Zinc Citrate vs. Zinc Gluconate
Among 8,549 on-market zinc products with an identifiable primary form, 26% use Zinc Citrate (2,223 products) and 15.1% use Zinc Gluconate (1,289).
| Zinc Citrate | Zinc Gluconate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 1 | Tier 2 |
| Zinc by weight | 32.1% | 14.3% |
| Share of market | 26% | 15.1% |
| On-market products | 2,223 | 1,289 |
| Median declared dose | 8 elemental mg middle half: 4–15 | 7.5 elemental mg middle half: 3–15 |
| Most common brands | Nature's Way, SmartyPants, Metagenics | DC, Wonder Laboratories, Nature's Way |
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 Gluconate is tier 2
Absorption 60.9%, statistically comparable to citrate, both significantly better than oxide.
Source: Wegmuller R et al. 2014, PMID 24259556
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 Bisglycinate Chelate
- 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