Zinc Oxide vs. Zinc Citrate
Among 8,549 on-market zinc products with an identifiable primary form, 29% use Zinc Oxide (2,481 products) and 26% use Zinc Citrate (2,223).
| Zinc Oxide | Zinc Citrate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 3 | Tier 1 |
| Zinc by weight | 80.3% | 32.1% |
| Share of market | 29% | 26% |
| On-market products | 2,481 | 2,223 |
| Median declared dose | 15 elemental mg middle half: 8–23.6 | 8 elemental mg middle half: 4–15 |
| Most common brands | New Chapter, GNC Mega Men, GNC Women's Ultra Mega | Nature's Way, SmartyPants, Metagenics |
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 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
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 Gluconate
- Zinc Oxide vs. Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate
- Zinc Oxide vs. Zinc Amino Acid 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