Zinc Intake Recommendations

General Adult Recommendations

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends a daily zinc intake of 12.7 mg/day for women and 16.3 mg/day for men, with average requirements ranging from 6.2-10.2 mg/day for women and 7.5-12.7 mg/day for men, to maintain biochemical and immunological function while preventing deficiency 1, 2
When dietary intake falls short, particularly in those not regularly consuming high-protein foods, supplementation with 15 mg/day is appropriate, according to recent guidelines 1, 3, 4

Prioritize dietary zinc from high-protein foods including dark meats, cheese, eggs, and nuts, as dietary zinc shows stronger protective effects than supplemental zinc, with evidence from large prospective cohorts demonstrating that dietary zinc intake of 8-16 mg/day reduces disease risk more effectively than equivalent supplemental intake 1, 5, 6

For post-bariatric surgery patients, standard procedures require 15 mg daily, while malabsorptive procedures require at least 30 mg daily 7

When supplementing with zinc, maintain a ratio of 8-15 mg zinc to 1 mg copper to prevent copper deficiency, as high zinc intake relative to copper causes copper depletion 7

For patients with suspected deficiency, clinical and biochemical improvement should be evident within 3-4 months of appropriate supplementation at 0.5-1 mg/kg per day of elemental zinc 7