Zinc Citrate vs. Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate
Among 8,549 on-market zinc products with an identifiable primary form, 26% use Zinc Citrate (2,223 products) and 9.7% use Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate (833).
| Zinc Citrate | Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 1 | Unrated |
| Zinc by weight | 32.1% | 30.6% |
| Share of market | 26% | 9.7% |
| On-market products | 2,223 | 833 |
| Median declared dose | 8 elemental mg middle half: 4–15 | 11 elemental mg middle half: 6.85–15 |
| Most common brands | Nature's Way, SmartyPants, Metagenics | XYMOGEN, MegaFood, Bluebonnet |
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 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
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)
Other zinc comparisons
- Zinc Oxide vs. Zinc Citrate
- 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 Amino Acid Chelate
- Zinc Gluconate vs. Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate
- Zinc Gluconate vs. Zinc Amino Acid Chelate
- Zinc Bisglycinate Chelate vs. Zinc Amino Acid Chelate