Supplement Label Index

Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate vs. Zinc Amino Acid Chelate

Among 8,549 on-market zinc products with an identifiable primary form, 9.7% use Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate (833 products) and 8.1% use Zinc Amino Acid Chelate (695).

Zinc Bisglycinate ChelateZinc Amino Acid Chelate
Quality tierUnratedTier 2
Zinc by weight30.6%—
Share of market9.7%8.1%
On-market products833695
Median declared dose11 elemental mg
middle half: 6.85–15
12.5 elemental mg
middle half: 7–15
Most common brandsXYMOGEN, MegaFood, BluebonnetDouglas 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 Bisglycinate Chelate is unrated

Zinc bisglycinate was absorbed better than zinc sulphate in a rat model with dietary phytate (overall bioavailability ~49% vs ~42%; Schlegel & Windisch 2006). In a small human crossover (n=12 women, single 15 mg dose) bis-glycinate raised serum Zn AUC 43% above gluconate (Gandia et al. 2007); a single small pharmacokinetic study, so no consistent superiority is established and no tier is assigned.

Source: Schlegel P, Windisch W. 2006, J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr 90(5-6):216-22, PMID 16684142 (rats); Gandia P et al. 2007, Int J Vitam Nutr Res 77(4):243-8, PMID 18271278 (human crossover, n=12)

Why Zinc Amino Acid Chelate is tier 2

No specific human isotope-absorption study for the generic category (distinct from bisglycinate specifically).

Source: none located (no human study found for the generic category; "amino acid chelate" is not a defined compound)

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.

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