You Are Probably Using The Wrong Form Of Zinc: This Chelate Complex Is Superior

When I say "zinc," what comes to mind? An antioxidant mineral you can find in foods and supplements? Its critical role in our immune system? Or maybe the fact that it's a mineral from that periodic table of elements we all learned years ago. These are all true of zinc.

Zinc is a trace mineral and essential micronutrient. When I say "essential," I mean that our bodies cannot synthesize this metal on our own, and we must consume it. Daily. 

To prevent zinc deficiency1, women need at least 8 milligrams (mg) of zinc daily (that need increases to 11 mg during pregnancy and 12 mg when breastfeeding), while men require at least 11 mg of zinc each day.

Because of the lower bioavailability of plant-based zinc food sources, this mineral can be a micronutrient shortfall, particularly for vegetarians and vegans. 

Many people, including myself, take a zinc supplement every day. Some people do so to ensure sufficient intake of this essential mineral. For others, it's to deliver daily support to their immune system.* I supplement with zinc daily for both of those reasons. 

Dietary supplement options for zinc include individual (i.e., just zinc), multi-nutrient (multiple vitamins and minerals, like a multivitamin), and targeted combination products. I take 15 mg of zinc bisglycinate daily provided via mindbodygreen's immune support+ because it's a high-quality nutritional supplement I personally know and trust.

The supplement aisle, whether in person or online, can feel like a labyrinth—and the myriad zinc options are no exception. You can find zinc supplements in diverse complexes, mostly as salts or, less frequently, as amino acid chelates. 

It's important to inspect your supplement and ask, what is zinc's "partner" or "other half"? For example, your zinc supplement may contain zinc bisglycinate (sometimes referred to as zinc glycinate), zinc sulfate, zinc oxide, zinc gluconate, zinc acetate, zinc picolinate, zinc citrate, zinc monomethionine, etc.

While zinc supplements may be widely available, they can't all be winners. Some are simply better, and their superiority is rooted in research. Amino acid mineral chelates are that unique and premium form.

A chelate is a balanced compound or complex that contains an organic ligand (e.g., the amino acid glycine) bonded to a central metal atom (zinc!). So for zinc bisglycinate, it's one zinc atom covalently bonded to (or flanked by) two glycine amino acids.

Because the GI tract views the zinc bisglycinate chelate as an organic and predigested compound, it's more gentle on the stomach and primed for absorption in the gut. 

The other beauty of this chelate is that it crosses the gut wall intact. This means it's significantly more streamlined (i.e., less ATP energy required) in terms of steps required for digestion and absorption. Zinc is also buffered from interference from other nutrients, netting fewer losses of this essential mineral. 

In that way, amino acids (the building blocks of protein) are the perfect partner to deliver key minerals like zinc efficiently through the GI tract, across the intestinal wall, and into the bloodstream for its delivery to cells throughout the body.

And this benefit isn't theoretical. There are clinical trials cementing the superiority of zinc bisglycinate over other types of zinc complexes.

For example, absorption is significantly less for zinc oxide4 than other varieties like zinc citrate and zinc gluconate. We also know that the zinc bisglycinate chelate form is superior in absorption5 (by a lot: 43% higher absorption) than zinc gluconate.

This superior bioavailability of zinc bisglycinate vs. other mineral complexes (zinc gluconate, picolinate, and oxide) also translates into higher plasma levels of zinc (i.e., more zinc is absorbed and makes its way to your bloodstream). In other words, zinc bisglycinate improves your overall zinc status better than other zinc supplements. 

In the world of human nutrition ingredients, zinc bisglycinate chelate manufactured by Albion Laboratories Inc. is considered the cream of the zinc "crop," not just in the U.S. but globally. This is the high-quality zinc in mindbodygreen's immune support+ supplement.

As the pioneers in mineral technology, Albion leverages proprietary and patented technologies (at least 150 patents) to create genuine mineral amino acid chelates that are stable and nutritionally functional in the body. 

The zinc bisglycinate in mbg's immune support+ is missing a bunch of stuff you don't want. This chelated mineral from Albion is GMO-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, lactose-free, soy-free, and free of major food allergens. 

We have daily zinc needs, yet this essential trace mineral remains an underconsumed nutrient for many people. Incorporating a high-quality supplement with zinc can be a prudent strategy to achieve this nutritional requirement and support immune health.*