Potassium Bicarbonate vs. Potassium Gluconate
Among 3,345 on-market potassium products with an identifiable primary form, 9.9% use Potassium Bicarbonate (332 products) and 7.1% use Potassium Gluconate (239).
| Potassium Bicarbonate | Potassium Gluconate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Unrated | Tier 2 |
| Potassium by weight | 39.1% | 16.7% |
| Share of market | 9.9% | 7.1% |
| On-market products | 332 | 239 |
| Median declared dose | 110 elemental mg middle half: 95–200 | 33 elemental mg middle half: 12–99 |
| Most common brands | Isotonix, Nuun, Pure Essence Ionic-Fizz | DC, Puritan's Pride, Wonder Laboratories |
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 Potassium Bicarbonate is unrated
Alkaline potassium salt used in bone-health trials (KHCO3 60-120 mmol/day; Sebastian 1994), but there are no head-to-head absorption data. In Dawson-Hughes 2009 the effects on urinary calcium and bone resorption were attributed to bicarbonate, not potassium, so bone-marker effects do not demonstrate potassium bioavailability.
Source: Sebastian A et al. 1994, N Engl J Med 330(25):1776-81, PMID 8190153; Dawson-Hughes B et al. 2009, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 94(1):96-102, PMID 18940881
Why Potassium Gluconate is tier 2
No dedicated comparative bioavailability citation located; assumed acceptable as a simple soluble monovalent salt.
Source: none located (no comparative bioavailability study found)
Other potassium comparisons
- Potassium Citrate vs. Potassium Chloride
- Potassium Citrate vs. Potassium Bicarbonate
- Potassium Citrate vs. Potassium Aspartate
- Potassium Citrate vs. Potassium Gluconate
- Potassium Chloride vs. Potassium Bicarbonate
- Potassium Chloride vs. Potassium Aspartate
- Potassium Chloride vs. Potassium Gluconate
- Potassium Bicarbonate vs. Potassium Aspartate
- Potassium Aspartate vs. Potassium Gluconate