While zinc is perhaps best known as the mineral that can help support your immune system, it’s also responsible for many other important functions in the body. Zinc promotes wound healing, it plays a role in growth and development and even our sense of taste. Even with all these body-spanning benefits, zinc is one of the most under-consumed nutrients. In other words, many of us aren’t meeting the daily zinc recommendations—and that’s where supplementation can help, says Christopher Mohr, Ph.D., RD.
If you only take zinc when you feel a cold coming on (spoiler: zinc actually can help shorten the number of days you’re sick) you may want to also consider taking the mineral year-round, in lower doses, to maintain optimal zinc levels. Before starting a zinc supplement you’ll want to pay your doctor a visit for a blood test to gain insight into your current zinc levels and potential supplement needs.
We spoke to Mohr about what to look for in a quality zinc supplement as well as his go-to recommendations, whether you’re shopping for a lozenge to fight a cold or a liquid or tablet to help reverse a deficiency. Using his insights and our own research and testing, we compiled a list of the best zinc supplements on the market.
Zinc per serving: 30 mg | Serving size: 1 capsule | Number of servings: 60 | Independently verified: Yes | In-house tested: Yes
What we like: You’ll take just one capsule per day, and this supplement contains a highly absorbable form of zinc that doesn’t cause an upset stomach.
What to know: It provides almost triple your daily value of zinc, so you might be able to get away with taking one capsule every other day.
This zinc supplement from Thorne comes recommended by Mohr because he trusts the brand for producing high-quality supplements. “This zinc picolinate supplement offers a highly absorbable form of zinc for those who are looking for a higher dose of the mineral,” Mohr says.
Each capsule contains 30 milligrams of zinc, which provides 273% of your daily value of the mineral. The upper limit for zinc is 40 mg per day, so this Thorne supplement is safe to take daily. Plus, this form of zinc—picolinate—doesn’t cause stomach upset and is easy to take, considering the serving size is a single small capsule. What’s more, Thorne’s zinc supplement is NSF Certified for Sport, which means it’s been independently verified for more than 200 banned substances, such as steroids, stimulants, diuretics and more.
Zinc per serving: 10 mg | Serving size: 1 chewable tablet | Number of servings: 100 | Independently verified: Yes | In-house tested: Yes
What we like: It’s NSF-certified and has a tasty orange flavor that’s easy to take, especially if you’re not a fan of swallowing pills.
What to know: You’ll have to take three tablets for a higher dose of zinc.
Mohr recommends Klean Athlete’s vegan zinc supplement because it’s NSF-certified and tastes better than most chewable zinc tablets. “This chewable (and tasty!) zinc supplement makes it easy to take for those who might have a tough time remembering their supplements or for those who have difficulty swallowing capsules,” Mohr says.
Each tablet contains 10 mg of zinc citrate, which is a form of zinc that’s well absorbed by the body, even when taken on an empty stomach. Because of its lower dosage, you can take up to three tablets a day for a total of 30 mg of zinc. We also love that this tablet has a pleasant orange flavor and doesn’t contain any added sugar. Instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners, Klean Athlete sweetens its zinc chewables with xylitol—a natural sugar alcohol that research shows helps prevent cavities.
Zinc per serving: 30 mg | Serving size: 1 tablet | Number of servings: 100 | Independently verified: Yes | In-house tested: No
What we like: These come in at just 5 cents a serving and are independently verified by USP, guaranteeing quality and potency.
What to know: Try to avoid taking this tablet on an empty stomach, as it might cause nausea and other GI issues.
Mohr recommends Nature Made’s zinc tablets because they bear the USP label (so they’re independently verified) and are cost effective (at about 5 cents per tablet). Each tablet contains 30 mg (or 273% of your daily value) of zinc gluconate, a well-absorbed form of zinc, to help correct deficiencies and support your immune system. It’s best to take these particular zinc tabs with a meal to help reduce the chance of getting an upset stomach. Timing your tablets around meals can also make it easier for you to remember to take them, Mohr says.
These Nature Made tablets are very small and easy to swallow, and you’ll only have to take one daily. You can further stretch out the bang for your buck with these by taking one tablet every other day, since a single pill provides more than double your recommended daily value of zinc.
Zinc per serving: 50 mg | Serving size: 1 packet | Number of servings: 30 | Independently verified: No | In-house tested: Yes
What we like: It contains a mix of nutrients that are scientifically proven to support immunity in one convenient on-the-go packet.
What to know: This supplement pack contains a zinc dosage that’s above the safe upper limit of 40 mg, so it’s not meant to be taken daily for an extended period of time.
We especially love the Immune Packs With Vitamin C & D, Zinc and Probiotic because they contain four research-backed nutrients that support immunity.
Each portable packet comes with four pills, including 50 mg of zinc citrate (455% DV), 1,000 mg of vitamin C (1111% DV), 125 micrograms of vitamin D (625% DV), plus a probiotic pill (100 million CFUs). Supplementing with a combo of vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc was significantly linked to a lower risk of getting infected with COVID-19 in a 2022 study.
Also, Life Extension is a reputable brand that tests all of its supplements for purity and potency, and it goes that extra mile by providing a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for each of its products that attests to its supplements’ quality.
Note that this supplement contains 50 mg of zinc, which exceeds the recommended upper intake limit (UL) of 40 mg for zinc, so this isn’t meant to be taken daily. Taking doses of zinc higher than the UL for an extended period of time can lead to lower immunity, low levels of good HDL cholesterol and low copper levels.
Zinc per serving: 15 mg for adults; 7.5 mg for kids | Serving size: 4 full droppers for adults; 2 full droppers for kids | Number of servings: 30 for adults; 60 for kids | Independently verified: Yes | In-house tested: Yes
What we like: You can easily tailor the serving to kids or adults, and it comes in a pleasantly fruity flavor.
What to know: Avoid taking this on an empty stomach as it can cause nausea.
If you or your kids find it difficult to swallow pills, this liquid zinc supplement from Pure Encapsulations is a solid option that’s easy to take. One serving size is four full droppers for adults (15 mg of zinc) or two full droppers for kids (7.5 mg of zinc). This supplement contains zinc gluconate, which is highly absorbable.
This liquid zinc is formulated with apple and cranberry juice concentrates and sweetened with a bit of stevia, so it has a pleasant fruity flavor that both kids and adults will enjoy. You can take it directly from the bottle by dropping it on your tongue or you can mix it into water or another beverage. Either way, make sure to take this with a meal to avoid an upset stomach.
Zinc per serving: 18.75 mg | Serving size: 1 lozenge | Number of servings: 30 | Independently verified: Yes | In-house tested: Yes
What we like: They don’t contain any ingredients that may interfere with zinc absorption.
What to know: Each lozenge contains 4 g of added sugar, which can add up, especially if you take the maximum recommended amount of eight lozenges per day.
Zinc lozenges, specifically, have been shown to help combat the common cold. The research found that zinc lozenge supplementation can reduce a cold’s duration by 2.25 days. These peppermint-flavored vegetarian lozenges from Life Extension provide 18.75 mg (or 170% of your daily value) of zinc, coming from well-absorbed zinc acetate.
Do not exceed more than eight lozenges per day (for a total of 150 mg of zinc). Since these provide a high dose of zinc, you’ll only want to take them when you feel a cold coming on—so these aren’t meant to be taken every day. Plus, taking them at the onset of symptoms is when they’ll be most effective for shortening a cold.
We also love that Life Extension Enhanced Zinc Lozenges don’t contain any mannitol or sorbitol, which are common in other zinc lozenges. Mannitol and sorbitol are sugar alcohols that have been found to potentially cause zinc to become inactive in the presence of saliva.
Zinc per serving: 1, 2, or 4 mg (depending on serving size) | Serving size: ½ to 2 teaspoons daily (depending on age) | Number of servings: 12/24/48 (depending on serving size) | Independently verified: Yes | In-house tested: Unknown
What we like: It’s free of common allergens including peanuts and gluten, and it’s suitable for kids 6 months old and up.
What to know: You’ll need to adjust the dosage according to your child’s age.
ChildLife Essentials’ Zinc Plus is suitable for every stage of childhood—you’ll just have to tinker with the dosage as your kids grow. It’s recommended that infants who are 6 to 12 months old take half a teaspoon daily (for 1 mg of zinc), children ages 1 to 3 years can take 1 teaspoon daily (for 2 mg of zinc), and children ages 4 and up can take 2 teaspoons daily (for 4 mg of zinc). Just make sure to clear it with your pediatrician before giving your child a supplement.
We love that this liquid zinc is made up of zinc gluconate while many kid-friendly zinc supplements on the market are made with zinc sulfate, which isn’t as easily absorbed by the body. And, it’s formulated with just a bit of natural fructose sugar and boasts a mango-strawberry flavor that’s tasty on its own as well as stirred into oatmeal, yogurt or your kid’s favorite juice. We also love that this supplement is NSF-certified, and is gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO and free of common allergens.
The Bottom Line: The Best Zinc Supplements
We love Thorne Zinc Picolinate 30 mg (view at Amazon) because the once-daily tablet is easy to take and contains a highly absorbable form of zinc that doesn’t cause an upset stomach. Klean Athlete Klean Zinc (view at Amazon) is another great option as it’s independently verified and boasts a tasty orange flavor that’s easy to take.
Choosing a Zinc Supplement
Select a form that aligns with why you’re taking zinc.
While zinc supplements are most commonly found in pill or lozenge form, you can also score zinc in a liquid supplement or powdered drink mix. The type of zinc supplement you choose to take depends on your preferences. For example, if you find it difficult to swallow pills, you might look to a liquid or lozenge.
But if you’re taking a zinc supplement specifically to help combat a cold, lozenges might be your best bet as research shows taking lozenges at the onset of symptoms can help shorten your cold duration.
Daily doses should be smaller while short-term supplementation can be a higher dose.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for zinc is 11 mg for males and 8 mg for female adults over the age of 19. Most zinc supplements offer about 15 mg, with some coming in at higher doses. The upper limit (UL) for zinc is 40 mg per day, so avoid taking more than that daily for an extended time.
“The data is really mixed on the effective dosing, so it’s hard to suggest X amount for Y issue,” says Mohr, who recommends aiming for the RDA in a supplement. That said, if you plan to take a zinc supplement regularly, aiming for less than 40 mg a day is a safe bet.
Check for independently-verified products.
“The Dietary supplement industry can be like the wild, wild west, if not regulated,” Mohr says. Fortunately, there are standards enforced by the FDA called Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP), which ensure the safety and efficacy of all supplements. “Many companies adhere to those standards and go above and beyond by ensuring their products are independently tested as well,” Mohr says. “In other words, what’s on the label is in the product, and nothing more.”
Read the ingredients list.
Many zinc supplements offer just that—zinc. But others come coupled with added ingredients for benefits such as immune support. “Including quality ingredients like vitamin D, vitamin C and even elderberry may all play a role in the overall potential benefits,” Mohr says.
On the other hand, “zinc, copper and iron can all interact with one another, so they should not be (and usually aren’t) included together in the same products,” Mohr says.
Some zinc supplements—namely gummies, liquids and lozenges—often contain added sugars to enhance the product’s flavor. Some products can even contain more than a quarter of your total daily added sugar limit (25 g for women and 36 g for men per the American Heart Association). Just because it comes from a nutritional supplement doesn’t mean those sugars don’t count towards your total daily intake. So, to help reduce the amount of sugar in your diet, opt for unflavored or zero-added-sugar supplements when you can.
Our Search for the Best Zinc Supplement
We researched countless brands of zinc supplements and interviewed dietitian Christopher Mohr, Ph.D., RD, for the products he loves and what to look for in a quality zinc supplement. The products on our list are all produced in a cGMP facility and are independently verified by organizations such as USP and NSF to ensure that you’re getting exactly what’s on the label in terms of quality, potency, and purity.
We Also Considered
Mary Ruth’s Ionic Zinc Organic Liquid Drops ($20 at Walmart): While we appreciate that this liquid supplement is independently verified, it didn’t make our final list because it is made up of zinc sulfate. This form of zinc is the least easily absorbed by the body and may cause an upset stomach.
Common Questions
What is the best time of day to take a zinc supplement?
“The best time to take a zinc supplement is the time you’ll remember to take it,” Mohr says. “I’d suggest pairing your supplement with another daily, existing habit, so you remember to take it.” We suggest pairing your zinc supplement with a meal—to help prevent nausea and maybe even help you remember to take it.
It’s also worth noting that zinc interacts with calcium, iron and copper, and taking them together can reduce their individual absorption. If you’re taking supplements that contain calcium, iron or copper, try to take them separately from your zinc supplement to boost each nutrient’s uptake.
How much zinc should I take?
The RDA for zinc is 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women ages 19 and up, while the upper limit is 40 mg per day. Most zinc supplements contain around 15 mg, which is a safe and effective dose.
What are the benefits of zinc supplements?
If you’re chronically low on zinc (which you can confirm with a blood test), you should consider taking a zinc supplement. Increasing your zinc levels will help support your immune system, hormone balance, wound healing and healthy growth and development.
Taking higher doses of zinc at the onset of a cold has been found to shorten the duration of a cold by about two days.
What are the side effects of zinc supplements?
Taking zinc supplements (even in small doses) on an empty stomach can cause nausea as well as indigestion, diarrhea, headache and vomiting. Taking doses higher than the upper limit of 40 mg per day (from supplements, not food) for longer periods of time has been shown to lower immunity, lower your levels of good HDL cholesterol and lower your copper and magnesium levels.
Our Trusted Expertise
April Benshosan, M.S., has been reporting on nutrition, health, and expert-recommended products from the start of her journalism career. For this article, she interviewed dietitian Christopher Mohr, Ph.D., RD, for his insights on zinc supplements.
This article was edited and reviewed by Brierley Horton, M.S., RD, an EatingWell senior editor who has 15 years of experience reporting, writing, and editing nutrition and health content.
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