Short answer: Coffee does contain zinc! The amount of zinc in a typical serving of 100g coffee is 0.35 mg.
This quantity of zinc from coffee – may it be instant, regular, or powder – corresponds to 2% of the recommended daily intake for adults for this mineral.
Though coffee contains a high amount of antioxidants and other minerals, the amount of zinc present in it is quite low.
Zinc provides several potential health benefits to our bodies such as
- strengthening immune system
- promoting a healthy heart and blood vessels
- managing blood sugar levels
- decreasing the risk of preterm birth
- clearing up acne
Zinc is an essential mineral for our body and it should be taken as per the recommended dosage as overdosing may lead to unwanted side effects.
If you are a coffee lover and also concerned about providing an adequate amount of zinc to your body, I advise you to keep reading to know more about how your cup of joe affects your zinc consumption.
Does coffee increase zinc in your body?
Coffee contains a very small amount of zinc so it isn’t really intended to increase zinc levels in your body.
In order to provide an adequate amount of zinc, it’s better to include the following foods in your diet as they are a good source.
- Shellfish
- Legumes
- Red meat
- Dairy
- Whole grains
- Eggs
- Nuts and seeds
- Dark chocolate
Can you take zinc with coffee?
You can take zinc with coffee. Research from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg concludes that taking coffee and zinc supplements side by side can increase the antioxidant benefits of coffee.
Coffee is rich in polyphenols. These are compounds that can help your body to fight against oxidative stress.
Stress as we’re all aware of can cause premature aging and might also lower life expectancy.
Polyphenols though are unlikely to fight off oxidative damage all on their own. The research declared that pairing these with a zinc supplement can assist the polyphenols to fight against harmful waste gas that is released by the cells.
Zinc has a number of health benefits including treating acne, repairing our genetic material, and strengthening our immune system.
The study also states that in the future, it’s possible that coffee may be available with added zinc.
Zinc is an essential mineral that our body requires to remain healthy.
FAU researchers have discovered that zinc can fend off against the superoxide accountable for oxidative stress when it’s taken alongside a component present in foods like tea, wine, coffee, and chocolate.
Considering the benefits that zinc can provide to our body, we should make sure to add it to our daily diet.
Refer to the following table to know the recommended quantity of zinc we should take daily according to our age and gender.
| Age | Male | Female |
| 0–6 months | 2 mg | 2 mg |
| 7–12 months | 3 mg | 3 mg |
| 1–3 years | 3 mg | 3 mg |
| 4–8 years | 5 mg | 5 mg |
| 9–13 years | 8 mg | 8 mg |
| 14–18 years | 11 mg | 9 mg |
| 19+ years | 11 mg | 8 mg |
Does coffee inhibit zinc absorption?
An antioxidant in coffee known as Phytates may inhibit the absorption of zinc in our bodies.
It has been found in lab tests that coffee affects the bio-availability of zinc by up to 32 percent.
The recommended daily consumption of zinc is different for adults: 11 milligrams for men and 8 milligrams for women.
However, it’s also important to know that coffee’s effect on zinc absorption in humans has not been studied extensively.
The best thing to do if you’re a habitual coffee drinker is to ensure that you are taking your recommended dose of zinc every day by consuming foods high in zinc such as meat, beans, seafood, and nuts.
Other than that, staying conscious of your intake of Phytates from foods other than coffee such as legumes and whole grains may also help to ensure that you get a sufficient quantity of zinc each day.
Oysters contain the most amount of zinc compared to other food.
Poultry and red meat are the major zinc sources of people all around the world. Other food sources of zinc include whole grains, beans, nuts, seafood, and dairy products
What minerals and vitamins are depleted with caffeine?
Caffeine in coffee can be the reason for the depletion of important nutrients such as vitamin B6. It may also interfere with the nutrient absorption of many crucial minerals like calcium, iron, and magnesium.
Any food or beverage having caffeine in it such as tea, coffee, chocolate, and some sodas can inhibit the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the body and may increase their excretion.
Minerals
The rejuvenating cup of joe you usually have in the morning reduces the absorption of iron in your body. This significant mineral is one of the most prevalent deficiencies right now.
Lack of iron may become a severe issue for some people, including vegetarians.
The stronger the coffee, the less iron it’s likely to assimilate.
Packs of calcium are also reduced with every cup of coffee you drink.
Arguably, the most essential mineral that gets depleted with the consumption of coffee is magnesium. This chalky nutrient plays a key role in building the immune system, bone strength, cognitive function, muscle relaxation, and energy production.
Magnesium is also vital for over 300 reactions taking place in the body.
Magnesium deficiency is getting common and anything that depletes it should be scrutinized.
Coffee consumption also decreases potassium and sodium levels in your body because of its diuretic effect. Some other essential vitamins are also removed due to this flushing of water from the body.
If you want to learn more about coffee and its diuretic properties you can read my post here.
Vitamins
Vitamins that are water-soluble — all the Bs and the C — can possibly be flushed out of the body even before having a chance to get absorbed.
This happens due to the diuretic effect of caffeine. If your body keeps on losing water this way, more vitamins will be removed from it.
Caffeine acts as an inhibitor of vitamin D receptors, thus hindering vitamin D absorption in the body and possibly reducing bone-mineral density.
You might be getting sad while reading this but let me assure you that coffee isn’t bad overall and you’re not required to give up on your favorite drink completely.
Coffee has amazing benefits too! Read this to know why it’s still safe to drink coffee every day.
Watch the video to know more about which nutrients get easily depleted by coffee consumption.
There are 5 things you can do to reduce the depletion of vitamins and minerals from your body while enjoying your cup of joe every morning.
- Change the timing of your meals & supplements.
- Swap to decaffeinated
- Eat and drink nutritious foods
- Don’t add sugar
- 3 cups of coffee in a day is the max
To sum it all up
Coffee is categorized as low in zinc content food.
Though it’s not yet proven that coffee depletes the absorption of zinc in our body, it doesn’t increase it either.
Zinc provides several potential health benefits to our body such as strengthening our immune system, decreasing the risk of preterm birth, managing blood sugar levels, clearing up acne, and promoting a healthy heart and blood vessels.
The recommended daily consumption of zinc for men is 11 milligrams and 8 milligrams for women.
It is also proven that taking zinc supplements alongside coffee is not only safe but can also boost the antioxidant benefits of coffee.
Caffeine in coffee can be the reason for the decrease of important nutrients such as vitamin B6 and it may also interfere with the nutrient absorption of many crucial minerals like calcium, iron, and magnesium.
Vitamins that are water-soluble like the Bs and the C get flushed out of the body even before having a chance to get absorbed. This is due to the diuretic effect of caffeine.
The good news is you can offset that loss by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. It is also recommended that you take supplements.
The best thing to do as always is to consume coffee in moderation and to be mindful of having a healthy and balanced diet to fulfill the vitamins and minerals requirements in your body.