com Zinc Gluconate Powder - Zinc 40mg, Zinc Powder - Zinc Supplement for Immune Support - Gluten Free, 285mg per Serving, 5kg (11 lbs) (Pack of 5)

This is a good product with good deal for bulk pricing. I got it because of the immune benefits of zinc directly in mouth, compared with a capsule/tablet which gives zinc but not directly on mucous membranes. But it is very important to take care not to overdose, since the recommended dose is only 1/16 - 1/8 teaspoon. I had a bad experience with this product, but it was my own fault. I had this powder in a mason jar which I labeled with a sharpie. Also I had another bottle with L-tyrosine amino acid bottle which I labeled with a sharpie. Over a period of months, the sharpie wore off. The taste of the zinc powder is totally different than the amino acid Tyrosine. the zinc powder tastes terrible, but L-tyrosine has a neutral taste. Other than that, the powders look the same with around the same texture. It takes a moment of being in your mouth to taste the difference. I thought I was being careful enough since I could easily tell the powders apart based on that but one eventful day I was in a hurry and made a mistake. I put about 2 TABLEspoons of the powder in a glass of water (not an overdose for tyrosine) and I thought it was tyrosine but it was Zinc. Due to the sharpie wearing off, I couldn't tell that way. So I drank the mixture and just as I swollowed I realized it was the ZINC not the tyrosine. Stupid mistake, I know! I'm not in the habit of doing things like that. So, I estimate I took in around 21 grams of zinc gluconate which puts it at least 3 grams of elemental zinc. Definitely a toxic dose. I realized Immediately that I might be in trouble so I looked around to what might help me for the zinc poisoning, and I took around a teaspoon of EDTA powder (to chelate any free zinc) and I found a bunch of activated charcoal pills and took them. The activated charcoal was probably about the best thing I could have done - it probably saved my life. With in around 5 mintues I started vomiting uncontrollably in the bathroom and rapidly became so weak I had to lie down in the bathroom. Then I lost conciousness. Once I woke I felt so terrible that I felt like I was going to die and I could not get up at all. I called to my 9 year old son to call 911. It happened to be his birthday and there was no other adult in the house. He called 911 for me - but it was a traumatic experience for him. By the time the ambulance came, I had such severe muscle cramps all over I was screaming due to excruciating pain. I told them about the zinc, but no one seemed to know what to do about zinc poisoning. The big question was "How much is too much" they got me to the ER and they gave me 2 liters of IV fluids and told me I had a viral infection. There was no reason to think I had a viral infection, but I just think it was easier for them to call it that since they really didn't seem to know what else to do. I did feel better after IV fluids but I think it is really good that I did n't have enough zinc to kill me. If i hadn't taken the activated charcoal, it might have killed me. I realize that I did something stupid here, by accident, and it is not the fault of the company that makes bulk powders. I wanted to mention this story as a warning to take care to use every precaution to not mix up these bulk powders and to not take too much. Labeling with a sharpie is not enough. It's also easy to think that because it is in powder form, that whether you take an 1/8 teaspoon or 1 teaspoon, it doesn't matter that much when it is in powder form, although logically it does matter. Free amino acids like tyrosine are not dangerous if you take too much, but when it comes to things like zinc - where the recommended dose is so small to start with, you need to be EXTRA EXTRA careful. The good thing about this product - it is zinc gluconate which is a chelated form zinc and is safer for overdose compared to a zinc salt - such as zinc chloride; or even zinc oxide. It's possible that if I had taken that much of a zinc salt that it would have killed me on the spot. All in all 5 stars based on the product - but you have to to know that YOU need to take the responsibility of safety on yourself when you buy any bulk powders.

Excellent, no taste

Review for BulkSupplements Pure Zinc Gluconate Powder. Great all around. This is so easy to take. I put it in my smoothies. So important to get zinc in your diet and this powered format makes it easy. Here are some of the benefits of taking zinc regularly "Zinc benefits the body in many ways: helps with hormone production, growth and repairment; improves immunity and facilitates digestion. Zinc benefits also include its ability to act as an anti-inflammatory agent, therefore zinc may have significant therapeutic benefits for several common, chronic diseases like fighting cancer or reversing heart disease. Zinc is actually present within all bodily tissue and needed for healthy cell division. It acts like an antioxidant within the body, fighting free-radical damage and slow the aging process. Zinc also has a big impact on hormonal balance, so for this reason, even a small zinc deficiency can result in an increased risk for infertility or diabetes. According to researchers at the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, zinc plays an essential role in numerous biochemical pathways: organ systems, including the integumentary, gastrointestinal, central nervous system, immune, skeletal, and reproductive systems… Zinc deficiency results in dysfunction of both humoral and cell-mediated immunity and increases the susceptibility to infection. (1) Without enough zinc present in your diet, it’s possible to experience negative reactions like frequently getting sick, feeling like you’re always tired and run down, poor concentration, stunted growth, and the inability to heal wounds."

I bought this powdered Zinc Gluconate because I live a life deficient in Zinc. So, I was more than happy to shell out the cash to buy this product, especially since it had great reviews. I use this powder with my vegetable / fruit smoothies to meet my daily value of zinc. I rated this product one star less than 5/5 not becaise of the taste or quality of the powder, which was top notch and tastes as zinc powder should, but because when my package came, although it was sealed, when I cut the seal the powder went flying all over the place, and upon trying to close the package after cutting off the protective sealing it wouldn't close at all because powder had previously been stuck and possibly been heated and then dried (due to shipping and packaging) in the locking mechanism for the bag that maintains freshness.