How much Zinc should I take daily?

Introduction

Zinc is an essential mineral required for numerous processes in the body, including immune function, DNA synthesis, and cell division. Determining the appropriate daily intake of zinc is important for maintaining health and preventing deficiencies.

Key Insights from Research Papers

Dietary Reference Values for Zinc:
- Adults' zinc requirements are closely related to body size, with no detectable sex differences after adjusting for body weight.
- Average Requirements (ARs) for dietary zinc range from 6.2 to 10.2 mg/day for women and 7.5 to 12.7 mg/day for men, varying with phytate intake levels.
- Population Reference Intakes (PRIs) suggest a range of 7.5 to 12.7 mg/day for women and 9.4 to 16.3 mg/day for men, considering individuals at the 97.5th percentile for body weight.
- For infants and children, ARs range from 2.4 to 11.8 mg/day, with PRIs from 2.9 to 14.2 mg/day.
- Additional zinc requirements for pregnancy and lactation are estimated at 1.6 and 2.9 mg/day, respectively.
Revised Reference Values for Zinc Intake:
- Recommendations for zinc intake for adults, pregnant, and lactating women range from 7 mg/day to 16 mg/day, depending on sex and dietary phytate intake.
Daily Dietary Zinc Intake Observations:
- The mean intake value for adults in Belgium is reported at 11.2±3.2 mg/day, which is below the suggested daily requirements of 15 mg/day for men and 12 mg/day for women.
Historical Perspective and Bioavailability:
- Metabolic requirements determined from radio-isotope studies and intravenous administration suggest a need of approximately 6 mg of zinc per day for adults to maintain normal plasma zinc concentrations and urinary excretion.
- Average zinc intakes for large segments of the U.S. population, including pregnant and lactating women, are below the RDA, with no apparent adverse effects.
- The zinc content of breast milk is lower than previously indicated, suggesting that breast-fed infants may receive less than the recommended intake.

Conclusion

The daily zinc intake for adults varies depending on body size, sex, and phytate levels in the diet, with general recommendations ranging from 6.2 to 16.3 mg/day. For specific populations such as infants, children, pregnant, and lactating women, the requirements are adjusted to account for growth and additional physiological needs. It is important to consider factors such as bioavailability and dietary composition when determining individual zinc needs.

How much Zinc should I take daily?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights from Research Papers

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for zinc

Dietary Reference Values for zinc range from 6.2 to 10.2 mg/day for women with a reference weight of 58.5 kg and 7.5 to 12.7 mg/day for men with a reference weight of 68.1 kg, considering dietary phytate levels.

Revised D-A-CH-reference values for the intake of zinc.

For adults, pregnant, and lactating women, recommended intake values for zinc range from 7 mg/day to 16 mg/day, depending on sex and dietary phytate intake.

Daily dietary zinc intake in Belgium measured using duplicate portion sampling

Belgium's mean daily dietary zinc intake for adults (11.23.2 mg/day) is below the daily requirements for men and women, but similar to other countries.

Zinc: requirements, bioavailabilities and recommended dietary allowances.

Zinc requirements for adults are approximately 6 mg per day, but current intake levels are often half or less than recommended dietary allowances, with no clear negative effects.

Zinc intake of the U.S. population: findings from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994.

Adolescent females aged 12-19 and adults over 71 years are at the greatest risk of inadequate zinc intake, with 55.6% of the U.S. population meeting the recommended intake.

Dietary zinc intake in man.

High protein foods and diets are also high in zinc, while those containing mostly carbohydrates are lower in zinc and nitrogen content.

Randomized controlled trial of the effect of daily supplementation with zinc or multiple micronutrients on the morbidity, growth, and micronutrient status of young Peruvian children.

Zinc supplementation alone reduces morbidity in young Peruvian children, while zinc+multivitamins and minerals increase morbidity.

Effect of daily zinc supplementation on child mortality in southern Nepal: a community-based, cluster randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Daily zinc supplementation in southern Nepal did not significantly reduce total mortality compared to placebo.

Zinc supplementation in infants born small for gestational age reduces mortality: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

Zinc supplementation in small for gestational age infants can significantly reduce infectious disease mortality.

Controlled trial of zinc supplementation during recovery from malnutrition: effects on growth and immune function.

Zinc supplementation significantly improves weight gain and host defense mechanisms in infants recovering from malnutrition, making it a recommended treatment for optimal recovery.

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