How To Test Zinc Levels At Home

  • FDA Disclaimer
    The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other medical body. We do not aim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. Information is shared for educational purposes only. Learn More
  • Affliliate Disclosure
    In compliance with the FTC guidelines, please assume the following about links and posts on this site: Many of the links on DrJockers.com are affiliate links of which I receive a small commission from sales of certain items, but the price is the same for you. If I post an affiliate link to a product, it is something that I personally use, support and would recommend without an affiliate link. Learn More
  • Privacy Policy
    Please read the Privacy Policy carefully before you start to use DrJockers.com. By using DrJockers.com or by clicking to accept or agree to Terms of Use when this option is made available to you, you accept and agree to be bound and abide by the Privacy Policy. Learn More
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

zinc levels

How To Test Zinc Levels At Home

Zinc, much like magnesium, is one of those nutrients that is critically important in hundreds of processes in the body. It is estimated that around 25% of the world population is actually deficient in this critical mineral. If you want healthy hormones, a strong immune system, and healthy tissues, you absolutely need to make sure your zinc levels are adequate. Not enough people know this, but there is actually a very simple method to test zinc levels in the comfort of your own home.

Another great way to start to tell if you may not be getting enough zinc in your diet, is by understanding its functions and how someone could become deficient in the first place.  Then you can easily test zinc levels at home on a regular basis to make sure you are absorbing it.

Benefits Of Zinc

The benefits of optimizing your zinc levels are vast. Zinc is involved in so many processes from modulating the immune system to supporting healthy hormone production.

These are foundational human processes that must be supported if you want to attain optimal health.  This is why most people notice a huge difference in their health when they increase their zinc rich foods and use supplemental forms of zinc.

Boosts Immunity

Zinc modulates the immune system by balancing the Th-1 and Th-2 branches of the immune system. This is important for coordinating the immune system in cases of imbalance such as autoimmunity and cancer.

Zinc also assists a protein called human cytokine interferon alpha that is responsible for inhibiting the replication of viruses within the body (1).  If you find that you are getting sick often, you most likely have low zinc levels.

Reduces Inflammation

An imbalanced immune response is one of the number one causes of chronic inflammation in our society. By helping to balance and coordinate the immune system, zinc also helps to drastically lower inflammation for many people.

On top of this, zinc plays a critical role in the production of one of the body’s most important antioxidants, superoxide dismutase (SOD). SOD protects genes from becoming damaged, helps to detoxify the body, and further assists the immune system by protecting against viral infection.

herbs

Anti-Cancer

It is a natural consequence that by reducing inflammation and improving immune coordination, zinc also improves the body’s ability to fight off cancer cells.

In addition to this, zinc actually plays an important role in regulation of the expression of the P53 gene. The P53 gene plays an important role in monitoring the cell division cycle and preventing cancerous growth (2, 3).

Chronic oxidative stress can cause damage to the p53 gene that renders it useless and leads to an inability to protect the genomic stability. In order to be active, p53 needs to bind zinc while other metals such as copper can displace zinc leading to p53 unfolding.

Low zinc levels or excessive copper and other heavy metals such as lead, aluminum, cadmium and mercury can damage the p53 protein (45).  This is why it is important to test zinc levels on a regular basis.

Reasons For Zinc Deficiency

Before we can even think about using supplemental zinc or consuming more zinc-rich foods, we must understand what causes our zinc stores to deplete.  You can be eating a zinc rich diet and yet still be deficient in zinc if you aren’t digesting and absorbing it well or if you are taking other substances that deplete your zinc stores.

It is important to be aware of the most common reasons for zinc deficiency so you can address these things.  Check out the list below.

Leaky Gut & Poor Digestion

A commonly overlooked reason for poor zinc levels in the body, is that you are just not digesting your foods as well as you should. If you have a leaky gut or poor stomach acid production, it is likely you are deficient in several nutrients.

Zinc is also extremely important for healing and sealing the gut.  So if you are deficient, it becomes a viscous cycle of inflammation and the gut lining will never heal.

Sjogren's Syndrome, Sjogren’s Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes, and Natural Healing Strategies

Medications

Medications that damage the gut or inhibit stomach acid production can be another overlooked factor in poor zinc levels.  Most prescribing doctors are unfamiliar with the long-term ramifications of these medications and how they deplete key nutrients and cause a number of health problems.

If you currently use or have a history of using things like prescription antibiotics, NSAIDs (asprin, ibuprofen, naproxen etc.), proton pump inhibitors, or antacids; you will definitely want to take additional steps to support digestion.

Poor Diet & Blood Sugar Imbalance

If you are simply not consuming nutrient dense foods, and instead rely heavily on processed foods, you are most likely lacking in several nutrients.  Consuming zinc-rich foods and balancing blood sugar are critical strategies for ensuring you retain adequate levels of nutrients like zinc.

Finally, consuming a lot of grains, nuts, and foods containing phytic acids can quickly deplete the body’s zinc stores. Limiting your intake of these foods or at least sprouting them before consuming is important.

healing diet

Chronic Stress

Zinc is important for a large number of biological processes and stress speeds up biological function.  During times of elevated stress, zinc is utilized at a much more rapid rate, increasing your dietary need for zinc.

If you are noticing that you are experiencing high amounts of overwhelming emotions like anxiety, this could be due in part to low zinc levels. Of course several other nutrient are involved such as magnesium and B-complex vitamins.

Exposure To Toxins

Exposure to toxins like pesticides and heavy metals in the environment can interfere with zinc absorption and increase stress within the body. This depletes your zinc levels while simultaneously increasing your need, not a good combo.

Also, consuming high levels of copper can lead to an imbalance in copper:zinc ratios.  This is not uncommon as copper is a common byproduct of industrial manufacturing and is often high in our city water.  Additionally, high copper can come from drinking water from copper pipes and women having a copper IUD.  Additionally, foods such as grains, nuts and seeds are high in copper and also contain phytic acids that reduce zinc absorption.

Copper and zinc work against each other to regulate certain functions in the body. Having high copper levels in relation to zinc can create many problems and you can read more about that in this article.  Consuming a clean, healing diet, getting good water filtration and lowering your intake of copper-rich foods, and increasing your zinc intake are all powerful for rebalancing this ratio.

Signs Of Zinc Deficiency

After reflecting on your daily life and seeing if any of the causes above align with you, it is important to observe your own health for common symptoms of zinc deficiency.

The following is a list of common symptoms seen with zinc deficiency or copper:zinc imbalance.  If you have any of these symptoms, I would highly recommend you test zinc levels.

Zinc deficiency, 15 Zinc Deficiency Symptoms and Best Food Sources

How To Test

There are several ways to test zinc levels. One that I am a fan of due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness is the zinc sulfate taste test. All you do purchase a bottle of zinc sulfate liquid (this a good one and if that is sold out, try this one here), place a capful in your mouth, and observe the sensations in your mouth.

Below are the possible outcomes and indications:

You Notice No Metallic Taste: Zinc Deficiency

You Notice A Delayed Metallic Taste: Slight Zinc Deficiency

You Notice Slight Metallic Taste: Zinc Levels Are Adequate, But Could Be Higher

You Notice Very Strong Metallic Taste: You Likely Have Optimal Zinc Levels

zinc levels

Optimal Levels

If you notice that you are expressing signs of slight to complete zinc deficiency, you will need to be intentional about the foods you eat to drastically increase zinc intake. You will also need to avoid dietary habits that deplete zinc levels like consuming high amounts of sugar, grains, and processed foods.

You may also consider taking a multi-vitamin with zinc or taking another supplement that supports your zinc levels.  If you are very deficient, you should absolutely take a zinc supplement for a few months to get your levels back to normal.

Zinc-Rich Foods

Consuming plenty of zinc-rich foods is a great start to optimizing your zinc levels. The following graphic outlines some of the best sources of zinc you can consume.

You will notice that various seeds made the list which seems counter-intuitive since I mentioned phytic acid containing foods lowering zinc levels. However, these foods contain really high amounts of zinc that may counteract this effect. Buying these in their sprouted forms is ideal.

Zinc deficiency, 15 Zinc Deficiency Symptoms and Best Food Sources

Supplemental

When it comes to quickly balancing zinc levels in the body, supplementation is very helpful. Just as with many supplements, zinc comes in many forms. My favorite is Zinc Glycinate because it is what’s called a chelated form. This is important because it is very easily absorbed by the body unlike many other forms.

The recommended daily allowance for zinc is between eight to eleven milligrams for most adults. However, for functional health most progressive nutritionists and doctors recommend between 20–40 mg/daily. You can use your results from the Zinc Sulfate taste test to determine how much supplemental zinc to consume.

If your results indicate a slight or complete zinc deficiency, 40 mg daily is likely more suitable for you while 20 mg daily may be more suitable for someone who is trying to maintain optimal levels.  Then test zinc levels on a weekly or monthly basis to see how you are improving.

It is best to supplement with zinc with meals.  So take 20 mg with one meal or 20 mg, 2 times daily with meals to get your levels where they need to be.

zinc levels

Relationship Between Zinc and Copper

Zinc and copper compete against one another as antagonist in order to properly regulate the physiological pathways in your body. The proper balance between the two trace minerals is critical to maintaining health.

Unlike zinc, copper can readily accumulate in the body into toxic concentrations. In order to maintain adequate zinc levels, a higher dose of zinc compared to copper is required daily.  Zinc is only stored for short durations in the blood and bone and is quickly excreted through our urine and fecal matter. (6)

Ideally, nutritional biochemist Dr. Paul Eck recommends that the proper intake of copper to zinc should be a 1:8 ratio (7). When properly concentrated in the right balance, zinc behaves like the bigger brother blocking copper in food and in the body from being absorbed (8).  Fortunately, the foods that are high in zinc, such as meat, seafood, nuts and pumpkin seeds are also very high in copper so you get both of these together in your diet.

We test plasma zinc and serum copper levels and the ideal ratio is roughly 1-1.2, meaning you should have equal or slightly higher levels of plasma zinc than you have serum copper.

copper, Do You Have A Copper and Zinc Imbalance?

Summary

Zinc is critical for overall health and quality of life. It is important to assess your daily life and physiological wellbeing to determine whether or not you are getting enough of this vital mineral in your diet.  This is why I recommend you test zinc levels on a regular basis.

The Zinc Sulfate test is an incredibly simple and cost-effective way to determine your zinc levels at home. If you are showing signs of zinc deficiency, then it is important to follow a blood sugar stabilizing healing diet and improve your stomach acid, enzymes and overall digestive function.

You will also want to reduce your exposure to some of the higher copper foods such as nuts and seeds and increase zinc rich foods (fish and grass-fed meats) and take additional zinc supplements.  Test zinc levels on a weekly basis to see how you are improving.

copper, Do You Have A Copper and Zinc Imbalance?

Blood Testing

Getting a thorough blood test on an annual or semi-annual basis is one of the best ways to pick up any underlying health challenges and prevent the development of degenerative disease.  The lab markers found on a comprehensive blood analysis can catch potential health problems in their early stages and help one customize health strategies to prevent potential disease development.

One thing that my team of health coaches and I look at with all of our clients is a comparison between plasma zinc and serum copper.  We want to see the zinc:copper ratio being between 1.0-1.2.  This means that we should have a greater amount of plasma zinc in comparison to serum copper.

The comprehensive blood analysis looks at a number of inflammatory markers, blood sugar regulation markers, thyroid, liver, kidney and immune health as well.  You can find out more about the comprehensive blood analysis here.

copper, Do You Have A Copper and Zinc Imbalance?

Inflammation Crushing Ebundle

The Inflammation Crushing Ebundle is designed to help you improve your brain, liver, immune system and discover the healing strategies, foods and recipes to burn fat, reduce inflammation and Thrive in Life!

As a doctor of natural medicine, I have spent the past 20 years studying the best healing strategies and worked with hundreds of coaching clients, helping them overcome chronic health conditions and optimize their overall health.

In our Inflammation Crushing Ebundle, I have put together my very best strategies to reduce inflammation and optimize your healing potential.  Take a look at what you will get inside these valuable guides below!

Inflammation, 5 Ways To Reduce Inflammation Quickly

Sources For This Article Include

1. Ohio State University. “Zinc helps against infection by tapping brakes in immune response.” Science Daily.
2. Lane, D. P. (1992). Cancer. p53, guardian of the genome. Nature. PMID: 1614522
3. Adimoolam, S., & Ford, J. M. (2003). p53 and regulation of DNA damage recognition during nucleotide excision repair. DNA Repair. PMID: 12967652
4. Phatak, V. M., & Muller, P. A. J. (2015). Metal toxicity and the p53 protein: an intimate relationship. Toxicol. Res., 4(3), 576–591. Link
5. Tokumoto, M., Fujiwara, Y., Shimada, A., Hasegawa, T., Seko, Y., Nagase, H., & Satoh, M. (2011). Cadmium toxicity is caused by accumulation of p53 through the down-regulation of Ube2d family genes in vitro and in vivo. The Journal of Toxicological Sciences, 36(2), 191–200. PMID: 21467746
6. S. Department of Health and Human Services: Toicological Profile for Zinc Link Here
7. The Weston A. Price Foundation: Copper-Zinc Imbalance: Unrecognized Consequences of Plant-Based Diets and a Contributor to Chronic Fatigue. Link Here
8. Prasad AS. Discovery of Human Zinc Deficiency: Its Impact on Human Health and Disease. Adv Nutr. 2013 Mar;4(2):176-190. PMCID: 3649098

Leaky Brain, Leaky Brain Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes and Natural Solutions

Was this article helpful?
YesNo

Let's Improve Your Health Today!

Get instant access to 2 FREE eBooks when you subscribe to Dr. Jockers’ newsletter.

ebooks

"Join my tribe today to discover hidden strategies to improve your energy, brain, digestion & metabolism."

— Dr. David Jockers
Dr Jockers

Comments

comments

Comments

  1. Great article on zinc! Need to email it to a friend. Using outdated browser and the
    information won’t forward. Good for you if you can add an “email to a friend” box from your end. I’m sure that there are many who need your information who use aged computers. Plz add my friend to your data base? His address: ronhowson@gmail.com Also plz send him your article on zinc?

    1. THIS IS NOT A REPLY. I SEE NOWHERE THE COMMENT LETS ME COMMENT SO I’M USING THIS WAY.
      I DON’T SEE A LINK TO THE TEST PRODUCT. IF I ALREADY HAVE ZINC SULFATE IN A PILL CAN I USE THAT TO TEST?

      1. Hair test shows good mineral levels/heavy metal levels. Amazon has hair tests or natural help person. Low Zn: sense of smell/taste is low.

    2. I have a rare skin condition got at birth!!! Takeing 220mg zinc every day or 2 pending plus extra vitamins can l get a zinc level check at home test. As blood test $$$$$ etc can u help re Chris carroll Bendigo vic

      1. Low Zn….white spot on nails and lose sense of smell and taste. Too high in Zn may hurt. Hair test is great for many minerals/heavy metal levels not just Zn. Amazon sells hair test kits. Ratio of Zn to Cu maybe 10 to 1. 50mg of Zn maybe the highest a person may need. Cod liver oil may help with Vit D/Vit A retinol.

  2. Hiya Dr.Jocker’s, informative and enjoyable to watch.
    If I may ask as a 2014 passed Ca patient, should zinc be taken
    with L-selenomethionine?

  3. Hello, I wanted to get the zinc sulfate that you suggest but I live in Canada and it does not ship there. Do you know of another brand or place that would ship to Canada?

    Thanks

  4. I have Tinnitus , loud noises sounding like computers, electrical buzzing, ringing, birds chirping, hissing sounds in my brain, not in my ears. I have been tested and I have hearing aids that do very little. Could I be deficient in a mineral ? 2012 this started

  5. we know that amount of copper and zink in the body depend on each other.. does this test help me to understand if i have copper overload?

  6. Dr. Jockers, or staff: Is this sentence from the article correct? “We want to see the zinc:copper ratio being between 1.0-1.3. This means that we should have a greater amount of plasma zinc in comparison to serum copper.”

    I ask because I have test results that say the reverse order: “copper:zinc ratio in the normal range at 1.6” but that my WBC copper is low at 1.

    Thanks for checking.

    Janet

  7. Hello.
    Is this bottle only for testing zinc levels? Basically after I have done my test for example I don’t need the bottle anymore say if I have optimal levels?

    Thank you

  8. I have SIBO Sulfide so I can’t take any sulfates. What other product can I use? I take zinc and vitamin D3 every day. With SIBO, I most likely have a leaky gut, so does the zinc get into my body? I need the zinc to protect me from getting Covid-19

  9. The list of the “Nutrient Depletion Caused by Pharmaceutical Drugs” was very helpful.
    Thanks!
    Kyle L. Scott

  10. So much helpful information as always – many, many thanks! I would have liked to have seen a reference to pyroluria as many people are not aware of this condition and I know you have covered this extensively in a previous article but zinc can be a real life-saver in this situation.

  11. Dr Jockers,

    After placing liquid zinc in mouth are we to hold it there for an amount of seconds, swallow it or spit it out? Thank you in advance!

  12. Great article and thanks so much, Dr. Jockers! I check my zinc level using HTMA twice a year. However, it would be nice to do the zinc sulfate test as recommended by you for a cross check. Thanks for sharing this important info!

  13. Are we supposed to take quercetin along with zinc? Someone said the quercetin helps the zinc absorb better into your body. Is that true?

    1. Only if you become copper deficient. From our experience looking at thousands of serum copper labs, this is rare. But always a good idea to check your copper/zinc ratio at least 1-2 times per year if supplementing.

    1. Both are good forms for improving zinc levels but I do like glycinate form the best because the amino acid glycine plays an important role in phase II liver detoxification and brain GABA levels.

  14. Thank you for the zinc information.
    I got a mild case of covid because I lost my sense of smell and taste so I’m not really sure now how to do the zinc test with the loss of that
    Thank you
    Victoria

  15. Excellent DIY test! Ordered and received the zinc sulfate from Amazon. Easy to do with instant feedback. Thank you Dr Jockers for passing along the information!

  16. Do you leave the zinc sulfate in your mouth and swallow it or spit it out after you leave it in your mouth for a few seconds. What’s the best way?

      1. Thank you for the article. I wanted to buy Zinc Sufate in Czech Republic, I searhed e-shop and I have found that Zinc Sulfate=ZnSO4=síran zinečnatý in Czech and in e-shop with chemicals I have found that it is harmful to consume it (warning H302) (I don’t know yet which form – without water/monohydrate/heptahydrate and what amout). https://www.drhoffmann.cz/siran-zinecnaty-heptahydrat-cisty-100g-id287.html.

        In paragraph about leaky gut you have a typing error – viscous cycle instead of vicious cycle.

        Antidepresants (sertraline, es-citalopram…) have antibiotical effects too.

  17. So interesting. And a helpful, simple test. Thank you. Enjoyed the video, and appreciate the information so generously given.

    1. Yes you can although it is rare. One thing that my team of health coaches and I look at with all of our clients is a comparison between plasma zinc and serum copper. We want to see the zinc:copper ratio being between 1.0-1.3. This means that we should have a greater amount of plasma zinc in comparison to serum copper.

  18. How do I obtain the comprehensive blood analysis? Do you send me something that I take to a lab and the lab will draw blood and run the test?

    1. Yes, you will be emailed a requisite form and all the instructions after purchasing. You simply print that out and take it to your local LabCorp and they will draw the blood and send it to the lab and we will get the results in a few weeks and our health coaching team will reach out to you shortly after ordering and again once the results come back so they can review them with you.

  19. Thank you for the article, Dr. Jockers. I’m taking a Zinc/Copper (15mg/2mg) supplement in orotate form. In terms of optimal body absortion, what food should I take the supplement with and what food should I avoid, or should I take it with no food at all? Thank you!

  20. Hi Dr Jockers,
    I tried this test with the PRL brand. There was an immediate bitter taste and made my teeth feel funny (fuzzy?) for a bit. Didn’t seem metallic but definitely bitter. How should I interpret this result? Thank you.

  21. Interesting!
    I was diagnosed with high serum ferratin , and upon reading on how to reduce it, it said to increase copper, and to take zinc supplements for colds, etc.
    However, this article says they oppose each other.
    What would you suggest to lower ferratin?
    Thanks.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.