Search entire U.S. food database:
Enter any part of food name then hit Return to search.
| Food Name | Zinc |
| Butter, salted | 0.09 |
| Butter, whipped, with salt | 0.05 |
| Butter oil, anhydrous | 0.01 |
| Cheese, blue | 2.66 |
| Cheese, brick | 2.6 |
| Cheese, brie | 2.38 |
| Cheese, camembert | 2.38 |
| Cheese, caraway | 2.94 |
| Cheese, cheddar | 3.11 |
| Cheese, cheshire | 2.79 |
| Cheese, colby | 3.07 |
| Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd | 0.4 |
| Cheese, cottage, creamed, with fruit | 0.33 |
| Cheese, cottage, nonfat, uncreamed, dry, large or small curd | 0.47 |
|
Usage Note
- Zinc content is in mg per 100g of food.
- Click on column header to sort foods by name or by Zinc content.
Nutrient Info from National Institutes of Health
Zinc is an essential mineral that is naturally present in some foods, added to others,
and available as a dietary supplement. Zinc is also found in many cold lozenges
and some over-the-counter drugs sold as cold remedies. Zinc is involved in numerous
aspects of cellular metabolism. It is required for the catalytic activity of approximately
100 enzymes and it plays a role in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing,
DNA synthesis, and cell division. Zinc also supports normal growth and development
during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence and is required for proper sense of
taste and smell. A daily intake of zinc is required to maintain a steady state because
the body has no specialized zinc storage system.
Zinc Deficiency
Zinc deficiency is characterized by growth retardation, loss of appetite, and impaired
immune function. In more severe cases, zinc deficiency causes hair loss, diarrhea,
delayed sexual maturation, impotence, hypogonadism in males, and eye and skin lesions.
Weight loss, delayed healing of wounds, taste abnormalities, and mental lethargy
can also occur. Many of these symptoms are non-specific and often associated with
other health conditions; therefore, a medical examination is necessary to ascertain
whether a zinc deficiency is present. Zinc nutritional status is difficult to measure
adequately using laboratory tests due to its distribution throughout the body as
a component of various proteins and nucleic acids. Plasma or serum zinc levels are
the most commonly used indices for evaluating zinc deficiency, but these levels
do not necessarily reflect cellular zinc status due to tight homeostatic control
mechanisms. Clinical effects of zinc deficiency can be present in the absence of
abnormal laboratory indices. Clinicians consider risk factors (such as inadequate
caloric intake, alcoholism, and digestive diseases) and symptoms of zinc deficiency
(such as impaired growth in infants and children) when determining the need for
zinc supplementation.