Does zinc help with colds?
Study results are mixed. Zinc lozenges or syrup started early in a cold may shorten how long symptoms last, but they do not seem to make symptoms less severe.
Essential trace mineral
Zinc, the repair mineral
Zinc is an essential mineral that hundreds of enzymes need, and it supports immune function, wound healing, making DNA and protein, and taste1.
What zinc does for you.
Immune defence
Zinc helps your immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses2.
Wound healing
Zinc plays a role in wound healing, and low zinc in older adults can slow it1.
DNA and protein
Your body uses zinc to make DNA and proteins and for cell division1.
Growth
Zinc supports growth during pregnancy, infancy, childhood and adolescence1.
Taste and smell
Zinc is involved in the sense of taste, and low zinc can dull taste and smell1.
How your body uses zinc.
Zinc balance is kept by absorbing zinc from food, releasing it into the gut and reabsorbing it; as intake rises, the share absorbed falls1.
Foods and other sources.
OystersBeefCrabOatsChickpeasLentilsPumpkin seedsCheeseYogurt
Vegetarian
| Food and serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Oats, cooked with water, 1 cup | 2.3 mg |
| Pumpkin seeds, roasted, 1 oz | 2.2 mg |
| Cheddar cheese, 1.5 oz | 1.5 mg |
| Lentils, boiled, ½ cup | 1.3 mg |
| Greek yogurt, plain, 6 oz | 1.0 mg |
| Kidney beans, canned, ½ cup | 0.6 mg |
Non-vegetarian
| Food and serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Oysters, Eastern, farmed, raw, 3 oz | 32 mg |
| Beef, bottom sirloin, roasted, 3 oz | 3.8 mg |
| Blue crab, cooked, 3 oz | 3.2 mg |
| Pork chop, broiled, 3 oz | 1.9 mg |
Phytates in beans and whole grains lower zinc absorption, and soaking beans, grains and seeds before cooking may help1. Amounts per serving from1.
Your daily reference amounts.
The same reference table draws the reference lines on your charts in Ayuvo. Needs differ in pregnancy and breastfeeding, which are not covered here.
| Age | Women | Men | Upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19–30 | 8 mg | 11 mg | 40 mg |
| 31–50 | 8 mg | 11 mg | 40 mg |
| 51–70 | 8 mg | 11 mg | 40 mg |
| 71+ | 8 mg | 11 mg | 40 mg |
RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) is the daily amount that meets the needs of nearly all healthy people. Per day, for adults1.
Upper limit (UL) is the most per day that is unlikely to cause harm. Applies to food, drinks and supplements combined.
Too little, too much.
Signs like these have many possible causes. They are a reason to talk to a clinician, not to self-treat.
Too little
Zinc deficiency affects many tissues, and its signs vary with age1.
- Frequent infections
- Loss of taste and smell
- Slow wound healing
- Hair loss
- Poor appetite
- Slow growth in children
Too much
High zinc intakes, usually from supplements rather than food, can cause side effects1.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stomach upset or cramps
- Headaches and dizziness
- Low copper status over time
- Weaker immune function
- Lower HDL cholesterol
Serum zinc.
Serum or plasma zinc is often used to assess zinc status, but it shifts with time of day, infection and other factors, so it is read alongside risk factors1.
| Serum zinc | What it may mean |
|---|---|
| 80–120 µg/dL | Typical in healthy people |
| Below 70 µg/dL (women) | Suggests inadequate zinc status |
| Below 74 µg/dL (men) | Suggests inadequate zinc status |
Labs use different units and ranges. Your clinician reads a result alongside your history and other tests.
Supplement forms.
Supplement labels list elemental zinc, and common forms include zinc sulfate, acetate and gluconate1.
Zinc gluconate
Absorbed at about 61% in young adults, similar to zinc citrate1.
Zinc citrate
Absorbed about as well as zinc gluconate1.
Zinc oxide
About 50% absorbed in the same comparison1.
Zinc sulfate or acetate
Also widely used; it is not clear that any one form is better than the others2.
Supplements can interact with medicines. Talk to a clinician or pharmacist before you start one, especially at high doses.
Remember these five.
- Oysters, meat and seafood provide zinc that your body absorbs well.
- Zinc from beans and grains is absorbed less because of phytates.
- Soaking beans, grains and seeds before cooking may improve zinc absorption.
- High-dose zinc taken for weeks can lower copper status.
- Large iron supplements taken at the same time can reduce zinc absorption.
Questions about zinc.
Can vegetarians get enough zinc?
Yes, with some planning. Zinc from beans and grains is less available because of phytates, so soaking, fermenting or choosing canned beans can help, and some people may benefit from a supplement.
Why can too much zinc cause low copper?
Taken for weeks, high doses of zinc interfere with copper absorption, which can lead to low copper status. This usually comes from supplements or heavy use of zinc-containing denture creams, not from food.
Get started
Track zinc in Ayuvo.
Ayuvo charts zinc by day, week, month and year, with the reference lines from this page, personalised by age and sex where they differ. Supplements you log in Medications count too. Free, with no account.
Coming soon to the App StoreComing soon to Google Play
Or read the code: Ayuvo is open source
Sources
Facts on this page come from these sources, checked on the dates shown. Intake numbers come from Ayuvo's shared reference table, which cites the sources marked for them.
- Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · NIH Office of Dietary Supplements checked 2026-09-27
- Zinc: Fact Sheet for Consumers · NIH Office of Dietary Supplements checked 2026-09-27
- Zinc in diet · MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine checked 2026-09-27
General information, not medical advice. This guide is for healthy adults and does not cover pregnancy, breastfeeding, children or medical conditions. It cannot diagnose or treat anything. Talk to a clinician before starting high-dose supplements, or if you think you may have too little or too much of a nutrient. Spotted an error? Email us.
Keep reading.
CalciumBuilds bones and teeth, keeps muscles and nerves workingIronCarries oxygen in your blood; heme and plant iron explainedMagnesiumEnzyme helper for energy, muscles, nerves and bonesPotassiumPowers nerve signals and muscle contractions, balances sodiumSodiumBalances body fluids; most comes from packaged foodsPhosphorusBones, teeth and cell energy; in dairy, meat and beansVitamin AVision, immunity and growth; from retinol and beta-caroteneVitamin CCollagen, antioxidant defence and plant-iron absorption