Question Re: ZMA

[DavidCC]

If you offered a prize for craziest question of the day, this would probably be a winner. But I'm going to ask it anyway.

Is there anything in/about ZMA that would act as a blood thinner? About three days after I started taking it (according to the instructions on the label) my gums started bleeding when I brushed my teeth. Took awhile to make the connection, but when I stopped the ZMA the problem went away within a day or so. I made no changes to my dental hygiene routine.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Not crazy at all. Excess zinc supplementation affects copper metabolism and absorption, which can, in certain cases, cause copper deficiency. A copper deficiency can cause defects in the crosslinking of collagen and elastin (IIRC) thus resulting in some "scurvy"-like symptoms. No, this does not qualify as medical advice.