What is zinc good for?

⚠️ Disclaimer: I'm a hobbyist experimenting on myself. Take these results with a big grain of salt. Correlation is not causation!

Zinc is said to support the immune system, improve sleep, regulate blood sugar, among other things. I put zinc to the test, measuring how my zinc intake correlated with my sleep and vital stats (captured with a WHOOP band and an Apple Watch).

One unit in the graph corresponds to 25mg zinc. The initial high dosage was in error, but did not lead to any adverse effects.

Potential benefits of zinc

In my 120-day experiment, zinc intake correlated with:

• Decreased sleep respiratory rate
• Later bedtimes
• Improved Heart Rate Variability

My takeaways from this experiment:

• I might have had a slight zinc deficiency
• I experienced no strong adverse effects from supplementing zinc
• Zinc supplementation could be a reason for my improved sleep and recovery

Risks

If you do decide to try supplementing zinc yourself, be sure to not go over the recommended dose. Excessive zinc intake can cause nausea, abdominal pain, and impaired immune function, among other things. Consult healthcare professionals before starting any new supplement regimen.

If you want to include zinc in your diet, some foods high in zinc are: oysters, crab, beef, chickpeas, cashews, and oats.

Other supplements

• Vitamin D

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