Benefits of taking Vitamin C and Zinc Together

 Vitamin C and zinc are two supplements that many people take to improve immune health and prevent illness. In a chewable form, they compliment each other in the mouth and throat shortening the duration of throat infections. Zinc has broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties effective against the growth of fungi as well as bacteria and zinc status is a critical factor that can influence antiviral immunity

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. ¹

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. ²

Benefits of Vitamin C ¹

• 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.34
• 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.5 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.6
• 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.3
• 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 Zinc

Zinc 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.⁷

It is possible to get enough zinc through your diet if you are not Vegetarian and difficult if you are vegan. Zinc is found in many foods, including fish, beef, pork, turkey, eggs, and breakfast cereals. Some of the potential health benefits of zinc supplements include: ⁸²

• 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.⁹ 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.¹⁰
• 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.¹¹¹²
• 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 Together

Among others, both vitamin C and zinc may also decrease the severity of symptoms, and the number of sick days caused by the common cold.²⁹¹

How To Take a Combination of Vitamin C and Zinc

Vitamin C and Zinc are available in supplements containing only Sona ZinC chewable tablets.  Sona ZinC Chewable tablets can be taken at any time of day, with or without food.

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.¹

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 45 milligrams per day. The upper limit for zinc is established based on the levels that may cause copper absorption issues and may result in anaemia.⁸²

Side Effects of Taking a Combination of Vitamin C and Zinc

At the recommended dosages, there are no known side effects from taking vitamin C and zinc together.

References:

1. National Institute of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C.
2. National Institute of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Zinc.
3. Nat Med. Vitamin C. In: Nat Med. Nat Med; 2024.
4. National Institute of Health COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines. Vitamin C
5. Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The role of vitamin C in skin health. Nutrients. 2017;9(8):866. doi:10.3390/nu9080866
6. Guan Y, Dai P, Wang H. Effects of Vitamin C supplementation on essential hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020;99(8): e19274. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000019274
7. Marreiro DD, Cruz KJ, Morais JB, et al. Zinc and oxidative stress: current mechanisms. Antioxidants (Basel). 2017;6(2):24. doi:10.3390/antiox6020024
8. Nat Med. Zinc. In: Nat Med. Nat Med; 2024.
9. Hunter J, Arentz S, Goldenberg J, et al. Zinc for the prevention or treatment of acute viral respiratory tract infections in adults: a rapid systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ Open. 2021;11(11): e47474. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047474
10. National Institute of Health COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines. Zinc.
11. Cervantes J, Eber AE, Perper M, et al. The role of zinc in the treatment of acne: A review of the literature. Dermatol Ther. 2018;31(1). doi:10.1111/dth.12576
12. Lin PH, Sermersheim M, Li H, et al. Zinc in wound healing modulation. Nutrients. 2017;10(1):16. doi:10.3390/nu10010016
13. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary supplements: What you need to know.