• Lab Tests, Markers & Interpretations

  Zinc RBC

  Posted by Bahareh on May 22, 2023 at 8:40 am

  Hi guys,

  Last month I had my zinc rbc levels checked:
  886 ug/dl with ref range 1000-1800
  My Dr said it’s too low and prescribed me 100mg/daily for 3 months.
  Last night I saw Bernadette’s story abt always testing your levels and how too much zinc can deplete copper, which I had already learnt from her. But the only zinc/ copper combination I could find was Jarrow Formulas with 15mg/capsule zinc.
  So I just started taking zinc only.
  But last night it hit me suddenly that I had not checked for optimal zinc levels, as Bernadette always preaches☺️ and I found out that optimal levels are 878-1600 ug/dl
  Now i have taken 100 mg daily for 1 month, though my levels were actually ok, lower end, but maybe 100mg was too much!?
  Shall I just stop and retest in few weeks?
  And for future: is there any brand that has the combination with higher zinc levels?
  Thank you

  Bahareh replied 1 year, 8 months ago 3 Members · 8 Replies
• 8 Replies

• 

  Bernadette

  Member

  May 22, 2023 at 8:55 am

   good thinking about retesting your zinc. I would also measure copper and ceruloplasmin along with it to know if a deficiency was caused elsewhere.

  Also regarding optimal ranges – keep in mind that lab ranges differ from one lab to the next, so I do look at the lab’s reference ranges but know where that nutrient should be within that reference range. So for zinc, we like to see it in the upper 2/3rds of the clinical reference range. So supplementing was in fact a good idea in this case.

  However, 100mg is quite a high amount. I’m usually more cautious when supplementing with single nutrients. Typically, I’ll have my clients take 45-50mg per day for 30-60 days to help bring up their levels slowly, and then switch them onto a zinc/copper blend for another month or 2 to maintain balanced levels.

  Hope that helps.

• 

  Bahareh

  Member

  May 22, 2023 at 9:08 am

  thank you, will do that.
  Copper I test serum or rbc?

• 

  Bernadette

  Member

  May 22, 2023 at 9:13 am

   RBC if you can but it’s not common. So get serum zinc and copper and ceruloplasmin instead.

• 

  Daniel

  Member

  May 22, 2023 at 7:33 pm

  Hey ,

  Just out of curiosity, what form of zinc were you using?

• 

  Bahareh

  Member

  May 23, 2023 at 2:42 am

  Hi Daniel,

  Zinc Citrate (Allergy Research Group)

• 

  Bahareh

  Member

  May 23, 2023 at 2:44 am

  zinc rbc I can do at Healthbay (they did also my selenium rbc). Will ask for the other 2

• 

  Daniel

  Member

  May 23, 2023 at 11:19 pm

  ,

  Interesting. Sometimes these dosages can make people feel nauseous an hour after consumption. If this has happened to you, now you know why.  

• 

  Bahareh

  Member

  May 24, 2023 at 6:08 am

  I made sure to have it on full stomach. I even took it after lunch. Guess I was lucky thank you

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