Can You Take Vitamin C and Zinc Together?...

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Medically reviewed by Suzanne Fisher, RDMedically reviewed by Suzanne Fisher, RDVitamin C and zinc are two supplements that many people take to improve immune health and prevent illness.Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin found in foods like fruits and vegetables. It plays an important role in supporting your immune system, building collagen, helping your body absorb iron, and protecting cells from damage. Since the body can’t make vitamin C, you must get it from your diet or supplements.Zinc is an essential mineral that helps with cell growth, metabolism, and immune function. Most people get enough zinc from food, but supplements can help if you're not meeting your daily needs. Zinc plays an important role in fighting infections and keeping your immune system strong. Your healthcare provider might recommend vitamin C and zinc supplements based on your health needs.Benefits of Vitamin CVitamin C is important for many body functions. It supports the immune system, helps your body make collagen, and aids in iron absorption. It is an antioxidant, which means it helps protect the cells in your body from damage that can lead to diseases like cancer or heart disease.Vitamin C is present in many foods, especially fruits and vegetables such as oranges, grapefruit, peppers, kiwi, and broccoli. Most people with well-rounded diets get enough vitamin C from food. Some of the potential health benefits of vitamin C supplements include:Boosts immune health: Vitamin C is often used to prevent and treat colds. It may reduce the risk of getting sick, shorten the duration of a cold, and lessen its severity, especially for people exposed to extremely cold temperatures.Improves skin health: Vitamin C helps create collagen, which gives your skin, muscles, bones, and connective tissue structure. Its antioxidant properties also help protect your skin from UV-induced damage. Known side effects of low vitamin C include fragile skin and delayed wound healing.Reduces cardiovascular disease risk: Vitamin C's antioxidants may help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, though more research is needed to confirm these effects.Improves eye health: Vitamin C’s antioxidant effects may help prevent conditions like age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.Aids in iron absorption: Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron found in foods, especially in people with low iron.Treats vitamin C deficiency: Vitamin C deficiency can lead to a rare health condition called scurvy. Symptoms include fatigue, swollen and bleeding gums, and slow-healing wounds. Your risk of developing a vitamin C deficiency is heightened if you are malnourished, smoke, have malabsorption issues, or have a chronic disease such as end-stage renal disease or cancer.Benefits of ZincZinc is an essential mineral necessary for many processes in your body, including immune function, digestion, and nerve health. It also helps protect cells from damage, which can reduce the risk of illnesses like cancer and heart disease.It is possible to get enough zinc through your diet. Zinc is found in multiple foods, including fish, beef, pork, turkey, eggs, and breakfast cereals. Some of the potential health benefits of zinc supplements include:Boosts immune health: Zinc helps your body fight off infections and can shorten the length of a cold. Some studies show that people who take zinc supplements recover faster from cold symptoms. Zinc may also help treat pneumonia, HIV, and cold sores. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding whether zinc can prevent or treat COVID-19 infections.Improves skin health: Zinc can reduce acne, control oil production, and decrease inflammation in the skin. It also promotes wound healing and helps repair cell membranes.Treats zinc deficiency: A lack of zinc can lead to skin problems, slow wound healing, and cognitive issues. People who are malnourished, eat a limited diet (such as vegans), have a history of excessive alcohol use, are pregnant or lactating, or have malabsorption concerns are at a heightened risk for zinc deficiency.Prevents eye disease: Zinc is necessary for eye health and helps prevent damage to the retina. Studies have shown that zinc supplementation may delay the start of age-related macular degeneration and vision loss.Benefits of Taking Vitamin C and Zinc TogetherTaking vitamin C and zinc together may benefit people interested in boosting their immune system and overall health. Both supplements are essential on a cellular level.They may boost immune, skin, and eye health and prevent disease. Both vitamin C and zinc may also decrease the severity of symptoms and number of sick days caused by the common cold.How To Take a Combination of Vitamin C and ZincVitamin C and zinc are available in supplements containing only vitamin C or zinc. You can also purchase multivitamins or combination products, where one or both of these vitamins are combined with other vitamins and minerals.Vitamin C supplements can be found in powders, capsules, gummies, liquids, and topical forms (lotions, serums, sprays, patches). There are also different types, including ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, and calcium ascorbate. Ascorbic acid is the most common type of vitamin C found in supplements.Zinc supplements are available in liquids, mouth rinses, lozenges, capsules, and topical forms (lotion, gel, ointment, cream). They also come in different types, including zinc sulfate, gluconate, citrate, and picolinate.Products containing vitamin C or zinc can be taken at any time of day, with or without food. Taking them with food may help limit the chances you'll experience gastrointestinal side effects.DosageYour dosage can vary depending on your current nutrient levels, your diet, and any health conditions you have. The type of product you're taking can also affect the dosage.The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C is not fixed. It's based on its ability to act as an antioxidant on a cellular level. The RDA is much higher than the recommended amount needed to prevent vitamin C deficiency. The recommended RDAs of vitamin C from food and supplements are as follows:For adult males: 90 milligramsFor adult females: 75 milligramsDuring pregnancy: 85 milligramsDuring lactation: 120 milligramsAn additional 35 milligrams of vitamin C is recommended for smokers.The RDA for zinc from food and supplement sources is:For adult males: 11 milligramsFor adult females: 8 milligrams During pregnancy: 11 milligramsDuring lactation: 12 milligramsIs It Safe To Take Vitamin C and Zinc Together?It is generally considered safe to take vitamin C and zinc together. However, high doses of vitamin C and zinc share similar digestive side effects, including stomach cramping, nausea, and vomiting. If you experience these side effects while taking them together, take them at separate times or with food.If you are using vitamin C to help with iron absorption, taking zinc with it may interfere with your iron levels. This interaction is much less likely when taking the supplements with food.Potential Drug InteractionsVitamin C and zinc may each interact with medications you are already taking. Medications that may interact with vitamin C and zinc supplements include:Chemotherapy and radiation: Some studies have shown that vitamin C's antioxidant effects may protect tumor cells from chemotherapy and radiation, making cancer treatments less effective. Other studies have shown that vitamin C helps to protect normal tissue and cells from the damaging side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Talk with your oncologist about taking vitamin C supplements.Statin drugs: Vitamin C may lower the effectiveness of statin medications used to treat high cholesterol, negatively affecting high cholesterol levels.Supplements: High doses of vitamin C may affect your body's ability to absorb various supplements, including copper and iron.Antibiotics: Zinc may reduce the absorption of many antibiotics in your body. Examples of interacting antibiotics include quinolones (such as ciprofloxacin), tetracyclines, and cephalosporins (like Keflex). To lower the chances of interaction, take your antibiotic at least two hours before or four to six hours after a zinc supplement.Penicillamine: Zinc can reduce the absorption of penicillamine, a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and Wilson disease. To minimize the likelihood of an interaction, take zinc and penicillamine at least one to two hours apart.Diuretics: Thiazide diuretics (such as hydrochlorothiazide) can make your body release more zinc in your urine, thereby lowering the amount of zinc in your body. Other diuretics, such as amiloride, may reduce the amount of zinc lost in urine, increasing the amount of zinc in your body.Supplements: Zinc may also interact with the absorption of various supplements, including calcium, copper, folic acid, iron, and magnesium.Check with a healthcare provider or pharmacist to determine the potential interactions between vitamin C and zinc and your other medications or supplements.What To Look ForChoose safe and high-quality products when shopping for vitamin C and zinc supplements. Keep in mind that supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the same way prescription and over-the-counter medications are.Opt for supplements tested by independent third-party organizations that offer quality testing, including United States Pharmacopeia (USP), NSF International, and ConsumerLab.com. This ensures the ingredients listed are the ingredients in the supplement.Can You Take Too Much Vitamin C or Zinc?Vitamin C and zinc supplements should not be consumed above the upper recommended limit unless recommended by a healthcare provider. The daily upper limit for vitamin C in all adults is 2,000 milligrams daily.There is a low risk of taking too much Vitamin C, especially since it is water-soluble. This means your body will not store too much of the vitamin and will eliminate what it does not need in the urine.The daily upper limit for zinc from food and supplements in all adults is 40 milligrams per day. The upper limit for zinc is established based on the levels that may cause copper absorption issues and may result in anemia.Side Effects of Taking a Combination of Vitamin C and ZincThere are no known side effects from taking vitamin C and zinc together. However, both nutrients have individual side effects. The most common side effects of vitamin C are diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps. Kidney stones have also been reported in people with a history or high risk of kidney stones.High zinc intake can cause numerous side effects, including dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and loss of appetite. Topical zinc side effects include burning, skin discoloration, and stinging when applied to irritated skin. Zinc may also interfere with copper and iron absorption in the body, leading to lower levels of each. Very high doses of zinc may also lead to magnesium absorption issues.A Quick ReviewVitamin C and zinc play important roles in cellular development, immune health, and disease prevention. If you do not get enough vitamin C and zinc from your diet, your healthcare provider may recommend taking supplements.People with certain health conditions, including malnutrition and gastrointestinal absorption issues, may benefit from taking vitamin C and zinc together. These supplements may also help improve overall immune health. Ask a healthcare provider if vitamin C and zinc supplements are right for you. For more Health.com news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Health.com.

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