Zinc Gluconate Supplements

About zinc gluconate

Zinc is always bound to something. Gluconate, citrate, picolinate, bisglycinate, sulphate and oxide are all ways of carrying the same mineral, and they differ in how much elemental zinc they hold, how readily they dissolve and how they sit in the stomach. Gluconate is a middle-of-the-road choice: well absorbed, and gentler than sulphate — which is why it turns up in lozenges as often as tablets. The number on the front is usually the compound, not the elemental zinc, so the label's elemental figure is the one to compare across brands.

Reading a zinc label

Two things worth checking. First, elemental zinc: a 50mg zinc gluconate tablet does not deliver 50mg of zinc, because most of that weight is the gluconate. Canadian labels state the elemental amount, and that's the number to compare. Second, timed release: one of the tablets here releases over a longer window rather than all at once, which is a different proposition from a standard tablet at the same stated strength. See the full zinc range for the other forms.

Taking zinc

Zinc has a reputation for being hard on an empty stomach — nausea is the usual complaint, and it's the main reason people switch forms. Taking it with food helps. It's also worth knowing that zinc and copper compete for absorption, which is why long-term zinc supplementation is often discussed alongside copper; that's a conversation for a pharmacist or practitioner who knows what else you're taking, not something to work out from a label.

Zinc gluconate in Canada

Every zinc supplement at Vitamart is licensed for sale in Canada — look for the NPN on the label — and ships from our Ontario warehouse. The full zinc range covers gluconate alongside citrate, picolinate, bisglycinate and multi-mineral formulas.