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The tolerable upper intake level (UL), or upper limit, for zinc is 40 mg a day for adults 19 and older. That is the most a day that is unlikely to cause harm for almost everyone; above it, the chance of side effects goes up. It is a ceiling, not a target. The limit counts zinc from food, water and supplements together.
Check your amount
Servings a day
This limit is the same for adults 19 and older, including pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Type the amount from your label to compare it with the upper limit.
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Zinc upper limits by age
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 4 mg | 4 mg | – | – |
| 7-12 months | 5 mg | 5 mg | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 7 mg | 7 mg | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 12 mg | 12 mg | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 23 mg | 23 mg | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 34 mg | 34 mg | 34 mg | 34 mg |
| 19-30 years | 40 mg | 40 mg | 40 mg | 40 mg |
| 31-50 years | 40 mg | 40 mg | 40 mg | 40 mg |
| 51-70 years | 40 mg | 40 mg | – | – |
| 71+ years | 40 mg | 40 mg | – | – |
How much Zinc you need
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 2 mg* | 2 mg* | – | – |
| 7-12 months | 3 mg | 3 mg | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 3 mg | 3 mg | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 5 mg | 5 mg | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 8 mg | 8 mg | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 11 mg | 9 mg | 12 mg | 13 mg |
| 19-30 years | 11 mg | 8 mg | 11 mg | 12 mg |
| 31-50 years | 11 mg | 8 mg | 11 mg | 12 mg |
| 51-70 years | 11 mg | 8 mg | – | – |
| 71+ years | 11 mg | 8 mg | – | – |
* Adequate Intake (AI): the amount set when there isn’t enough evidence for an RDA.
What counts toward the Zinc limit
The limit counts zinc from food, water and supplements together.
What happens with too much Zinc
The National Academies based the adult UL for zinc on reduced copper status, which the report chose as "the critical effect" of excess zinc: it was measured as a reduction in erythrocyte copper-zinc superoxide dismutase activity, and Yadrick and coworkers (1989) reported it at total zinc intakes of about 60 mg/day. The report says chronic intake of supplemental zinc has been associated with "suppression of immune response," a decrease in HDL cholesterol and reduced copper status, and the acute effects it names include epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and headaches.
Sources: National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc (2001); Health Canada, Dietary Reference Intakes tables (the joint U.S.-Canada values). Limits checked November 8, 2026. More from the NIH: Office of Dietary Supplements Zinc fact sheet.
If you think you or a child took too much of a supplement, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S., free, 24 hours) or use poison.org. In an emergency, call 911.
General information, not medical advice. Your doctor may recommend a different amount, for example to treat a deficiency. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change a supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medication or have a medical condition.