mineral
Zinc supplements
Half of the 13,186 zinc supplements in the NIH label database that print an amount list 11 mg or less per serving; the middle half list 5 mg to 15 mg, and 1 in 17 of the 13,065 with a plausible amount give more than the adult upper limit at the most servings their labels direct (DSLD version 9.4.0, January 2026). The 418 products whose only supplement ingredient is zinc list a median of 30 mg, and 44% of them give more than the upper limit.
- Products listing it
- 13,75113,186 print an amount; 371 list it inside a blend without an amount
- Median per serving
- 11 mgmiddle half 5 mg to 15 mg
- FDA Daily Value
- 11 mgthe median is 100% of it
- Adult upper limit (IOM)
- 40 mg786 products go above it a day
How much zinc do supplements contain?
The median product lists 11 mg per serving. One in ten lists 2.2 mg or less, one in ten 30 mg or more. The amount printed most often is 15 mg (2,885 products).
Products by amount of zinc per serving
13,372 products, log scale; extreme 0.2% at each end left out of the drawing.
Source: Supplement Facts rows of every product's current label, NIH ODS Dietary Supplement Label Database version 9.4.0; amounts in one measure (weight).
How do the amounts compare with the Daily Value and the upper limit?
The FDA Daily Value for zinc is 11 mg (adults and children 4 and older). The median product gives 100% of it per serving; the 90th percentile 273%.
The adult Tolerable Upper Intake Level is 40 mg a day (total intake from food, water and supplements). At the most servings their labels direct, 786 of the 13,065 products with a plausible amount (6.0%) give more than that from the supplement alone (what counts as plausible).
The upper limit is for total intake from food, water and supplements unless stated, and does not apply under medical supervision. A label amount is what the maker printed. This is data, not advice: the NIH ODS fact sheets explain what each nutrient does.
Sources: 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv) (Daily Values); Institute of Medicine, DRI summary tables (2011) (upper limits); on reading them, the FDA's Daily Value page.
Which forms of zinc do labels name?
Zinc oxide is the form named most often: 2,798 of the 13,751 zinc products (20%), ahead of zinc citrate (2,614, 19%) and zinc gluconate (1,509, 11%). A product naming two forms counts in both; the table below gives every form.
Products by the form of zinc on the label
Count, and the median amount per serving in that form.
| Form | Products | Share of zinc products | Median per serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc oxide | 2,798 | 20% | 15 mg |
| Zinc citrate | 2,614 | 19% | 10 mg |
| Zinc gluconate | 1,509 | 11% | 10 mg |
| Zinc glycinate | 1,215 | 9% | 13 mg |
| Zinc picolinate | 720 | 5% | 15 mg |
| Zinc sulfate | 508 | 4% | 10 mg |
| Zinc monomethionine | 436 | 3% | 15 mg |
| Zinc carnosine | 61 | under 1% | 14.5 mg |
| Zinc acetate | 38 | under 1% | 16.88 mg |
Source: the form each label gives for its zinc row (DSLD "forms"), current labels.
Which products list the most zinc?
On-market products, per serving, with a plausible amount: the rule leaves out likely entry slips, such as an amount far beyond every other label with no %DV or strength on the label to back it (each product page still shows its own amount, marked).
- Vita-Glan-FDouglas Laboratories100 mg
- Vita-Glan-MDouglas Laboratories100 mg
- Vita-M ForteDouglas Laboratories100 mg
- Zinc 50 mgIndiana Botanic Gardens100 mg
- Premium Immune SupportNutrivein100 mg
- Zinc Complex 100 mgMicro Ingredients100 mg
- OnSetNB Pure100 mg
- Zinc 100 mgNature's Blend100 mg
Have the amounts changed over the years?
Products whose current label entered DSLD in 2011 list a median of 15 mg; those entered in 2025, 11 mg.
| Year | Products | Median per serving |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 244 | 15 mg |
| 2012 | 786 | 15 mg |
| 2013 | 1,006 | 15 mg |
| 2014 | 567 | 11 mg |
| 2015 | 555 | 10 mg |
| 2016 | 538 | 11 mg |
| 2017 | 608 | 15 mg |
| 2018 | 502 | 10 mg |
| 2019 | 645 | 10 mg |
| 2020 | 1,199 | 10 mg |
| 2021 | 1,294 | 10 mg |
| 2022 | 1,453 | 11 mg |
| 2023 | 1,338 | 10 mg |
| 2024 | 1,446 | 10 mg |
| 2025 | 1,191 | 11 mg |
Source: DSLD label entry dates and amounts, current labels.
In which products and brands?
Products listing zinc by DSLD product type
Brands listing it most: Nature's Way (300), Douglas Laboratories (255), Nature's Plus (218), NOW (95), Bronson (94), Metagenics (82), Pure Encapsulations (79), Rainbow Light (77), XYMOGEN (75), Puritan's Pride (74).
Every product listing zinc
13,751 products, A to Z by name (page 158 of 276), each with the amount its label prints; an amount far outside what other labels print is marked as a possible slip.
- Multivitamin/MineralHealthyBodyInc · off the market11 mg
- Multivitamin/Mineral21st Century25 mg
- Multivitamin/Mineral TabletTriCare Prenatal10 mg
- Multivitamin/Multimineralup&up · off the market11 mg
- Multivitamin/MultimineralCVS Pharmacy15 mg
- Multivitamin/MultimineralBocaGreenMD15 mg
- Multivitamin/Multimineral Adults Under 50up&up11 mg
- Multivitamin/Multimineral TabletEckson Labs25 mg
- Multivitamina Para Hombres A Base De AlimentosVidasencia · off the market15 mg
- Multivitamina Para MujeresVidasencia · off the market15 mg
- Multivitamins 1000 mg SoftgelsBulkSupplements.com3.75 mg
- Multivitamins for Men - with Fish Oil SoftgelsBulkSupplements.com3.75 mg
- Multivitamins for Men - with Fish Oil Softgels 1000 mgBulkSupplements.com3.75 mg
- Multivitamins for Women - with Fish Oil SoftgelsBulkSupplements.com3.75 mg
- Multivitamins For Women - with Fish Oil Softgels 1000 mgBulkSupplements.com3.75 mg
- Multivitamins GummiesHavasu Nutrition5 mg
- Multivitamins SoftgelsBulkSupplements.com3.75 mg
- Multivitamins with Fish Oil SoftgelsBulkSupplements.com · off the market3.75 mg
- Multivitamins with Fish Oil Softgels 1000 mgBulkSupplements.com3.75 mg
- MultiviteDouglas Laboratories2 mg
- MultiviteEveryday Health11 mg
- MultivitesHerbalife Kids · off the market4.5 mg
- MultivitesHerbalife · off the market4.5 mg
- MultiVites Hair, Skin & Nails Natural Mixed Berry FlavorNutrition Now · off the market7.5 mg
- MultiVites Hair, Skin & Nails SupportNutrition Now · off the market5 mg
- MultiVites Men'sNutrition Now · off the market3.8 mg
- MultiWomen'sVinco20 mg
- Multminerals Plus BoronBluebonnet · off the market30 mg
- Mum-2-BeHigher Nature15 mg
- Muscle & Weight Gainer ChocolatePrecision Engineeredin a blend
- Muscle & Weight Gainer VanillaPrecision Engineeredin a blend
- Muscle Building Milk Shake Elite Series Decadent ChocolateSix Star Pro Nutrition4 mg
- Muscle Building Milk Shake Elite Series Vanilla CreamSix Star Pro Nutrition2 mg
- Muscle DynamicsHighland Laboratories4 mg
- Muscle Energy Arctic BerryAST Sports Science50 mg
- Muscle Energy Juicy GrapeAST Sports Science50 mg
- Muscle Function FormulaGNC Pro Performance AMP30 mg
- Muscle Infusion Black Chocolate MonsterNutrex Research5 mg
- Muscle Infusion Black Cookie MadnessNutrex Research5 mg
- Muscle Infusion Black Vanilla BeastNutrex Research · off the market5 mg
- Muscle Infusion Black Vanilla VillainNutrex Research5 mg
- Muscle Infusion ChocolateNutrex Research1 mg
- Muscle Infusion Chocolate Banana CrunchNutrex Research1 mg
- Muscle Infusion Chocolate Peanut Butter CrunchNutrex Research1 mg
- Muscle Infusion VanillaNutrex Research1 mg
- Muscle Maker Chocolate ShakeGiant Sports1 mg
- Muscle Maker StrawberryMMUSA25 mg as transcribed, likely a slip
- Muscle Mass Gainer ChocolateLabradain a blend
- Muscle Matrix MRP Banana CreamNutraBio8 mg
- Muscle Matrix MRP Chocolate MilkshakeNutraBio · off the market8 mg