Zinc
Supports immunity, wound healing, growth, taste and smell, and hundreds of enzymes.
If you are short of it
Possible signs
- Frequent infections
- Slow wound healing
- Hair thinning or loss
- Loss of taste or smell
- Skin rash or dermatitis
- Diarrhoea
- Slow growth in children
- Poor appetite
These signs are common and have many other causes. They are clues, not proof; a blood test and a doctor can tell.
Who is more at risk
Vegetarians (phytates in grains and beans reduce absorption), pregnancy and breastfeeding, alcohol, chronic diarrhoea, coeliac disease, sickle-cell disease, older adults.
Foods rich in Zinc
| Food | Serving | Amount | women 19–50 | men 19–50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamb | 100 g cooked | 5 | 63% | 45% |
| Beef (lean) | 100 g cooked | 4.5 NIH | 56% | 41% |
| Beef liver | 85 g cooked | 4.5 | 56% | 41% |
| Fortified breakfast cereal | 1 bowl (30 g) — check the label | 2.8 NIH | 35% | 25% |
| Lentils | 1 cup cooked | 2.5 NIH | 31% | 23% |
| Chickpeas | 1 cup cooked | 2.5 | 31% | 23% |
| Oats (porridge) | 1 cup cooked | 2.3 NIH | 29% | 21% |
| Pumpkin seeds | a small handful (28 g) | 2.2 NIH | 28% | 20% |
| Black-eyed peas (lobia) | 1 cup cooked | 2.2 | 28% | 20% |
| Tofu (firm, calcium-set) | ½ cup (125 g) | 2 | 25% | 18% |
| Quinoa | 1 cup cooked | 2 | 25% | 18% |
| Fava beans (foul) | 1 cup cooked | 1.7 | 21% | 15% |
| Turkey breast | 100 g cooked | 1.7 NIH | 21% | 15% |
| Mung beans | 1 cup cooked | 1.7 | 21% | 15% |
Unit: mg. Share of the daily amount. Values marked NIH were checked against the food tables of the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements; the others are approximate and unchecked. Real foods vary with variety, brand, soil and cooking.
As a supplement
Zinc gluconate, acetate, citrate or picolinate; take with food if it upsets your stomach.
Too much
Long-term intake above 40 mg a day can cause copper deficiency, lower immunity and nausea. Zinc nasal gels and sprays have been linked to permanent loss of smell: avoid them.
How much you need each day
| Group | Recommended | Upper limit |
|---|---|---|
| Infants 0–6 months | 2 | 4 |
| Infants 7–12 months | 3 | 5 |
| Children 1–3 years | 3 | 7 |
| Children 4–8 years | 5 | 12 |
| Children 9–13 years | 8 | 23 |
| Boys 14–18 years | 11 | 34 |
| Girls 14–18 years | 9 | 34 |
| Men 19–30 years | 11 | 40 |
| Women 19–30 years | 8 | 40 |
| Men 31–50 years | 11 | 40 |
| Women 31–50 years | 8 | 40 |
| Men 51–70 years | 11 | 40 |
| Women 51–70 years | 8 | 40 |
| Men over 70 | 11 | 40 |
| Women over 70 | 8 | 40 |
| Pregnant 14–18 years | 12 | 34 |
| Pregnant 19–30 years | 11 | 40 |
| Pregnant 31–50 years | 11 | 40 |
| Breastfeeding 14–18 years | 13 | 34 |
| Breastfeeding 19–30 years | 12 | 40 |
| Breastfeeding 31–50 years | 12 | 40 |
Unit: mg. US/Canada Dietary Reference Intakes (National Academies), as summarised by the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Other countries’ values differ slightly. These are amounts for healthy people, not treatment doses.
Interactions
Avoid together · Copper
Long-term high-dose zinc (above about 40 mg a day) can cause copper deficiency. Take them in balance, as in many multivitamins.
Take care · Iron
High-dose iron and zinc taken together compete for absorption. If you take both as separate pills, space them out.
Take care · Calcium
Large calcium doses can slightly reduce zinc absorption.
Works together · Vitamin A
Zinc is needed to carry vitamin A in the blood, so zinc deficiency can look like vitamin A deficiency.
Medicines and habits to mention to your doctor
Tetracycline, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin
Minerals bind these antibiotics. Usually take the antibiotic 2 hours before or 4–6 hours after the supplement or dairy; check the leaflet.
Water pills (furosemide, thiazides)
Furosemide-type pills wash out magnesium, zinc, thiamin and calcium. Thiazides raise blood calcium, so calcium plus vitamin D supplements need a doctor’s check.
Regular alcohol
Alcohol blocks absorption and increases loss of thiamin, folate, B6, magnesium and zinc.
Page updated: 2026-10-08 · By Prof. E. Shalaan, Applied Sciences and AI (ASAI)