Quick answer
Adult men need 11 mg of zinc a day and women 8 mg, counting food and supplements together. Pregnancy raises the amount to 11 mg and breastfeeding to 12 mg. The adult upper limit is 40 mg a day from all sources, because more than that over time can lower copper.1,2
Key facts
- The Daily Value on US labels is 11 mg, the same as the recommended amount for men.1
- Counting supplements, men average about 16.4 mg of zinc a day and women 12.6 mg.1
- Older adults are among the groups most likely to get too little zinc.3
- Almost all multivitamin and mineral supplements contain zinc.2
Recommended amounts by age
| Life stage | Recommended | Upper limit |
|---|---|---|
| Children 1 to 3 | 3 mg | 7 mg |
| Children 4 to 8 | 5 mg | 12 mg |
| Children 9 to 13 | 8 mg | 23 mg |
| Teens 14 to 18 | 11 mg boys, 9 mg girls | 34 mg |
| Men | 11 mg | 40 mg |
| Women | 8 mg | 40 mg |
| Pregnancy | 11 mg, or 12 mg under 19 | 40 mg, or 34 mg under 19 |
| Breastfeeding | 12 mg, or 13 mg under 19 | 40 mg, or 34 mg under 19 |
The adult amounts stay the same after 19, including for older adults. What changes with age is intake: NIH singles out older adults as a group likely to fall short.1,3
How much people actually get
Average zinc intake from food is about 13 mg a day for men and 9.2 mg for women. Counting supplements, it is 16.4 mg and 12.6 mg.1
In national survey data from 2005 to 2016, 15% of US adults took in less zinc than the estimated average requirement, the amount that meets the needs of half of healthy people.1
Most adults therefore get enough from food, while a sizeable minority does not. Diet matters here. Zinc is richest in meat and seafood, and the zinc in beans and grains is harder to absorb.1
Reading the amount on a label
Supplement Facts panels give the amount of elemental zinc, the zinc itself, not the weight of the whole compound.1
In a crossover study of 15 healthy adults given 10 mg of zinc without food, about 61% was absorbed from zinc citrate and from zinc gluconate, and about 50% from zinc oxide. Three people absorbed little or none of the oxide.1,4
Absorption also depends on the amount. As intake rises, the body takes in more zinc in total but a smaller share of each dose, so doubling a dose does not double what you absorb.1
What's in ours
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
If you take more than one product with zinc, add up the amounts on the labels. Food counts toward the 40 mg upper limit too.2
When more is too much
The upper limit for adults is 40 mg of zinc a day from all sources: food, drinks, supplements and medicines, including during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is 34 mg for teens aged 14 to 18 and lower for children. It is set to protect copper status and does not apply to people given zinc as medical treatment by a doctor.1,2
A marker of copper status fell in people taking about 60 mg of zinc a day for up to 10 weeks.5
Ask your doctor before taking more than 40 mg a day. The limit does not apply to people taking zinc as medical treatment, who should be under a doctor's care.1
Questions people ask
Is 50 mg of zinc a day too much?
For regular use, yes. It is above the 40 mg adult upper limit, and NIH says 50 mg a day or more for weeks can interfere with copper absorption.1
How much zinc per day for a woman?
8 mg, rising to 11 mg in pregnancy and 12 mg while breastfeeding. Women average about 9.2 mg a day from food alone.1
How much zinc per day for a man?
11 mg. Men average about 13 mg a day from food alone, so many reach it without a supplement.1
See what we make
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Sources
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated January 6, 2026. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Zinc: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated October 4, 2022. Opened 2026-10-07.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Immune Function and Infectious Diseases: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated March 10, 2025. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Wegmüller R, Tay F, Zeder C, Brnic M, Hurrell RF. Zinc absorption by young adults from supplemental zinc citrate is comparable with that from zinc gluconate and higher than from zinc oxide. J Nutr. 2014;144(2):132-136. Opened 2026-10-07.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Copper: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated October 18, 2022. Opened 2026-10-07.
This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.