ZincDoes zinc lower blood sugar?
Updated 10 Nov 2026
Short answer
Zinc lowered blood sugar a little in trials, but a US health body finds the evidence too weak to draw conclusions. A 2019 review of 32 trials with 1,700 people found that fasting glucose fell by about 14 mg/dL and HbA1c by 0.55 percentage points with zinc.[1] The fall in fasting glucose was larger in people with diabetes.[1]
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says the evidence is not enough to draw conclusions about zinc for preventing or managing type 2 diabetes. A 2015 Cochrane review on prevention found only 3 small trials.[2] People who take medicines every day should discuss zinc with their doctor or pharmacist.[2]
Sources (2)
- Zinc supplementation improves glycemic control for diabetes prevention and management: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Wang X, Wu W, Zheng W, Fang X, Chen L, Rink L, et al. Am J Clin Nutr, 2019. PMID 31161192
- Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. ods.od.nih.gov
More about zinc
What is zinc?Which foods contain zinc?What is zinc used for?What are the signs of zinc deficiency?Is zinc safe?Do zinc lozenges help with colds?For education; not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change a supplement.