Nickel
What it is and what it does
- Nickel is a metal present in food and drinking water; WHO (1996) said attempts to confirm that nickel (like lead, tin and vanadium) is essential for humans were still awaited. (WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization)
- WHO (1996) placed nickel in its group of trace elements that are 'probably essential'. (WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization)
- Nickel is part of four typical enzymes in plants and micro-organisms, such as urease. (WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization)
- Evidence that nickel works in the same way in animals or humans is still awaited. (WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization)
Why it matters
- Nickel deficiency has not been seen in humans. (WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization)
- Too much: contact dermatitis (skin reaction) is the most important clinical effect of excessive nickel exposure. (WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization)
- In people already sensitised to nickel, nickel taken by mouth can cause eczema flare-ups of the skin (systemic contact dermatitis). (EFSA CONTAM Panel (2020). Scientific Opinion on the update of the risk assessment of nickel in food and drinking water. EFSA Journal 18(11):6268 (DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6268))
- EFSA found that high-end nickel intakes from food generally exceeded the tolerable daily intake in toddlers and other children (and infants in some surveys), which may raise a health concern. (EFSA CONTAM Panel (2020). Scientific Opinion on the update of the risk assessment of nickel in food and drinking water. EFSA Journal 18(11):6268 (DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6268))
- Nickel salts act mainly by irritating the gut rather than by inherent toxicity. (WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization)
General information, not medical advice — for your own needs, ask a doctor or dietitian.
How much is needed
| Who | Amount | What the figure is | Whose figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| India, all groups | no value set | No ICMR-NIN 2020 value | ICMR-NIN 2020 |
| All ages (WHO 1996) | not proposed | Safe range of population mean intakes | WHO 1996, Trace elements in human nutrition and health (international; not an Indian value) |
| All ages (EU) | no value set | UL (tolerable upper intake level, as a nutrient) | EFSA (EU, not an Indian value) |
| All ages (EU), nickel as a food contaminant | 13 ug/kg body weight/day | TDI (tolerable daily intake, chronic) | EFSA CONTAM Panel 2020 (EU, not an Indian value) |
India’s own figure (ICMR-NIN 2020) comes first. Figures from other bodies are shown only where they help, and say whose they are.
Sources: ICMR-NIN Expert Group. Short Report of Nutrient Requirements for Indians: Recommended Dietary Allowances and Estimated Average Requirements - 2020; WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization; EFSA (2025). Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels as derived by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) and the EFSA NDA Panel, Version 11 (August 2025); EFSA CONTAM Panel (2020). Scientific Opinion on the update of the risk assessment of nickel in food and drinking water. EFSA Journal 18(11):6268 (DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6268)
Absorption and food
- Typically less than 10% of the nickel eaten with food is absorbed. (WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization)
- Milk, coffee, tea, orange juice and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) lower the high absorption of nickel taken in water on an empty stomach. (WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization)
- Iron deficiency, pregnancy and breastfeeding increase nickel absorption. (WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization)
- Dietary nickel intake varies greatly with the share of plant foods (high-nickel) versus foods of animal origin (low-nickel) in the diet. (WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization)
- In European data, the foods with the highest average nickel levels were wild mushrooms, cocoa and cocoa products, beans, seeds, nuts and grains. (EFSA CONTAM Panel (2020). Scientific Opinion on the update of the risk assessment of nickel in food and drinking water. EFSA Journal 18(11):6268 (DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6268))
- Foods with more nickel are mostly plant foods, such as legumes, soya-based products and nuts. (EFSA CONTAM Panel (2020). Scientific Opinion on the update of the risk assessment of nickel in food and drinking water. EFSA Journal 18(11):6268 (DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6268))
- About half of daily nickel intake usually comes from bread, cereals and beverages. (WHO (1996). Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Prepared in collaboration with FAO and IAEA. Geneva: World Health Organization)