# Zinc

Category: Vitamins & Minerals

Zinc is an essential mineral whose anti-inflammatory effects are largely mediated through the carbonic anhydrase enzyme, which regulates the balance between carbon dioxide and bicarbonate. Peat emphasized that zinc’s role in this enzyme system makes it a fundamental part of the…

10 passages · 3 authors · 1993–2024 · Most-cited: [Ray Peat](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/voices/ray-peat/index.md)

Canonical page: https://bioenergeticoracle.com/concepts/zinc

## Synthesis

**Zinc** is an essential mineral whose anti-inflammatory effects are largely mediated through the **carbonic anhydrase enzyme**, which regulates the balance between carbon dioxide and bicarbonate. [Source 1] Peat emphasized that zinc’s role in this enzyme system makes it a fundamental part of the body’s defense against stress and inflammation, working through the metabolism of carbon dioxide. [Source 1] He also described the *protein-synthesizing function of zinc* as analogous to vitamin A in its capacity to accelerate healing. [Source 5]

A deficiency of zinc has a distinct and clinically observable presentation. Peat noted that **white stripes across the finger-nails**, especially on the right hand, are a reliable indicator of a zinc deficiency, with menstruation being a common cause of loss in women, leading to multiple spots evenly spaced up the nail. [Source 7] The deficiency is also connected to the loss of smell and taste, as zinc is an essential factor for the *olfactory nerves and taste nerves*. [Source 1, 4] Peat explained that stress of any sort increases the protein metallothionein, which can carry zinc out of the body and produce a functional deficiency. [Source 4] A zinc deficiency is often associated with a deficiency of vitamin B6 and an excess of copper, and since estrogen is associated with zinc loss, other nutrients including vitamin E and folic acid should be considered when deficiency signs appear. [Source 7]

Regarding supplementation, Peat advised caution despite the mineral’s importance. He stated that taking 5 or 10 mg of zinc orally can replenish the body’s stores in a few days, but the supplement can oxidize other nutrients in the stomach or intestine, making it unsuitable for long-term use. [Source 2] He clarified that zinc is not directly an oxidant, but when used as a chemical supplement it can cause problems that it would not in the form of foods, and that both vitamin A and zinc are essential in the right amount for good skin health, but too much of either can disturb immune function. [Source 3] Topically, zinc oxide ointment has been observed to speed healing, and zinc chloride dissolved in vegetable oil was found to raise blood zinc very effectively when painted onto the skin. [Source 7] Peat also noted the safety of a **eugenol and zinc** paste for dental applications, describing the compounds as very safe. [Source 6]

The broader physiological context of zinc is tied to thyroid function and energy metabolism. Danny Roddy has written that zinc status influences the enzymatic conversion of T4 to T3 and helps facilitate the transport, storage, and utilization of vitamin A. [Source 9] Georgi Dinkov and Roddy have discussed a bidirectional relationship between thyroid and zinc, noting that *zinc transporters in the intestine are activated specifically by thyroid hormone*, making the isolated chasing of mineral ratios a fool’s errand outside the context of overall metabolic rate. [Source 8] Peat’s historical analysis also revealed that the early experiments on polyunsaturated fats by George and Mildred Burr were confounded by a diet specifically deficient in vitamin B6 and zinc, underscoring the mineral’s foundational role in metabolic research. [Source 10]

## People also ask

### How does zinc reduce inflammation through carbonic anhydrase?

Peat argued that zinc’s anti-inflammatory effects are largely mediated through the carbonic anhydrase enzyme, which regulates the balance between carbon dioxide and bicarbonate, making it a fundamental part of the body’s defense against stress.

### What nail sign indicates a zinc deficiency?

The corpus describes white stripes across the finger-nails, especially on the right hand, as a reliable indicator of a zinc deficiency, with menstruation being a common cause of loss in women leading to multiple evenly spaced spots.

### Why did Peat advise against long-term oral zinc supplementation?

Peat stated that while small doses can replenish stores quickly, the supplement can oxidize other nutrients in the stomach or intestine, making it unsuitable for long-term use despite not being a direct oxidant itself.

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## Cited passages

Passage numbers match the `[Source N]` markers in the synthesis above.

### Source 1 — Link to the audio version: Ray Peat Interview - KMUD - March 19th, 2021

Ray Peat · Interview · Mar 19, 2021

> **Ray Peat:** O, the zinc-rich foods are another very basic defense mechanism, adequate vitamin A. There have been studies in which just supplementing vitamin A reduced a wide-range of disease. Generally broad spectrum, balanced nutrition will increase your general health, your learning ability, your working ability, as well as the tendency not to become infected.
>
> **Herb Doctor:** We have a caller
>
> **Caller:** Lack of smell question
>
> **Ray Peat:** No I couldn’t hear
>
> **Herb Doctor:** People taking a long time to recover and experiencing a lack of smell. Any idea how to mitigate that?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Zinc is one of the essential factors for the Olfactory nerves and taste nerves, possibly because it’s involved in the carbonic anhydrase enzyme, it regulates the carbon dioxide versus bicarbonate, and that is a major anti-inflammatory factor. The anti-inflammatory effects of zinc are largely working through the metabolism of carbon dioxide.
>
> **Herb Doctor:** Zinc is quite rich in shellfish, oysters, mussels, clams. After looking at different zinc products, zinc gluconate seemed to be one that is well tolerated. I looked at some studies in regards to hepatitis and showed a correlation between low zinc levels and people infected with hepatitis... Do you think there is a relation there?

### Source 2 — Ray Peat Email Advice Depository — Post 47

Ray Peat · Email · Feb 23, 2013

> **Question:** [Zinc]
>
> **Ray Peat:** Taking zinc orally, 5 or 10 mg, can replenish the body's stores in a few days, but the supplement can oxidize other nutrients in the stomach or intestine, so it isn't good to use it for a long time."

### Source 3 — Ray Peat Email Advice Depository — Post 199

Ray Peat · Email · Jan 14, 2016

> **Question:** On skin health (acne)...
>
> **Ray Peat:** Zinc* isn't directly an oxidant, but when it's used as a chemical supplement it can cause problems that it wouldn't in the form of foods. Both vitamin A and zinc are essential in the right amount for good skin health, but too much of either can disturb the immune function. Irritation of the intestine is often involved in skin problems, and supplements always contain trace contaminants that can cause reactions. When ADM bought Distillation Products from Eastman several years ago, the composition of their vitatmin E products went through several changes, and competing companies began making similar changes. Since then research results haven't been as consistent as they were 40 to 60 years ago, and I stopped recommending amounts up to a few hundred units per day, waiting to see more results of research. Some of the products sold as vitamin E now contain significant amounts of PUFA, and lack some of the substances such as octacosanol that were in traditional products. The right amount of thyroid is essential for skin immunity and metabolism of steroids in the skin. Topical anti inflammatory things such as tetracycline and aspirin often produce the quickest response.

### Source 4 — One Radio Network: Great Monthly Talk with Ray Peat PhD (August 17, 2020)

Ray Peat · Interview · Aug 17, 2020

> **Patrick Timpone:** Okay. Here is somebody, Dr. Peat, Jeremy. He said he's lost his sense of taste and smell. And I've come up with a lot of unique symptoms that people as well, some other people I know are experiencing. Does Dr. Peat have any ideas if this COVID could be causing this?
>
> **Ray Peat:** A lot of stress inducers can cause, like I mentioned, the metallothionine protein is increased by stress of any sort. And among the things that it can carry out of the body and produce a deficiency of zinc is one of those. And the deficiency of zinc has been connected with the loss of smell and probably taste.
>
> **Patrick Timpone:** So when we do extra things like, say, like a good living source, calcium, we have a nice one, it's oyster, not oyster, but pearls, or other things like magnesium, things like that. Do we risk getting things out of balance if we don't do it carefully?
>
> **Ray Peat:** No. Oyster shell and eggshell calcium carbonate is very safe. If you take too much, just any pure chemical is going to be rejected by your stomach and intestine. Concentrated potassium chloride tablet, for example, has been known to effectively burn a hole into the stomach or intestine because the potassium chloride relaxes the intestine and then the concentrated pill sits there disturbing the water balance of the cells. Any concentrated large dose of table salt or vitamin B1, anything in a high concentration can disturb your stomach and intestine fairly seriously.

### Source 5 — Ask the Herb Doctor: Particles

Ray Peat · Interview · Apr 19, 2019

> ## Antiviral Herbs and Cell Stability
>
> **Andrew Murray:** I also wanted to mention pomegranate. I found an article mentioning the effect of zinc in conjunction with pomegranate rind extract being eight times greater in its viricidal activity than pomegranate extract alone. Do you have anything to say on zinc?
>
> **Ray Peat:** I think the protein-synthesizing function of zinc is like vitamin A for accelerating healing.

### Source 6 — Dr. Ray Peat | DNA, OBE & Dejavu, Vision, Liver, Ions, Cancer, Ray's parents and much more

Ray Peat · Interview · Jun 3, 2024 · https://open.spotify.com/episode/1V7nHSyImpegsLdJ9xJIiW

> **Primitive Initiative:** Sure.
>
> **Ray Peat:** Yeah.
>
> **Primitive Initiative:** I mean, the less invasive and as long as it's effective, why not? You know, it's amazing to me how people will commit to a surgery after just one doctor visit. when they haven't even explored less intense healing methods. It just seems kind of logical, but I guess we're being marketed to, right? Left and right. So one last thing. This isn't necessarily about your upbringing, but you had referred to eugenol and zinc in a previous podcast, and ever since then I've been really curious. If you've experimented with it, if you think it's a good temporary solution that somebody could do themselves, because we don't know how long supply chains are going to last and a lot of people want to get off grid and be more self-sustaining. So I think fillings, unfortunately, are going to be an aspect that people might need. Do you think having a store of eugenol and zinc paste and using that yourself would be intelligent? Yeah. Yeah. Just to be clear, it's okay for adults too, right?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Yeah, I've experimented with it, and the Sorrel cements require more dexterity and familiarity with the material, but you can make a longer-lasting...

### Source 7 — Nutrition for Women

Ray Peat · Book · 1993

> Significant quantities of fat (such as olive oil) can be given by massage when the person is too sick to eat. For years people have noticed that zinc oxide ointment speeds healing, just as zinc in the diet improves healing. Zinc chloride dissolved in vegetable oil was found to raise blood zinc very effectively when painted onto the skin. Zinc has been used successfully to treat stretch marks. Probably other minerals will enter the skin as easily — magnesium sulphate (epsom salts) is a traditional treatment for inflammations. Since carbon dioxide dissolves best in "oil loving" material such as the skin, it enters the body even against a concentration gradient. Adding baking soda to an epsom salts soak should make it more effective. Mineral oil, vaseline, and rancid vegetable oil should not be put on the skin. Lotions and other cosmetics generally contain mineral oil.
>
> ### Identifying Deficiencies
>
> Frequent nosebleeds, bloodshot eyes. and visible blood vessels on the cheeks and nose can be symptoms of a deficiency of vitamin B2. Vitamin C, rutin. and iodide are other nutrients that can sometimes correct blood vessel problems. A peculiar kind of irritability, sometimes with a sense of having your head in a kind of "cloud", is often a result of a vitamin B1 deficiency. If that is the cause, it will clear up within a few minutes after taking the vitamin. Magnesium deficiency is another common cause of irritability.
>
> White stripes across the finger-nails, especially on the right hand, seem to represent a zinc deficiency. Menstruation can cause loss of zinc, so that some women have five or six spots evenly spaced up the length of the nail, each resulting from one period. The length of the nail represents about six months' growth. A virus infection can have the same effect. The eyebrows sometimes become bristly in a zinc deficiency. A zinc deficiency is often associated with a deficiency of vitamin B6 and an excess of copper; since estrogen is associated with zinc loss, other nutrients including vitamin E and folic acid should be considered when the nails have white marks. Sore spots at the sides of the mouth often result from a vitamin B2 deficiency; other B vitamin deficiencies can cause a sore tongue, and a niacin or protein deficiency can show up first in the gums as tenderness or bleeding.

### Source 8 — #62: Diabetes | CO2 | Mineral Balancing? | Coenzyme Q10 | Cognitive Capture | Parathyroid Hormone with Georgi Dinkov

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Jul 11, 2021 · https://open.spotify.com/episode/5BCM9X47a7GiCz9iMsQrnB

> **Danny Roddy:** But there was a paper I had on, it was like a woman experiencing really bad hair loss and she had obvious hypothyroidism, but they actually gave her zinc. And the problem resolved. But in the paper, they were talking about similar to this, talking about a bidirectional relationship between RAS and PTH. They were talking about a bidirectional relationship between thyroid and zinc and how, again, I'd have to get this paper on screen or whatever. But like the zinc transporters in the intestine were activated by specifically by thyroid hormone. And so again, it's just kind of a fool's errand to look at this mineral and that mineral and this vitamin and this vitamin outside the grand scheme of things. And especially since a low thyroid person is going to be chronically wasting magnesium, chronically wasting sodium. It's just, again, don't get me started on this. Okay. So let's talk about, uh, thanks guys. Sincerely appreciate. I think we have like 130 people watching right now. Guys, give us, give the show a like, uh, I sent it to Georgi, but like you type in Ray Peat and our episodes don't even come up. And so again, that's, uh, Google has reached a new low. Yeah. But, you know, it feels good when you guys show support or you comment or whatever, at least unless Georgi and I know that you enjoyed certain shows and didn't enjoy other shows, but we really appreciate it. And then speaking of search

### Source 9 — The Peat Whisperer

Danny Roddy · Book · 2012

> ### Zinc & Copper
>
> **Danny Roddy:** Zinc and copper are crucial factors in the production and utilization of energy. Zinc status influences the enzymatic conversion from T4 to T341 and helps facilitate the transport, storage, and utilization of vitamin A.42 Copper is crucial the production of the mitochondrial enzyme cytochrome c oxidase, which functions as the last step in the production of oxidative energy.43-45 A low metabolic rate or high estrogen levels can inhibit the absorption and utilization of copper while active thyroid hormone is needed for proper copper absorption. 46 Foods: oysters, liver, shrimp Iron Even a small elevation of iron can create oxidative stress, depletion of vitamin E, low progesterone, low testosterone, low fatigue and general suppression of the metabolic rate.47 Meat, shellfish, and liver are all sources of iron. Avoiding these foods can cause deficiencies in other nutrients, so inhibiting the absorption of iron is warranted. This can be achieved by consuming coffee and calcium with iron-rich meals.48 Coffee and calcium have been found to inhibit absorption of iron, while vitamin C can increase the absorption of iron.49 Foods: oysters, liver, red meat Selenium Selenium is a crucial nutrient for thyroid function,50,51 liver health,52 and the proper functioning of the immune system.53 Selenium is consistently found to be deficient in the diets of most Americans.54 Foods: eggs, beef liver, oysters

### Source 10 — Ask the Herb Doctor: Thyroid and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Ray Peat · Interview · Jul 1, 2008 · http://www.l-i-g-h-t.com/files/herb-doctors-thyroid-and-polyunsaturated-fatty-acids-new-56-mins.mp4

> **Ray Peat:** And even though Burr demonstrated that his fats lowered metabolic requirements, it apparently didn't occur to him that maybe the diet he was feeding didn't have enough of some other nutrient. The lab in Texas showed that it was specifically vitamin B6 and zinc which were deficient in the diet that George and Mildred Burr…

_Generated 2026-07-20 from the Bioenergetic Oracle corpus._