Zinc can replace a balanced diet
9.0Strong
evidence
evidence
The Claim
Some individuals think that taking zinc supplements can substitute for a healthy, balanced diet, believing that they can receive all necessary nutrients through supplements alone.
Origin
This myth is often perpetuated by the marketing of supplements which suggest they can provide health benefits that are best obtained from whole foods.
What Science Says
Current evidence suggests that supplements cannot replicate the complex interactions and benefits of nutrients found in foods. A large cohort study indicated that whole food sources of nutrients, including zinc, provide additional health benefits that supplements do not, such as fiber and phytonutrients.
Verdict
False
Sources
- PMID:39592468 The effects of 3-month supplementation with synbiotic on patient-reported outcomes, exercise tolerance, and brain and muscle metabolism in adult patients with post-COVID-19 chronic fatigue syndrome (STOP-FATIGUE): a randomized Placebo-controlled clinical trial.
- PMID:37051178 Effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation during pregnancy on maternal, birth, child health and development outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review.
- PMID:16135188 The effect of micronutrient supplementation on treatment outcome in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis: a randomized controlled trial in Mwanza, Tanzania.