Zinc Requirement Calculator

About this calculator

This calculator returns the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for zinc based on age and sex, using the reference values set by nutrition authorities such as the US National Academies of Sciences (Institute of Medicine) — typically 11 mg/day for adult men and 8 mg/day for adult women, with higher amounts recommended during pregnancy and lactation, and an upper limit of 40 mg/day for most adults above which the risk of adverse effects (including copper deficiency from long-term excess zinc intake) increases.

Zinc is an essential trace mineral required for immune function, wound healing, DNA synthesis, and taste/smell perception, and dietitians and clinicians reference these RDA and UL figures when evaluating a diet for adequacy or when advising on supplementation, since zinc deficiency (more common in vegetarians, due to phytates in plant foods binding zinc and reducing absorption, and in older adults) and zinc excess (usually from over-supplementation) both carry distinct health risks.

This calculator takes your age and sex, then returns your recommended daily zinc intake and the safe upper limit, so you can check your intake or supplement dose against established nutrition guidelines.