Cunningham F, et al. (2021). A potential new role for zinc in age-related macular degeneration through regulation of endothelial fenestration.

Hashemian M, et al. (2015). Systematic review of zinc biochemical indicators and risk of coronary heart disease.

Some commonly used ingredients that aren’t vegan-friendly include digestive enzymes like lipase, caprylic acid from milk, gelatin, and magnesium stearate, which is often pork-derived.

One meta-analysis from 2017 concluded that lozenges containing zinc acetate were effective at shortening the duration of cold symptoms by nearly 33% ( 8).Zinc supplements are generally well tolerated, though they’ve been associated with adverse side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain in some people. Plus, exceeding 40 mg per day of elemental zinc can cause flu-like symptoms like fever, coughing, headache, and fatigue.