Copper Amino Acid Chelate vs. Cupric Oxide
Among 3,989 on-market copper products with an identifiable primary form, 33.8% use Copper Amino Acid Chelate (1,347 products) and 12% use Cupric Oxide (478).
| Copper Amino Acid Chelate | Cupric Oxide | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 1 | Tier 3 |
| Copper by weight | 30.0% | 79.9% |
| Share of market | 33.8% | 12% |
| On-market products | 1,347 | 478 |
| Median declared dose | 1,000 elemental mcg middle half: 500–2,000 | 2,000 elemental mcg middle half: 1,600–2,000 |
| Most common brands | Douglas Laboratories, NOW, Bluebonnet | GNC Women's Ultra Mega, GNC Mega Men, Vitamin World |
Doses are declared per serving in elemental mcg. “By weight” is the share of the ingredient that is the nutrient itself (e.g. elemental magnesium in a magnesium salt).
Why Copper Amino Acid Chelate is tier 1
The specific form used in the one human RCT with a defined copper chelate that demonstrated a measurable physiological effect (raised SOD1/ceruloplasmin).
Source: DiSilvestro RA et al. 2012, Metabolism 61(9):1242-6, PMID 22444781
Why Cupric Oxide is tier 3
Provides essentially no bioavailable copper relative to CuSO4 per chick/rat data.
Source: Baker DH. 1999, J Nutr 129:2278-9, PMID 10573563
Tiers summarize published comparative bioavailability or outcome evidence for each form (see methodology).
This page describes the market; it is not a recommendation to take either form. Talk to a clinician about what's right for you.
Other copper comparisons
- Copper Gluconate vs. Copper Amino Acid Chelate
- Copper Gluconate vs. Cupric Oxide
- Copper Gluconate vs. Copper Citrate
- Copper Gluconate vs. Copper Sulfate
- Copper Amino Acid Chelate vs. Copper Citrate
- Copper Amino Acid Chelate vs. Copper Sulfate
- Cupric Oxide vs. Copper Citrate
- Cupric Oxide vs. Copper Sulfate
- Copper Citrate vs. Copper Sulfate