Supplement Label Index

Copper Gluconate vs. Copper Citrate

Among 3,989 on-market copper products with an identifiable primary form, 35.2% use Copper Gluconate (1,405 products) and 10.6% use Copper Citrate (423).

Copper GluconateCopper Citrate
Quality tierTier 2Tier 2
Copper by weight14.0%35.3%
Share of market35.2%10.6%
On-market products1,405423
Median declared dose1,000 elemental mcg
middle half: 500–2,000
1,000 elemental mcg
middle half: 334–2,000
Most common brandsDC, Wonder Laboratories, Biotics Research CorporationUltima, Metagenics, Source Naturals

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 Gluconate is tier 2

Water-soluble, generally regarded as acceptably absorbed, but no dedicated head-to-head human bioavailability RCT was located.

Source: none located (no human head-to-head Cu gluconate absorption study found)

Why Copper Citrate is tier 2

Marketed as a bioavailable organic copper salt; no direct human comparative bioavailability RCT located.

Source: none located (no human comparative study found)

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