Ingredient library
Mineral
Zinc
Zinc is found in cells throughout the body. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements publishes an upper limit of Adults 40 mg. Read 2026-08-17.
What is Zinc?
"Zinc is found in cells throughout the body."
How much Zinc does NIH publish?
| Life stage | Amount | Printed table |
|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 2 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Breastfeeding teens | 13 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Breastfeeding women | 12 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Children 1–3 years | 3 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Children 4–8 years | 5 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Children 9–13 years | 8 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Infants 7–12 months | 3 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Pregnant teens | 12 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Pregnant women | 11 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Adults | 40 mg | Upper Limit |
| Birth to 6 months | 4 mg | Upper Limit |
| Children 1–3 years | 7 mg | Upper Limit |
| Children 4–8 years | 12 mg | Upper Limit |
| Children 9–13 years | 23 mg | Upper Limit |
| Infants 7–12 months | 5 mg | Upper Limit |
| Teens 14–18 years | 34 mg | Upper Limit |
Children and teens
Rows for children and teens appear in the table above, in NIH's own wording.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Rows for pregnant and breastfeeding life stages appear in the table above, in NIH's own wording.
What upper limit does NIH publish for Zinc?
- Adults: 40 mg
- Birth to 6 months: 4 mg
- Children 1–3 years: 7 mg
- Children 4–8 years: 12 mg
- Children 9–13 years: 23 mg
- Infants 7–12 months: 5 mg
- Teens 14–18 years: 34 mg
Which foods contain Zinc?
NIH's fact sheet for Zinc carries no line we quote here about foods.
Where these numbers come from
Every quote and every amount on this page comes from National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Zinc — Consumer. Public domain (U.S. Government work). LAFYA read the sheet 2026-08-17.
Read the full fact sheet at NIH Office of Dietary SupplementsWhat LAFYA does not say about Zinc
LAFYA publishes no claim that zinc does anything in the body, because we cannot prove one.