The recommended daily intake of Zinc depends on your age and gender. You should be careful not to overdose, as you will experience bad side effects. It is hard however to do that if we get our daily intake only from food. The people who take supplements should be aware of the dangers of overdosing with Zinc so that they don't exceed the daily recommendation on purpose. So what is the recommended daily dosage?

• Infants age 0–6 months: 2 milligrams (mg)
• Babies age 7 months - 3 years: 3 mg
• Children  age 4–8 years: 5 mg
• Kids age 9–13 years: 8 mg
• Girls age 14–18 years: 9 mg
• Boys age 14–18 years: 11 mg
• Women 19+: 8 mg
• Men 19+: 11 mg
• Pregnant teenagers: 12 mg
• Pregnant women above 19 years: 11 mg
• Breastfeeding teenagers: 13 mg
• Breastfeeding women above 19 years: 12 mg
• Possible Side effects of too much zinc

Possible side effects of overdosing with Zinc

You can experience quite many side effects if you exceed the recommended daily intake of zinc. It should be safe for you to take this mineral, however, some people can not handle it and side effects occur even when they take moderate doses of zinc. Here are what the side effects can be:

• headaches
• stomachache
• diarrhea
• nausea
• vomiting

There is such thing as chronic zinc toxicity, which happens, when you take too much of the mineral, over long periods of time. However, that is not so common, as the side effects will occur almost right after you overdose. Zinc toxicity can cause decreased immune function, low levels of high-density lipoprotein, and more.

In case you think you took too much zinc or have been overdosing for some time, you should consult with a doctor. There is something at home that could help you ease the symptoms of zinc overdose. A  glass of milk could help because it contains phosphorus and calcium. This way, your stomach won't absorb as much zinc, as it would have on an empty stomach.

People who SHOULD NOT TAKE Zinc

If you have some kind of open wound or broken skin, zinc can actually make things worse. In this case, it will cause itching, tingling, and sometimes even burning. 

You shouldn't take zinc also if you have problems with alcoholism. In this case, your body is not able to absorb zinc the way it has to. 

If you suffer from diabetes, you also should not take too much zinc. It can lower their blood sugar levels when taken in high doses.