Zinc Citrate vs. Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate
Among 8,549 on-market zinc products with an identifiable primary form, 26% use Zinc Citrate (2,223 products) and 9.7% use Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate (833).
| Zinc Citrate | Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 1 | Unrated |
| Zinc by weight | 32.1% | 30.6% |
| Share of market | 26% | 9.7% |
| On-market products | 2,223 | 833 |
| Median declared dose | 8 elemental mg middle half: 4–15 | 11 elemental mg middle half: 6.85–15 |
| Most common brands | Nature's Way, SmartyPants, Metagenics | XYMOGEN, MegaFood, Bluebonnet |
Doses are declared per serving in elemental mg. “By weight” is the share of the ingredient that is the nutrient itself (e.g. elemental magnesium in a magnesium salt).
Why Zinc Citrate is tier 1
Isotope-tracer RCT: absorption 61.3%, comparable to gluconate, significantly higher than oxide.
Source: Wegmuller R et al. 2014, J Nutr 144(2):132-136, PMID 24259556
Why Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate is unrated
Comparative advantage over gluconate shown in a rat model (~49% vs ~42% absorption with phytate present), not confirmed in a human trial.
Source: PMID 16684142 (animal study, not human) -- uncertain, needs review
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 zinc comparisons
- Zinc Oxide vs. Zinc Citrate
- Zinc Oxide vs. Zinc Gluconate
- Zinc Oxide vs. Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate
- Zinc Oxide vs. Zinc Amino Acid Chelate
- Zinc Citrate vs. Zinc Gluconate
- Zinc Citrate vs. Zinc Amino Acid Chelate
- Zinc Gluconate vs. Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate
- Zinc Gluconate vs. Zinc Amino Acid Chelate
- Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate vs. Zinc Amino Acid Chelate