Mineral
Zinc
Zinc requires 8 mg daily for adult women and 11 mg for men. The tolerable upper intake level is 40 mg. It has 1 severe interaction, notably with Zinc picolinate.
What Zinc does
Cofactor for immune signalling, wound healing and hundreds of zinc-finger transcription factors.
Competes directly with copper and iron for the same intestinal transporter.
How much you need
| Measure | Adult male | Adult female |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended intake | 11 mg | 8 mg |
| Upper intake level | 40 mg | |
| Typical supplement dose | 15-30 mg · 100 g | |
Interactions involving Zinc
10 sourced rules| Pair | Severity | Mechanism | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc picolinate × Copper glycinateseparate 2h | Severe | Zinc induces metallothionein in enterocytes, which binds copper and traps it in the gut cell so it is lost when the cell sheds. Sustained zinc supplementation can cause frank copper deficiency and anaemia. | Do not take zinc and copper in the same dose. Aim for roughly 1 mg copper per 15 mg zinc, and separate them by at least 2 hours.Source |
| Calcium citrate × Zinc picolinateseparate 2h | Moderate | Calcium and zinc compete for overlapping intestinal transport pathways, so high doses of one reduce absorption of the other. | Space calcium and zinc by at least 2 hours, and keep zinc at or below 40 mg per day.Source |
| Zinc picolinate × Iron bisglycinateseparate 2h | Moderate | Zinc and iron are both absorbed through DMT1 and compete directly, which is why each can blunt the other when taken together. | Separate zinc and iron by at least 2 hours. If you need both at high doses, take iron in the morning and zinc in the evening.Source |
| Zinc picolinate × Fortified cerealseparate 2h | Moderate | Phytates in grains and fortified cereals chelate zinc and inhibit its absorption dose-dependently. | Take zinc between meals, or choose a chelated form such as zinc picolinate which resists phytate binding.Source |
| Zinc picolinate × Levothyroxineseparate 4h | Moderate | Zinc chelates levothyroxine in the gut, lowering thyroid hormone absorption. | Separate zinc from levothyroxine by at least 4 hours.Source |
| Zinc picolinate × Tetracycline antibioticseparate 2h | Moderate | Zinc chelates tetracycline antibiotics in the gut, reducing absorption of both. | Separate zinc and tetracycline by at least 2 hours.Source |
| Zinc picolinate × Magnesium glycinateseparate 2h | Mild | Zinc and magnesium compete weakly for absorption. Clinical impact is small unless both are taken in large doses at once. | No change needed at typical doses. If you take 30 mg+ zinc, separate it from magnesium by 2 hours.Source |
| Zinc picolinate × Coffeeseparate 1h | Mild | Coffee polyphenols bind zinc and modestly reduce its absorption when consumed simultaneously. | Separate coffee from zinc by about an hour if you are correcting a deficiency.Source |
| Iron bisglycinate × Red meat | Synergy | Heme iron from meat is absorbed by a separate pathway and also enhances absorption of non-heme iron from plants eaten at the same meal. | Take plant iron sources with a small serving of meat, poultry or fish to lift absorption.Source |
| Iron bisglycinate × Red meat | Synergy | Heme iron from meat is absorbed intact and also enhances uptake of non-heme iron eaten at the same meal. | Combine plant iron sources with a small serving of meat, poultry or fish.Source |