Zinc foods

Which foods contain zinc?

Meat, fish and other seafood, eggs and dairy products are good zinc sources. Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food; however, about 20% of zinc intake in the US comes from beef, because it is eaten frequently. Legumes, nuts and whole grains also contain zinc, but the bioavailability of the zinc in them is lower than in animal foods. Fruits and vegetables contain very little zinc. ^[1]

Fortified breakfast cereals are an important zinc source in the US diet; if zinc has been added, it is stated on the label. In Türkiye, whether a product is fortified with zinc can be learned from the label. ^[1]

How much zinc is in a serving?

The values below are from the NIH table, which is based on US Department of Agriculture data; servings are given in US measures (1 ounce ≈ 28 g; 3 ounces ≈ 85 g). “% DV” is the proportion relative to the Daily Value of 11 mg for adults. The zinc content of foods varies with the product, how it is grown and cooking; the numbers in the table are approximate values.

^[1] The “Yogurt” row in the table appears in NIH as “Greek yogurt”; it may not be exactly the same as strained yogurt in Türkiye. Likewise, “cup” corresponds to the US 1 cup (about 240 mL).

Two things stand out in the table. Some foods, such as oysters, exceed the Daily Value in a single serving; widely eaten sources such as red meat contribute more often. In addition, amount and absorbability are different things (below): the amount listed for plant foods can make it look higher than the amount absorbed.

What is phytate, and how does it affect zinc absorption?

Zinc absorption from food varies from about 5% to over 50%, depending on the amount of plant food in the diet and therefore of phytate. In meals that mix animal and plant foods, absorption is lower than in meals containing only animal foods. ^[1]

Phytate is a compound found in grains, legumes and seeds that binds zinc and reduces its absorption. For this reason, EFSA gave the reference intake not as a single number but according to phytate intake: within a phytate intake range of 300 to 1,200 mg per day, the PRI is 7.5–12.7 mg for women and 9.4–16.3 mg for men. As phytate intake rises, the requirement rises. ^[2]

The BOND zinc panel states that, to estimate how much of the zinc taken in with foods is available for absorption, the dietary zinc and phytate amounts need to be known together; this estimate helps determine the risk of deficiency in both individuals and populations. ^[3]

What is said about increasing absorption?

For vegetarians and vegans, NIH states that soaking legumes, grains and seeds in water for several hours before cooking, and the organic acids in fermented foods, can increase absorption. These methods aim to reduce the binding effect of phytate. ^[1] How much difference these methods make for each food and person has not been reported as a measured result.

Iron added to fortified or enriched foods does not block zinc absorption; the interaction applies when supplements containing 25 mg or more of elemental iron are taken at the same time as a zinc supplement (covered on the timing page). ^[1]

What is known about wheat and soil in Türkiye?

Zinc deficiency has been reported to be a critical problem in wheat production in Central Anatolia. ^[4] Another study in Central Anatolia reports that, in 20 wheat cultivars, zinc deficiency and drought markedly reduced grain yield, comparing plots with zinc applied (23 kg per hectare) and without. ^[5]

These studies concern agricultural yield; they did not measure the zinc status of people who eat bread or grains in Türkiye, and the outcomes in humans of fortifying grain with zinc are not the subject of these studies. For this reason, it is not possible to say that “Turkish bread is inadequate in zinc” or that it is “adequate.”

From food or from supplements?

NIH states that nutritional needs should be met primarily through foods, and that fortified foods and supplements can be useful in situations where meeting the need in other ways is not possible. Periods such as pregnancy are given as an example. ^[1] Exceeding the upper limit for zinc from food is rare; amounts of 50 mg and above generally come from supplements. ^[1]

This guide does not recommend a personal dose. Whether a given food meets the daily requirement varies with age, sex, pregnancy status and dietary pattern; this assessment can be done with a dietitian or physician.