When Symptoms of "Zinc Deficiency" Aren't Really Zinc Deficiency

Nutritionally, one of the interesting facts about zinc is that apparent symptoms of zinc deficiency may not be zinc deficiency at all.Symptoms resembling zinc deficiency are sometimes caused by infection with the Epstein-Barr virus or by Lyme disease, particularly if symptoms appear for the first time in adulthood. Infants who are given measles and hepatitis B vaccines at the same time sometimes develop Gianotti-Crosti syndrome, a condition with symptoms similar to those of zinc deficiency.

It's usually not a good idea to give zinc to babies. If you have reason to believe that you have been exposed to Epstein-Barr (for example, you suffer chronic fatigue), or if you spend a lot of time in the woods during the summer, don't immediately suppose that your symptoms are due to zinc deficiency. It may be better to consult a nutritionally oriented physician or an astute natural health practitioner.