nutrient

Zinc

An essential trace element used by many enzymes and regulatory proteins, including those involved in immune and cell function.

Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status

Zinc intake and absorption vary with the amount of phytate in the diet and with physiological context. EFSA therefore reports sex- and phytate-dependent reference values.

Food sources

Per 100 g

Food amounts and reference percentages, both per 100 g
Food	Per 100 g	Daily reference
Pumpkin seeds	6.34 mg	38.9–102.26%
Chia seeds, dry	5.56 mg	34.11–89.68%
Ground flaxseed	4.74 mg	29.08–76.45%
Ground beef, 90% lean and 10% fat	4.19 mg	25.71–67.58%
Beef ribeye, raw	4.06 mg	24.91–65.48%

Show 46 more foods

Food amounts and reference percentages, both per 100 g
Food	Per 100 g	Daily reference
Lentils	3.86 mg	23.68–62.26%
Roasted beef tenderloin	3.7 mg	22.7–59.68%
Almonds	2.86 mg	17.55–46.13%
Almonds, dry-roasted and salted	2.8 mg	17.18–45.16%
Peanuts, raw	2.78 mg	17.06–44.84%
English walnuts, raw	2.76 mg	16.93–44.52%
Rolled oats	2.74 mg	16.81–44.19%
Braised chicken drumstick	2.54 mg	15.58–40.97%
Anchovies, canned in olive oil, drained	2.54 mg	15.58–40.97%
Brown rice, long-grain, raw	1.85 mg	11.35–29.84%
Hummus, commercial	1.38 mg	8.47–22.26%
White rice, long-grain, raw	1.35 mg	8.28–21.77%
Atlantic sardines, canned in oil (SR Legacy 2018)	1.31 mg	8.04–21.13%
Lentils, cooked and salted (SR Legacy 2018)	1.27 mg	7.79–20.48%
Whole egg, raw, frozen and pasteurized	1.2 mg	7.36–19.35%
Rainbow trout, wild, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	1.08 mg	6.63–17.42%
Braised chicken breast	0.96 mg	5.89–15.48%
Chickpeas, canned and rinsed	0.72 mg	4.44–11.68%
Light tuna, canned in water, drained	0.66 mg	4.05–10.65%
Chicken breast, raw	0.65 mg	4.01–10.55%
Cottage cheese, 2% fat	0.61 mg	3.74–9.84%
Greek yogurt, plain nonfat	0.53 mg	3.25–8.55%
Spinach, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	0.53 mg	3.25–8.55%
Hass avocado, raw	0.46 mg	2.82–7.42%
Spinach	0.45 mg	2.74–7.21%
Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified	0.43 mg	2.64–6.94%
Atlantic salmon, farmed, cooked (SR Legacy 2018)	0.43 mg	2.64–6.94%
Plain whole-milk yogurt	0.43 mg	2.63–6.9%
Salmon	0.43 mg	2.61–6.85%
Russet potato, raw	0.38 mg	2.32–6.1%
Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	0.36 mg	2.21–5.81%
Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw	0.34 mg	2.08–5.47%
Orange sweet potato, peeled and raw	0.34 mg	2.07–5.44%
Soy milk, unsweetened and shelf-stable	0.31 mg	1.91–5.03%
Carrots, frozen and unprepared	0.28 mg	1.72–4.52%
Orange bell pepper, raw	0.24 mg	1.48–3.9%
Mature carrots, raw	0.24 mg	1.45–3.81%
Grape tomatoes, raw	0.2 mg	1.23–3.23%
Banana, ripe, raw	0.16 mg	0.98–2.58%
Pie pumpkin, raw	0.14 mg	0.85–2.24%
Canned diced tomatoes	0.12 mg	0.74–1.94%
Strawberries, raw	0.11 mg	0.7–1.84%
Navel orange, raw	0.11 mg	0.67–1.77%
Oat milk, unsweetened and refrigerated	0.09 mg	0.56–1.47%
Blueberries, raw	0.09 mg	0.52–1.37%
Red Delicious apple, raw	0.02 mg	0.12–0.32%

Compared with EFSA’s adult reference of 6.2–16.3 mg/day. The percentage range reflects different adult reference groups.

About these amounts

These values describe the named food and preparation. A 100 g comparison is not a suggested serving. Small amounts are rounded for display; an unreported amount is not zero.

Healthy European adults; range across sex and phytate-intake categories. Population reference intake: 6.2–16.3 mg/day. These are population references, not individual targets.

Portions recorded by the source

Roasted beef tenderloin: 1 roast (462 g) — 17.09 mg, 104.87–275.71% of the daily reference.
Almonds, dry-roasted and salted: 1 cup (135 g) — 3.78 mg, 23.19–60.97% of the daily reference.
Braised chicken drumstick: 1 drumstick (104 g) — 2.64 mg, 16.21–42.61% of the daily reference.
Hummus, commercial: 2 tablespoon (33.9 g) — 0.47 mg, 2.87–7.55% of the daily reference.
Braised chicken breast: 1 piece (174 g) — 1.67 mg, 10.25–26.94% of the daily reference.
Light tuna, canned in water, drained: 1 can (142 g) — 0.94 mg, 5.75–15.12% of the daily reference.
Cottage cheese, 2% fat: 1 cup (220 g) — 1.34 mg, 8.23–21.65% of the daily reference.
Greek yogurt, plain nonfat: 1 container (156 g) — 0.83 mg, 5.07–13.34% of the daily reference.
Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified: 1 cup (246 g) — 1.06 mg, 6.49–17.06% of the daily reference.
Canned diced tomatoes: 1 cup (245 g) — 0.29 mg, 1.8–4.74% of the daily reference.

The source records and EFSA guidance are linked in References below.

How it works

What it does

Zinc supports catalytic, structural and regulatory roles in enzymes and transcription factors. It contributes to immune function, DNA and protein synthesis, wound healing and cell division.

Where it comes from

Phytate can reduce zinc absorption, so EFSA reports sex- and phytate-dependent reference categories. Meat, seafood, dairy, legumes and grains contribute zinc.

Roles and processes

Immune function
Zinc supports normal function of Immune function
Zinc-dependent proteins contribute to normal immune-cell and barrier function.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals

Worth knowing

The rest of the meal matters. Phytate in grains, legumes and seeds can reduce zinc absorption. EFSA uses different zinc references for different phytate intakes, which is why the adult reference spans a range.

A closer look

Supplement safety

High zinc intakes can interfere with copper absorption and interact with medicines. Keep product dose, food intake and clinical advice separate.

References

Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.

Take it into the kitchen

Explore this nutrient in simple meals. Recipe pages show estimated amounts and missing data.

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