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Zinc Requirement Calculator

Work out zinc requirement instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Zinc Requirement Calculator

Applies the zinc reference intake and raises it by half for high-phytate diets, where absorption is markedly lower.

Formula

Zinc requirement

Reference intakes are 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women, rising by about 50% on high-phytate vegetarian diets; the upper limit is 40 mg

Worked example

With the default values below, Zinc Requirement Calculator returns Adjusted zinc requirement of 11.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Sexone of Male, Female
Male
Dietone of Mixed diet, High-phytate vegetarian diet
Mixed diet
Current zinc intakeaccepts 0–60 mg
9 mg

Results

Adjusted zinc requirement
11.00 mg/day
Reference intake
11.0 mg/day
Shortfall
2.00 mg/day
Tolerable upper intake level
40 mg/day

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Zinc requirement
  3. 3Adjusted zinc requirement= 11.00 mg/day
  4. 4Reference intake= 11.0 mg/day
  5. 5Shortfall= 2.00 mg/day
  6. 6Tolerable upper intake level= 40 mg/day

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • Educational estimate only. Not a substitute for professional clinical judgement, and must not be used to make treatment or dosing decisions.
  • This is an estimate for general information and not professional medical advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Educational estimate only. Not a substitute for professional clinical judgement, and must not be used to make treatment or dosing decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does phytate matter?

It binds zinc in the gut, reducing absorption from around 30% to as little as 15% on unrefined plant-based diets.

What does excess zinc cause?

Chronic intakes above 40 mg a day impair copper absorption and can cause copper deficiency anaemia.

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