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 220 of 276), each with the amount its label prints; an amount far outside what other labels print is marked as a possible slip.
- Super Royal Maca for Men with DIM Vegetarian CapsulesWhole World Botanicals12 mg as transcribed, likely a slip
- Super Saw Prostate FormulaEsmond Natural50 mg as transcribed, likely a slip
- Super Shake ChocolateCountry Farms0.2 mg
- Super Silica ComplexFuturebiotics15 mg
- Super Skin Hair & Nails 3000MaritzMayer Laboratories · off the market7.5 mg
- Super Slim Keto Super Fruit Gummies MaxJustified Laboratories5.5 mg
- Super Softgel MultiVitabase15 mg
- Super Softgel MultiVitamin Discount Center · off the market15 mg
- Super Sprouts PlusSource Naturals11 mg
- Super SupplementalNature's Sunshine30 mg
- Super Supplemental without IronNature's Sunshine30 mg
- Super TPerformix · off the market10 mg
- Super T Daily 2Douglas Cooper Co.15 mg
- Super TestBeast14.4 mg
- Super TestBeast Sports Nutrition14 mg
- Super Test Iced-T FlavorBeast13.5 mg
- Super Theravite-MNature's Blend15 mg
- Super TrioNature's Sunshine · off the market7.5 mg
- Super ViraGonBN Baseline Nutritionals · off the marketin a blend
- Super Vita-CoQ10 FormulaBluebonnet15 mg
- Super Vitamin PakISS Research11.5 mg
- Super Zinc 50 mgViva Vitamins50 mg
- Super-C 1360 mgAmerican Metabolix10 mg
- Super-Lean Deluxe Meal Replacement Apple CobblerG6 Sports2.47 mg
- Super-Lean Deluxe Meal Replacement ChocolateSTI Presents G6 Sports2.47 mg
- Super-Lean Deluxe Meal Replacement Peanut Butter MilkshakeG6 Sports2.47 mg
- Super-Lean Deluxe Meal Replacement VanillaSTI Presents G6 Sports2.47 mg
- Super-NutriHealthy 'N Fit30 mg
- Super-OxNutri-West2 mg
- Superb Supplemental PlusPure Herbs7.5 mg
- Superberry OriginalLiving Fuel · off the market15 mg
- Superberry UltimateLiving Fuel · off the market15 mg
- SuperBoost Antioxidant ShotArbonne3.75 mg
- SuperFlex-3 AdvancedNewtonEverett5 mg
- Superfood Beets RaspberryFeel Great Vitamin Co.0.2 mg
- Superfood GreensInfoWars M.D8 mg
- Superfood Greens Lemon Ginger FlavoredLadder10 mg
- Superfood Greens Very BerryFeel Great Vitamin Co.0.3 mg
- Superfood Greens with ProbioticsPurely Inspired11 mg
- Superfood MultivitaminAPSU · off the market5 mg
- SuperFood PlusDr. Schulze's2 mg
- Superfood Protein Cacao ChocolateFeel Great Vitamin Co.0.3 mg
- Superfood Raw Energy Natural UnflavoredFREZZOR1 mg
- Superfoods for Kids Plant-Based Protein Coco LocoFeel Great Vitamin Co.0.15 mg
- Superfoods Greens GummiesGruns2.75 mg
- Superfoods Multi-VitaminsCATALO10 mg
- Superfruit GummiesNutriana2 mg
- Superfruit Health & Beauty GummiesHavasu Nutrition5.5 mg
- Superfruit Liquid Multi Acai FlavorNOW3 mg
- Superfruits Gummies Citrus Splash FlavorVitamatic2 mg