Copper Citrate vs. Copper Sulfate
Among 3,989 on-market copper products with an identifiable primary form, 10.6% use Copper Citrate (423 products) and 8.4% use Copper Sulfate (336).
| Copper Citrate | Copper Sulfate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 2 | Tier 2 |
| Copper by weight | 35.3% | 25.4% |
| Share of market | 10.6% | 8.4% |
| On-market products | 423 | 336 |
| Median declared dose | 1,000 elemental mcg middle half: 334–2,000 | 1,650 elemental mcg middle half: 900–2,000 |
| Most common brands | Ultima, Metagenics, Source Naturals | Nature's Way, 21st Century, GNC Women's Ultra Mega |
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 Citrate is tier 2
Marketed as a bioavailable organic copper salt; no direct human comparative bioavailability RCT located.
Source: uncertain -- needs review
Why Copper Sulfate is tier 2
Used as the reference/comparator form in most animal copper-bioavailability research; highly soluble but not shown superior to organic/chelated forms.
Source: animal comparator evidence, PMID 7883634, not a human RCT
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. Cupric Oxide
- Copper Amino Acid Chelate vs. Copper Citrate
- Copper Amino Acid Chelate vs. Copper Sulfate
- Cupric Oxide vs. Copper Citrate
- Cupric Oxide vs. Copper Sulfate