Zinc and curcumin are widely available supplements taken for a variety of health purposes. Although they each have specific medicinal uses, both zinc and curcumin are strong antioxidants and are sometimes recommended for treating rheumatoid arthritis, HIV, diabetes, and certain viral or bacterial infections. Zinc and curcumin are also sometimes taken together to help treat osteoarthritis. Talk with your doctor before taking curcumin and zinc.
Identification
Curcumin is the main constituent in turmeric, an herbal remedy used for thousands of years to help treat a variety of health conditions, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Turmeric is also a popular spice and food-coloring agent. Zinc is an essential mineral that's found in every cell of your body and supports the production of hundreds of key enzymes, reports the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. You can get zinc from your diet, specifically from foods such as meats, eggs, tofu, wheat germ, oysters and other seafood, and black-eyed peas, notes the University of Michigan Health System.
Function
Zinc plays an important role in protein synthesis, cell reproduction, healthy vision, immunity, fertility and wound healing, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Zinc also acts as an antioxidant to protect your body's cells from damage by free radicals. Curcumin also acts as a powerful antioxidant. Additionally, curcumin appears to have anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, anticoagulant and anticancer actions. Curcumin might stimulate bile production in your gallbladder and lower your cholesterol and blood-sugar levels, as well as provide antiviral and antibacterial effects, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Uses
Both zinc and curcumin might help treat rheumatoid arthritis, HIV, diabetes, and certain viral or bacterial infections. The curcumin in turmeric is sometimes used to treat ulcerative colitis and indigestion, according to the University of Michigan Health System.
Zinc is used for general nutritional support as well as for treating deficiencies, acne, common colds, acrodermatitis enteropathica, Wilson's disease, wounds, Down syndrome, male infertility and night blindness. Zinc might help treat macular degeneration, anorexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, benign prostatic hyperplasia, depression, cold sores and eczema, states the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Dosages
Turmeric or curcumin can be taken in the form of 30 to 90 drops of fluid extract daily, 15 to 30 drops of tincture four times daily or 400 to 600 mg of powder-filled capsules three times daily, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. You can alternatively consume 1-1/2 to 3 g of cut turmeric root each day or take 1 to 3 g daily of the dried powdered root. The recommended daily intake of zinc is 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women, with an increased intake of 13 mg for pregnant women and 14 mg while breast-feeding, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Therapeutic dosages of zinc are typically much higher, however. Under a doctor's supervision, up to 50 mg of zinc per day may help to treat certain health conditions, notes the University of Michigan Health System. In addition to tablet supplements, zinc also comes in the form of lozenges, nasal gels and topical ointments. Ask your physician about the dosage that's right for you before taking curcumin or zinc.
Warning
Taking zinc usually causes few, if any, side effects like stomach upset, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. But taking high doses of zinc -- typically more than 100 mg daily -- over long periods can lead to toxicity, causing immune-system impairment, copper deficiency, anemia, low HDL or "good cholesterol" levels, increased prostate-cancer risks and heart problems. Curcumin also causes few side effects, but it can stimulate uterine contractions at high doses during pregnancy and worsen gallstones or bile-duct obstructions, warns the University of Michigan Health System. Turmeric and curcumin can interact negatively with certain medications, such as blood-thinners like Coumadin and aspirin, diabetes drugs, and stomach acid reducers like Pepcid, Zantac and Prevacid, cautions the University of Maryland Medical Center.
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