Wilsons Disease

Zinc is known for its ability to reduce copper absorption and has been used successfully in patients with Wilson’s disease,¹ with some trials lasting for years years.^2,3 Researchers have called zinc a “remarkably effective and nontoxic therapy for Wilson’s disease.”⁴ The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of zinc to treat Wilson’s disease for maintenance therapy following drug therapy, although some scientists recommend that it be considered for initial therapy as well.⁵

Zinc has also been used to keep normal copper levels from rising in people with Wilson’s disease who had previously been treated successfully with prescription drugs.⁶ Zinc (50 mg taken three times per day) has been used for such maintenance therapy,⁷ though some researchers have used the same amount of zinc to successfully treat people with Wilson’s disease who had not received drug therapy.⁸

Zinc is so effective in lessening the body’s burden of copper that a copper deficiency was reported in someone with Wilson’s disease who took too much (480 mg per day) zinc.⁹ Nonetheless, zinc may not help everyone with Wilson’s disease. Sometimes increased copper levels can occur in the liver after zinc supplementation;¹⁰ however, leading researchers believe this increase is temporary and may not be not harmful.⁸

Zinc supplementation (25 mg or 50 mg three times daily) has also been used to successfully treat pregnant women with Wilson’s disease.¹² Management of Wilson’s disease with zinc should only be undertaken with the close supervision of a doctor.