Is zinc safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about zinc during pregnancy?

1. 11 mg a day is the recommended dietary allowance in pregnancy for ages 19 and up, and 12 mg for ages 14 to 18, compared with 8 mg for non-pregnant adult women. 1
2. The tolerable upper intake level in pregnancy is 40 mg a day for ages 19 and up and 34 mg for ages 14 to 18, counting all sources. 1
3. Doses of 50 mg or more taken over a period of weeks can interfere with copper absorption, reduce immune function, and lower HDL cholesterol, and it is unlikely anyone would reach that level from food alone. 1
4. Getting zinc in the range between the recommended amount and the upper limit is unlikely to raise the chance for birth defects. 2
5. Meat, fish and other seafood, eggs, and dairy are the strongest food sources, with oysters especially high. Beans, nuts, and whole grains contain zinc too, but the body absorbs less of it from those foods. 1

Is zinc safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. The target applies from the beginning and most prenatal vitamins cover it. Zinc on an empty stomach is a well-known cause of nausea, so pairing it with food matters more in this trimester than later.
• Second trimester. Nothing changes in the number. If meat and seafood have dropped out of your diet, note that zinc from beans, nuts, and whole grains is absorbed less readily than zinc from animal foods.
• Third trimester. Still 11 to 12 mg. Cold season is when people reach for high-dose lozenges, and that is the habit most likely to push you toward the 40 mg ceiling without noticing.