PlainVitamins

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.

Zinc: products by amount per serving0.01 mg0.1 mg1 mg10 mgDaily Value 11 mgUpper limit 40 mg
Zinc: products by amount per serving0.01 mg0.1 mg1 mg3 mg10 mgDaily Value 11 mgUpper limit 40 mg
Zinc: products by amount per serving0.01 mg0.1 mg1 mg3 mg10 mg30 mgDaily Value 11 mgUpper limit 40 mg
Zinc: products by amount per serving0.01 mg0.03 mg0.1 mg0.3 mg1 mg3 mg10 mg30 mgDaily Value 11 mgUpper limit 40 mg
Zinc: products by amount per serving0.01 mg0.03 mg0.1 mg0.3 mg1 mg3 mg10 mg30 mgDaily Value 11 mgUpper limit 40 mg
The amounts printed most often
Amount per servingProductsFor example
15 mg2,885 Beveri Immunity Boost Natural Tangerine Flavor (beveri); Beveri Immunity Boost Natural Tropical Fruit Flavor (beveri); Immune Defense Formula Ruby Lemon Honey (Emergen-C)
10 mg1,123 Complete Minerals Ultra Strength (Viva Vitamins); FocusFactor (FOCUSfactor); Axis HT (BSN)
5 mg1,054 Immune+ Plus (Emergen-C); Prostate Health (Sundown Naturals); Vitamins For The Hair (Vitamin World)
30 mg747 V.M.T. Extra Strength (Viva Vitamins); Super Male Plex With VirileMax (Vitamin World MPP Men's Performance Products); Zinc Magnesium Aspartate (GNC Pro Performance)
7.5 mg701 Every Woman's One Daily (New Chapter Organics); R4yt (Exakta); Calcium Ultra (CVS Pharmacy)
25 mg641 Sport (GNC Mega Men); Maximum Nutrition Vanilla Bean (GNC Mega Men); Sport Milk Chocolate (GNC Mega Men)
11 mg517 Prenatal Once Daily (VitaCeutical Labs); OptiCleanse Plus Rice Raspberry Lemonade (XYMOGEN); Advanced Formula Milltrium (Windmill)
20 mg466 One 'N' Only Men's Formula (Pure Essence Labs); Men's (Rexall Sundown Naturalist); Prenatal Multi (VitaCeutical Labs)
3 mg403 ProteinPak 2 Go Orange Mango (Designer Whey); ProteinPak 2 Go Pomegranate Fruit (Designer Whey); Sports Performance Pro-PCA Fuel Training Session Formula (Douglas Laboratories)
2 mg356 1,000 mg Vitamin C Lite (Emergen-C); Blue 1,000 mg Vitamin C Berry Blue (Emergen-C); Vitamin D & Calcium (Emergen-C)

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.

Zinc by formZinc oxide2,798, median 15 mgZinc citrate2,614, median 10 mgZinc gluconate1,509, median 10 mgZinc glycinate1,215, median 13 mgZinc picolinate720, median 15 mgZinc sulfate508, median 10 mgZinc monomethionine436, median 15 mgZinc carnosine61, median 14.5 mgZinc acetate38, median 16.88 mg
Zinc by formZinc oxide2,798, median 15 mgZinc citrate2,614, median 10 mgZinc gluconate1,509, median 10 mgZinc glycinate1,215, median 13 mgZinc picolinate720, median 15 mgZinc sulfate508, median 10 mgZinc monomethionine436, median 15 mgZinc carnosine61, median 14.5 mgZinc acetate38, median 16.88 mg
Zinc by formZinc oxide2,798, median 15 mgZinc citrate2,614, median 10 mgZinc gluconate1,509, median 10 mgZinc glycinate1,215, median 13 mgZinc picolinate720, median 15 mgZinc sulfate508, median 10 mgZinc monomethionine436, median 15 mgZinc carnosine61, median 14.5 mgZinc acetate38, median 16.88 mg
Zinc by formZinc oxide2,798, median 15 mgZinc citrate2,614, median 10 mgZinc gluconate1,509, median 10 mgZinc glycinate1,215, median 13 mgZinc picolinate720, median 15 mgZinc sulfate508, median 10 mgZinc monomethionine436, median 15 mgZinc carnosine61, median 14.5 mgZinc acetate38, median 16.88 mg
Zinc by formZinc oxide2,798, median 15 mgZinc citrate2,614, median 10 mgZinc gluconate1,509, median 10 mgZinc glycinate1,215, median 13 mgZinc picolinate720, median 15 mgZinc sulfate508, median 10 mgZinc monomethionine436, median 15 mgZinc carnosine61, median 14.5 mgZinc acetate38, median 16.88 mg
Zinc: products naming each form, and their median amount per serving (DSLD version 9.4.0)
FormProductsShare of zinc productsMedian per serving
Zinc oxide2,79820%15 mg
Zinc citrate2,61419%10 mg
Zinc gluconate1,50911%10 mg
Zinc glycinate1,2159%13 mg
Zinc picolinate7205%15 mg
Zinc sulfate5084%10 mg
Zinc monomethionine4363%15 mg
Zinc carnosine61under 1%14.5 mg
Zinc acetate38under 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).

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.

Median zinc per serving by the year the label entered DSLD (years with 20+ products)
YearProductsMedian per serving
201124415 mg
201278615 mg
20131,00615 mg
201456711 mg
201555510 mg
201653811 mg
201760815 mg
201850210 mg
201964510 mg
20201,19910 mg
20211,29410 mg
20221,45311 mg
20231,33810 mg
20241,44610 mg
20251,19111 mg

Source: DSLD label entry dates and amounts, current labels.

In which products and brands?

Products listing zinc by DSLD product type

Zinc by product typeOther Combinations9,562Botanical with Nutrients1,590Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,315Mineral691Single Vitamin and Mineral72Amino acid/Protein64Botanical48Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical14
Zinc by product typeOther Combinations9,562Botanical with Nutrients1,590Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,315Mineral691Single Vitamin and Mineral72Amino acid/Protein64Botanical48Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical14
Zinc by product typeOther Combinations9,562Botanical with Nutrients1,590Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,315Mineral691Single Vitamin and Mineral72Amino acid/Protein64Botanical48Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical14
Zinc by product typeOther Combinations9,562Botanical with Nutrients1,590Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,315Mineral691Single Vitamin and Mineral72Amino acid/Protein64Botanical48Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical14
Zinc by product typeOther Combinations9,562Botanical with Nutrients1,590Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,315Mineral691Single Vitamin and Mineral72Amino acid/Protein64Botanical48Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical14

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 219 of 276), each with the amount its label prints; an amount far outside what other labels print is marked as a possible slip.

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