Zinc, extracellular

An essential trace mineral for immunity, healing, and metabolism.

Last reviewedJune 16, 2026

Serum

sample type

~5 mL

blood needed

~7 days

results in app

Morning, fasting preferred

best timing

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Why test Reference ranges What you'll learn What affects it How testing works Sources FAQ

In short

Zinc is an essential trace mineral your body cannot make or store in large amounts. It supports immune function, wound healing, taste and smell, skin health and the activity of hundreds of enzymes.

This test measures zinc in serum or plasma. The value reflects zinc in the extracellular fluid, the compartment outside your cells, which is the standard measurement used to assess zinc status.

Vitamins & Minerals

Reviewed against DGKL reference practice.

Why test this?

Because zinc drives so many processes, a shortfall can quietly affect immunity, healing and skin. Measuring it helps confirm deficiency or excess.

A low level can follow poor intake, gut conditions or high losses, and may cause frequent infections, hair loss or poor wound healing. A high level is uncommon and usually relates to supplements.

What is a normal result?

Aniva reads your result against research-backed ranges, not just the lab's wide normal. The reference shown below is specific to this biomarker.

Measure	Adult range (SI)
Zinc, serum	11 to 18 µmol/L

Ranges are guidance and vary by lab. Levels fall with inflammation and after meals, so interpret with context.

Ranges are guidance and vary by lab and assay, aligned with DGKL practice. Always read your result against your own lab's reference interval.

What insights will this test give you?

Whether your circulating zinc is in the healthy range.
A possible explanation for slow healing, hair loss or frequent infections.
Guidance on whether supplementation may help, alongside your action plan.

What can affect this result?

What can skew the result

Zinc falls during infection or inflammation and after eating, so a single low value may not mean true deficiency. Contamination from non-zinc-free tubes or haemolysis falsely raises results. Low albumin lowers measured zinc.

Best interpreted with

Read with albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP), since low albumin and inflammation lower zinc, and with copper.

How is this tested?

Sample

Serum

Blood needed

~5 mL

Method

ICP-MS

Best timing

Morning, fasting preferred

Sources. The evidence behind this

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Klinische Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin (DGKL)

Mayo Clinic Laboratories: Zinc, Serum

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Zinc

Common questions

Which Aniva panels include this marker?

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