Can I take a Zinc Supplement to Cure Warts?

Can I just take a pill everyday and cure my warts? Does it sound too good to be true? Let’s check out the research and find out.

The topic of oral supplementation of zinc to cure warts is a surprisingly well studied area. The first paper we’ll look is a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial which found that 87% of patients treated with 10mg of Zinc per day cleared their warts after two months, and 0% of the placebo group cured their warts.

Amazing right?

But before you run out and buy zinc, there are a number of follow up studies showing that the average serum level (level in the blood) of zinc in patients with warts is much lower than in the population without warts. So the actual theory is that if you have a Zinc deficiency, then you are much more susceptible to warts. And if you cure that deficiency through Zinc supplements, your body with be more able to fight off the wart.

To add to that, if you live in the US, actual Zinc deficiency is very rare, while these studies were done in areas where zinc deficiency is common.

The Role of Zinc in Antiviral Immunity

There was a recent paper (as titled above) that does a great job discussing zinc and how if affects our immune system. From their introduction:

Zinc is an essential trace element that is crucial for growth, development, and the maintenance of immune function. Its influence reaches all organs and cell types, representing an integral component of approximately 10% of the human proteome, and encompassing hundreds of key enzymes and transcription factors. Zinc deficiency is strikingly common, affecting up to a quarter of the population in developing countries, but also affecting distinct populations in the developed world as a result of lifestyle, age, and disease-mediated factors. Consequently, zinc status is a critical factor that can influence antiviral immunity, particularly as zinc-deficient populations are often most at risk of acquiring viral infections

The Role of Zinc in Antiviral Immunity, Read, Obeid, Ahlenstiel, and Ahlenstiel (2019)

The paper goes on to specifically discuss the state of research on zinc and wart treatments:

It would appear that both topical and oral zinc supplementation strategies have proven tremendously effective for cutaneous and genital warts. Unfortunately, the vast majority of studies are either underpowered, lacking suitable controls, or single case studies.

So we’re basically back to square one: the studies on zinc show it effectively treats warts but there are a lot of “buts” on why we should remain skeptical.

So what should I do?

It depends on your approach and what’s important to you.

Do we know oral zinc supplementation cures warts? No.

Are there risks of zinc supplementation? Of course. And it’s not free either.

Might zinc supplementation work if I happen to be zinc deficient? Yes.

Am I zinc deficient? Maybe? You’d only know if you get a blood test.

So let’s look at another way of thinking about the problem.

Foods High in Zinc

If you want to avoid the supplementation route or you want to get a sense if you’re getting enough zinc already in your diet (so you’re not deficient) let’s examine a few common foods high in zinc.

Beef: eat about 8 oz and you’ve gotten 100% of the zinc you need for the day.

A serving of shrimp, beans, pumpkin seeds, cashews, peanuts, cheese, a potato, or dark chocolate would each get you about a sixth of the zinc you need for the day.

Basically if you have a reasonably healthy diet, or you just eat a lot of meat, zinc is not going to be a problem.

Who should Supplement?

Only two kinds of people. First, people with a poor diet should either fix their diet or try a supplement. Second, people who haven’t had any success with other approaches might want to try supplementing with a moderate dose of zinc.

The Pure Encapsulations Brand type of zinc is well reviewed on Amazon and has a relatively lower dose of zinc. But why not try eating healthier instead?