Free tool · Nutrition
Zinc intake calculator: how much per day
Short answer
The US Recommended Dietary Allowance for zinc is 11 mg a day for men and 8 mg for women from age 19, 11 mg in pregnancy and 12 mg while breastfeeding (19 and over). The upper limit for adults is 40 mg a day from food and supplements together.
Last reviewed 28 October 20263 published sourcesNot medical advice
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US Dietary Reference Intakes for zinc from age 1, by age, sex, pregnancy and breastfeeding.
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| Age | Female | Male | Upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 years | 3 mg | 3 mg | 7 mg |
| 4–8 years | 5 mg | 5 mg | 12 mg |
| 9–13 years | 8 mg | 8 mg | 23 mg |
| 14–18 years | 9 mg | 11 mg | 34 mg |
| 19–30 years | 8 mg | 11 mg | 40 mg |
| 31–50 years | 8 mg | 11 mg | 40 mg |
| 51–70 years | 8 mg | 11 mg | 40 mg |
| 71+ years | 8 mg | 11 mg | 40 mg |
| Age | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding | Upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14–18 years | 12 mg | 13 mg | 34 mg |
| 19–30 years | 11 mg | 12 mg | 40 mg |
| 31–50 years | 11 mg | 12 mg | 40 mg |
Where the numbers come from
The Institute of Medicine set the zinc RDAs and upper limits in its 2001 report on trace elements (IOM, 2001 (iron, zinc)). The values in the tables are as printed in the National Academies' current DRI summary tables (NASEM, 2019 (DRI tables)).
US food and supplement labels use a single Daily Value of 11 mg (FDA Daily Values).
Related tools
Iron was set in the same 2001 report; see the iron intake calculator. For your protein target, use the protein calculator.
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Common questions
How much zinc do I need a day?
Adult men need 11 mg a day and adult women 8 mg. Girls aged 14–18 need 9 mg, and needs rise to 11 mg in pregnancy and 12 mg while breastfeeding for women 19 and over.
What is the upper limit for zinc?
40 mg a day for adults, including pregnancy and breastfeeding from 19, counting food and supplements together. Children have lower limits, for example 12 mg at ages 4–8.
Is the label Daily Value for zinc the same as my RDA?
US labels use a single Daily Value of 11 mg, the RDA for adult men. Women's RDA is lower at 8 mg, so a label's percentage understates how much of a woman's daily zinc a food supplies.
Sources
Figures on this page were checked against these publications on 28 October 2026.
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2019. Appendix J: Dietary Reference Intakes Summary Tables. doi.org/10.17226/25353
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2001. doi.org/10.17226/10026
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels. Content current as of 5 March 2024. www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels
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