Can this zinc be taken together with multivitamins or other supplements? — Sw zinc picolinate body pref 22mg 60CP

The main thing to pay attention to when taking them together is the total amount of zinc from all sources. Many multivitamin complexes already contain zinc, often at a dose of 8–15 mg. If you add 22 mg from Swanson capsules to that, the total dose may prove excessive for daily intake.

The tolerable upper intake level of zinc for adults set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is 25 mg a day from all sources, including ordinary food. One Swanson capsule contains 22 mg of zinc (200% NRV) — that is already about 90% of this level, and together with zinc from ordinary food total intake may exceed it, so do not exceed the recommended daily dose (1 capsule a day) and do not add other sources of zinc without consulting a specialist. Exceeding this level for a long time is undesirable: excess zinc can interfere with copper absorption and cause other undesirable effects.

So before taking it together with multivitamins it's worth:

• checking the composition of the multivitamin complex and adding up the zinc doses;
• if necessary, choosing one source or alternating courses;
• consulting a specialist if taking high doses for a long time.

With most other supplements — vitamin D, omega-3, magnesium, vitamin C — zinc at a standard dose is usually compatible. The exception is high doses of iron and calcium: it's better to take them at different times of day so as not to reduce mutual absorption.

If you take medication, consult a doctor before use — this is stated on the label; with some medicines (for example, tetracycline antibiotics and fluoroquinolones), zinc is usually taken at a different time.