Zinc Oxide vs. Zinc Amino Acid Chelate
Among 8,549 on-market zinc products with an identifiable primary form, 29% use Zinc Oxide (2,481 products) and 8.1% use Zinc Amino Acid Chelate (695).
| Zinc Oxide | Zinc Amino Acid Chelate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 3 | Tier 2 |
| Zinc by weight | 80.3% | — |
| Share of market | 29% | 8.1% |
| On-market products | 2,481 | 695 |
| Median declared dose | 15 elemental mg middle half: 8–23.6 | 12.5 elemental mg middle half: 7–15 |
| Most common brands | New Chapter, GNC Mega Men, GNC Women's Ultra Mega | Douglas Laboratories, NATURELO Premium Supplements, NOW |
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 Oxide is tier 3
Isotope-tracer RCT: absorption 49.9%, significantly lower than citrate/gluconate; 3/15 subjects showed little/no absorption.
Source: Wegmuller R et al. 2014, PMID 24259556
Why Zinc Amino Acid Chelate is tier 2
No specific human isotope-absorption study for the generic category (distinct from bisglycinate specifically).
Source: 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 Citrate vs. Zinc Gluconate
- 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