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Zinc Blood Test: What Your Results Mean

Zinc is an essential trace mineral involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions, making it critical for immune function, wound healing, DNA synthesis, cell division, protein synthesis, taste and smell, and growth and development. The body has no specialised zinc storage system, making regular dietary intake essential. Zinc is found in high concentrations in red meat, shellfish (especially oysters), legumes, seeds, and nuts.

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Normal Range

70 – 120 µg/dL

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Unit

µg/dL

What Your Results Mean

Normal

A normal zinc level indicates adequate dietary intake and absorption, supporting immune defence, tissue repair, and metabolic function. Your enzymatic processes that depend on zinc as a cofactor are functioning properly.

High

High zinc (hyperzincaemia) is rare from dietary sources alone but can occur with excessive supplementation or industrial zinc exposure. It can cause copper deficiency (as zinc and copper compete for absorption), nausea, vomiting, and immune suppression at very high doses.

Low

Low zinc (zinc deficiency) impairs immune function, slows wound healing, causes taste and smell disturbances (anosmia/dysgeusia), leads to skin problems (acne, dermatitis), hair loss, and growth retardation in children. It is common in vegetarians/vegans, elderly individuals, people with malabsorption disorders, and those with alcoholism.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the signs of zinc deficiency? expand_more
Common signs include frequent infections (impaired immune function), slow wound healing, loss of taste or smell, hair loss, skin rashes or acne, diarrhoea, poor growth in children, and reduced appetite. Because zinc is needed for testosterone production, low zinc can also reduce testosterone in men.
Who is most at risk of zinc deficiency? expand_more
Vegetarians and vegans (plant-based zinc is less bioavailable), elderly individuals (reduced absorption), people with Crohn's disease or coeliac disease, those with alcoholism, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people with sickle cell disease are most at risk.
What is the normal zinc level? expand_more
Normal serum zinc is 70 to 120 µg/dL (approximately 10.7 to 18.4 µmol/L). Levels vary by time of day and are affected by recent food intake, so testing should ideally be done in the morning fasted. Serum zinc does not fully reflect total body zinc stores.
What foods are highest in zinc? expand_more
The richest sources of zinc are oysters (highest of any food), red meat, poultry, shellfish, legumes (chickpeas, lentils), pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, cashews, and dairy products. Phytates in plant foods reduce zinc absorption, which is why vegans may need 50% more dietary zinc than omnivores.
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