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Originally Posted by SciBin What I don't understand is how a mineral/vitamin complex can be dangerous. Is there credible evidence of negative side-effects due to ZMA use in this age group, and in women? |
I couldn't find any. I know that ZMA is safe for men and women and it works for both. It's just B6, Zinc and Mangnesium - in small amounts. One capsule contains 10mg Zinc, 150mg Magnesium and 3.5mg B6.
Zinc helps with wound healing, immune system support and in lozenge form it reduces length and severity of colds. The RDA for Zinc varies based on age and sex. For women aged 14-18 it is 9mg, for men that age it is 11mg, for women over the age of 19 it is 8mg for men it is 11mg. Vegetarians may need as much as 50% more zinc than non-vegetarians because of the lower absorption of zinc from plant foods, so it is very important for vegetarians to include good sources of zinc in their diet.
In 2001 the National Academy of Sciences established tolerable upper levels (UL),
the highest intake associated with no adverse health effects, for zinc for infants, children, and adults. For both males and females between the ages of 14-18 the UL for Zinc is 34 mg, for both above 19 yo the UL is 40 mg.
Magnesium helps your body builds bone, increase energy levels, promote heart health, enhance protein synthesis (muscle building). It is also a mineral we tend to be deficient in as a population - it's just not in the soil the way it used to be. The RDA for magnesium is 400 milligrams per day. (This is given for adults and children over 4 years of age, it excludes only pregnant or lactating women [who need more]).
B6 helps your body by supporting optimal nervous system function, improving emotional outlook/mood (serotonin synthesis), hemoglobin synthesis and red blood cell growth, immune support (white blood cell development) and it can aid in Arthritis relief. When combined with magnesium (300 mg/day as magnesium oxide), vitamin B6 (10 mg/day) appears to reduce oxalate excretion and decrease the occurrence of kidney stones. As a water-soluble B vitamin, B6 is generally very safe as a dietary supplement. Excessive intakes (2-6 grams acutely or 500 mg chronically) are associated with sensory neuropathy (loss of feeling in the extremities) - which may or may not be reversible. RDA for adults (19-50) is 1.3 mg; for men over 50 it is 1.7mg, for children aged 9-13 it is 1mg, for male children aged 14-18 1.3mg and for female children aged 14-18 it is 1.2mg.
So, I cannot see how taking ZMA could possibly be dangerous or ineffective for anyone - unless you're taking ridiculous amounts
Nat
ZMA and Teenagers 
