is whether this has any effects (positive or negative). If a slight zinc imbalance isn't dangerous, it may be justification enough for this arbitrary dose.
I don't have strong feelings either way. Whether we include consverative or very conservative doses won't change the fact that a diet should be individualised using cron-o-meter (and individual supps) in the first place.
well, my reason for supplementing zinc was not originally for the purpose of life-extension, as it would be (and hopefully not arbitrary!). i started supping zinc because i found some literature showing how awesome it was for treating ADHD (which i have >> combined inattentive-impulsive type.) and, although i haven't looked it up specifically, i read somewhere on the ADHD boards that zinc will also boost the efficacy of other ADHD meds, which spells out a lower dose for me (and the lower the dose, the better with those things). that, plus i think my prescrip amphetamines do a good job of punching my zinc levels in the face (but i'm not sure about this aspect). i know they deplete magnesium, i might be confusing it for zinc.
either way, my reason was for ADHD, not because i was worried about a defficiency/insufficiency.
when it comes to life-extension, my forte of knowledge is in nootropics, so zinc would be out of my specialty. any of you Imminsters out there know if an extra supplemented 15mg per day could start tinkering me in the wrong way? <<-- on that note, i DON'T take a multivitamin, so i don't have any other supplemental zinc in my day.
also: is cron-o-meter macintosh friendly?
edit: oh, and when i said "over zincing" i meant it in the sense of toxicity. off-hand, i thought i remembered reading that too much zinc will have immunosuppressant effects, so now i'm a bit concerned if i should take this zinc supp.
Edited by Pike, 16 November 2009 - 10:51 PM.