Zinc is a mineral your body uses in hundreds of processes, from your skin and your immune system to your hormones. Yet it gets little attention, certainly among women. A deficiency often creeps in slowly and causes complaints that you easily put down to something else.
I notice that many women only think of zinc once their skin, nails or hair have been working against them for a while. That is when it is worth looking a little deeper.
Below you calmly walk through the signs, the causes and the testing options.
What are the signs of a zinc deficiency?
A zinc deficiency often gives a mix of vague complaints that build up slowly. Skin problems, brittle nails and hair loss often belong to it, as do reduced immunity and slow wound healing. Because the signs are not very specific, a pattern that lasts is often more telling than a single symptom.
Signs that, according to the literature, often fit a deficiency:
- Skin problems, such as dry skin or stubborn acne
- Brittle nails, sometimes with white spots
- Increased hair loss or thinning hair
- Reduced sense of taste and smell
- More frequent colds or reduced immunity
- Wounds that heal more slowly than you are used to
- Fatigue and a listless feeling
Especially for women, a deficiency can also be linked to a disrupted cycle, because zinc plays a role in your hormone balance. That link is not equally strong for everyone and depends on many factors.
What makes it tricky is that none of these signs on its own points to a zinc deficiency. They also fit stress, a busy period or another nutrient falling short. That is exactly why you look at the whole picture and not at a single complaint.
Many of these complaints also fit other causes. If you want to look more broadly at your vitamins and minerals, read our pillar vitamins and minerals testing for women: which blood values.
What causes a zinc deficiency in women?
A deficiency usually develops through a combination of too little intake and a higher need or poorer absorption. A plant-based or vegetarian eating pattern increases the chance, because plant sources often contain phytates that inhibit the absorption of zinc. Pregnancy, breastfeeding and gut problems also play a part.
Factors that increase the chance of a deficiency:
- A plant-based or vegetarian diet, where phytates can inhibit absorption
- A pregnancy or breastfeeding, which raises your need
- Menopause, in which your eating pattern and absorption can change
- Stomach or gut problems that reduce absorption
- Heavy sweating from intensive exercise, through which you lose more zinc
Your body does not store zinc in large reserves, so you often notice a lower intake sooner than with some other minerals. As a result, a change in your eating pattern can become visible in complaints over time.
Whether one of these factors applies to you is hard to judge yourself. A conversation with your GP helps to map out the possible cause.
Can you test a zinc deficiency reliably?
This is the honest part. Zinc in plasma or serum is a weak measure of your actual zinc status. With a mild deficiency the value often still stays within the reference range, and it is influenced by inflammation, infection, a recent meal and the time of day. There is currently no perfect biomarker for zinc.
That does not mean measuring is pointless, but it does mean you read the result with the necessary nuance. A clearly lowered value can give direction, while a normal value does not fully rule out a deficiency. The table below sums up what a zinc blood test can and cannot show.
| Aspect | What a zinc blood test does |
|---|---|
| Clear deficiency | Can make a strongly lowered value visible |
| Mild or early deficiency | Often stays within the reference range, so less reliable |
| Disturbing factors | Is influenced by inflammation, infection, meal and time of day |
| Zinc-copper balance | Measuring together sometimes gives more context than zinc alone |
The ratio between zinc and copper is a point of attention here. Both minerals affect each other's absorption, and a long-term high zinc intake from supplements can lower copper status. That is why it can sometimes be useful to look at them together.
A measurement is therefore a tool, not a conclusive answer. Your doctor places the result in the context of your complaints and your eating pattern.
What helps with a zinc deficiency?
The first step usually lies with food, because that builds up your intake in a natural way. Meat, shellfish, nuts, seeds, legumes and wholegrain products are good sources. With a plant-based eating pattern it can help to combine more consciously, because absorption from plant sources is lower.
Zinc-rich foods at a glance:
| Food group | Examples |
|---|---|
| Animal | Lean meat, poultry, shellfish such as shrimp |
| Nuts and seeds | Pumpkin seeds, cashews, sesame seeds |
| Legumes | Chickpeas, lentils, beans |
| Grains | Wholegrain bread, oats |
A supplement can offer a solution in some situations, but restraint is appropriate here. Too much zinc over a longer period can disturb the absorption of copper, with its own complaints as a result. That is why you do not just take high doses without a reason.
Preferably discuss a supplement with your GP, certainly if your complaints last or if you already use other products. If your signs persist despite adjustments, an appointment with your doctor is sensible.
If you want to look more broadly at minerals linked to fatigue, also read our article on magnesium deficiency in women: symptoms and what helps. With persistent tiredness a vitamin B12 deficiency: symptoms and testing can also play a role. If you want to bring your zinc into view together with other values, the extended health checkup can be a starting point.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly do you notice a zinc deficiency?
That differs per person and depends on your intake and your need. Because your body does not store zinc in large reserves, complaints can build up over weeks to months. A pattern that lasts is often more telling than a single day.
Is a normal blood value a guarantee that I have enough zinc?
Not entirely, because zinc in the blood is a weak measure of your total status. With a mild deficiency the value often stays within the reference range. That is why your doctor weighs the result together with your complaints and your eating pattern.
May I just take a zinc supplement?
It is sensible to discuss it first. Too much zinc over a longer period can lower copper status and give its own complaints. Your GP helps you decide whether a supplement, and which dose, fits you.
References
- World Health Organization (WHO). Trace elements in human nutrition and health, zinc chapter. Geneva: WHO, 1996.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for zinc. EFSA Journal, 2014.
- Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum). Zinc. Available via voedingscentrum.nl.
- RIVM. Intake of zinc in the Netherlands. National Institute for Public Health and the Environment. Available via rivm.nl.
Every blood test result through Lunara includes a professional assessment by a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.
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