Zinc and Copper Supplements: Taking Both

Quick answer

High doses of zinc can lower copper. NIH reports that 50 mg of zinc a day or more for weeks can block copper absorption, which is why the adult zinc limit is 40 mg. Adults need 8 to 11 mg of zinc and 900 mcg of copper a day, and most Americans get enough copper from food.^1,2,3

Key facts

Taking 50 mg of zinc a day or more for weeks can interfere with copper absorption, and about 60 mg a day for up to 10 weeks lowered a marker of copper status.^1,2
The adult upper limit for zinc is 40 mg a day, set to protect copper status. The upper limit for copper is 10 mg a day.^3,4
Adults need 900 mcg of copper a day, and typical American diets meet or exceed it: men average 1,400 mcg from food and women 1,100 mcg.^2,4
No blood test reliably measures copper status, which makes it hard to know whether an added copper supplement is needed.²
Oysters are the richest food source of both: 3 ounces of raw farmed oysters have 32 mg of zinc and 3 ounces of cooked oysters about 4,850 mcg of copper.^1,2

The relationship in one sentence

Zinc taken in large amounts for weeks can stop the body from absorbing copper, and low copper then follows. That is the only documented zinc and copper interaction in the NIH fact sheets, and both sheets describe it from their own side. The zinc sheet says doses of 50 mg a day or more can interfere with copper absorption. The copper sheet points to the same effect, with a marker of copper status falling at about 60 mg of zinc a day for up to 10 weeks.^1,2

Below those amounts the sources describe no such effect. They also give no ratio, such as a number of milligrams of copper for each milligram of zinc, and we found no trial that tested one. Any ratio quoted elsewhere is not something our sources can back.^1,2

What each is graded for

Contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, hair and nails*^1,5

Moderate evidence

A well-established nutrient function. EU regulators permit these three statements, after EFSA review, for foods that are at least a source of zinc, and NIH lists skin among the tissues affected when zinc runs short. The claim describes what the body needs zinc for. It does not show that extra zinc changes skin, hair or nails in someone who already gets enough.

Amount studied: Recommended intake: 11 mg a day for men and 8 mg for women, from food and supplements

Contributes to normal skin and hair pigmentation*^2,4,6,7,8

Moderate evidence

Tyrosinase, the enzyme that makes the pigment melanin, holds two copper ions at its active site, and NIH lists pigmentation among the processes copper is involved in. Lightened patches of skin, and less often lighter hair, are effects of a lack of copper. In one study, 66 young people with early grey hair had slightly lower blood copper than 66 matched controls, but that kind of study cannot show cause and effect, and no trial we found has tested copper supplements on hair color.

Amount studied: Recommended intake of 900 mcg a day for adults, from food and supplements

Contributes to normal iron transport in the body*^2,7

Moderate evidence

Ceruloplasmin, the copper enzyme that carries most of the copper in blood, has a role in iron metabolism, and a review of human and animal studies lists iron transport among the processes that require copper. Like copper's other roles, this one needs enough copper rather than extra copper.

Amount studied: Recommended intake of 900 mcg a day for adults, from food and supplements

Where the numbers sit

Zinc and copper for adults, per day^1,2,3,4
	Zinc	Copper
Recommended amount	8 mg (women), 11 mg (men)	900 mcg (0.9 mg)
Upper limit	40 mg from food, drinks, supplements and medicines	10,000 mcg (10 mg) from food, drinks and supplements
Why the limit is where it is	Set to protect copper status	Set from the amounts linked with liver damage
Amount where the interaction is documented	50 mg or more for weeks	Low copper follows
Average intake from food	About 13 mg for men, 9.2 mg for women	About 1,400 mcg for men, 1,100 mcg for women

Food rarely supplies as much as 50 mg of zinc a day, so zinc from food alone is unlikely to cause too much.¹

The body absorbs a smaller share of copper as intake rises: about 75% of the copper in a diet that supplies 400 mcg a day, and about 12% at 7.5 mg a day.^2,9

The two behaviors rhyme. As intake rises, the body absorbs a smaller share of both minerals. For copper that adjustment is steep, and it is what keeps balance across a wide range of intakes. A large dose of zinc is the documented exception: it can lower copper absorption even though the body would otherwise adjust.^1,2

Should a zinc supplement come with copper?

The question is common, and the honest answer is that our sources do not give a rule. NIH says copper supplements are rarely needed because typical diets meet or exceed the recommended amount, and that no blood test reliably measures copper status. Without a test there is no easy way to tell whether a copper add-on is doing anything.^2,4

No blood test reliably measures copper status, and blood copper and ceruloplasmin can rise with estrogen and during pregnancy.²

What the sources do point to is keeping zinc within its limit. The zinc limit was set to protect copper, so staying under 40 mg a day from all sources, food included, is the documented way to avoid the interaction. People who plan to take more than that should ask a doctor first.^1,2

Our products

What’s in ours

Men's Multi: Zinc, 15 mg per serving, from the label
Immune Support: Zinc, 11 mg per serving, from the label

What’s in ours

Men's Multi: Copper, 2 mg per serving, from the label

Our Men's Multi contains both minerals at amounts well inside their limits, and another of our products has zinc only. The cards show the label amounts.

Low copper, copper overload and who should ask first

Taking 50 mg of zinc a day or more for weeks can block copper absorption and lower copper status, reduce immune function and lower HDL cholesterol.^1,3

Low copper caused by too much zinc, including heavy use of zinc denture creams, can cause loss of coordination, numbness and weakness in the arms, legs and feet.^10,11

Using far more zinc-containing denture cream than directed, at least a 70 g tube a week for several years, has led to low copper with numbness, weakness and loss of coordination.^1,3

Avoid the combination unless your doctor advises it

Penicillamine removes excess copper in Wilson's disease. Its label says multivitamins taken during treatment for Wilson's disease must be copper-free, that the diet should leave out supplements enriched with copper, and that mineral supplements should not be given because they may block the response to penicillamine.^12,13

On the medicine's label

Ask your pharmacist how far apart to take them

Zinc can reduce how much penicillamine is absorbed and how well it works. NIH advises taking them apart, and the penicillamine label says to take it apart from zinc and iron products and not to give mineral supplements.^1,3,14

On the medicine's label

Do not use copper supplements if you have Wilson's disease, an inherited condition in which copper builds up in the body.^2,4
Ask first if you take penicillamine or trientine, which are used to remove copper.^12,15
Ask first if you have liver disease, or if you plan to take 50 mg of zinc a day or more.^1,2
Ask first if you take a quinolone or tetracycline antibiotic or a thiazide water pill, which interact with zinc.³
Ask first if you use zinc-containing denture cream every day, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.^3,4

Questions people ask

Does zinc deplete copper?

At high doses, yes. NIH says 50 mg of zinc a day or more taken for weeks can block copper absorption and lead to low copper status. At amounts within the 40 mg limit, our sources describe no such effect.^1,2

Should you take a copper supplement with zinc?

Our sources give no routine rule. NIH says copper supplements are rarely needed because typical diets provide enough, and no blood test reliably measures copper status. Ask a doctor if you plan to take more than 40 mg of zinc a day.^1,2,4

Can zinc and copper be taken at the same time?

No source we read names a time of day for either mineral or says to separate them. The documented interaction depends on the amount of zinc and how long it is taken, not on the hour.^1,2

What are the signs of too little copper from too much zinc?

NIH describes loss of coordination, numbness and weakness in the arms, legs and feet, mostly after years of heavy use of zinc denture creams. Anyone with these signs should see a doctor.^1,4

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Sources

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.