New Delhi: Hepatologist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, widely known as “The Liver Doc,” has strongly warned against using zinc supplements to boost immunity or prevent chronic diseases. In a post shared on June 26, Dr. Philips urged people to reconsider taking zinc unless medically necessary.
He emphasized that no reliable evidence supports zinc’s role in preventing colds, heart disease, diabetes, or COVID-19 in healthy individuals. Citing large-scale reviews, including findings from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and a 2024 Cochrane review of 26 studies, he stated that zinc neither prevents illness nor enhances health outcomes.
While some trials noted minor improvements in lab values such as blood sugar and cholesterol, these changes did not translate into fewer heart attacks, strokes, or deaths. Dr. Philips concluded that zinc supplements are only medically justified for rare conditions like copper overload or confirmed zinc deficiency. For the average person, he recommends a balanced diet instead of routine supplementation.
