The main difference is, zinc sulfate has less absorption than zinc gluconate. Also can also cause stomach aches and a lot of gas and bloating. Zinc gluconate contains a lot of fillers and doesn’t have copper so can cause copper deficiency
What is zinc gluconate?
so the most commonly known zinc supplement is usually zinc gluconate and this is a chelated form of zinc. it is very inexpensive often contains a lot of fillers which, i’m very much against taking fillers and different flow agents in supplements. often does not have the copper. so zinc and copper actually help one another for proper absorption.
so if your zinc supplement does not have enough copper then you can run into difficulties with actually causing a copper deficiency and if you take too much copper this can actually cause a zinc deficiency.
Zinc Gluconate side effects
so unfortunately zinc gluconate also can cause a lot of nausea, can cause stomach aches for people that take it. and this is why it’s often said to always take it with food and some people can’t even do that because it does make them feel sick.
What is zinc sulfate?
Zinc sulfate and this one has poor absorption. it actually needs a lot of stomach acid to be properly absorbed. can also cause stomach aches and a lot of gas and bloating.
Zinc ionophore can increase your absorption
Now one of the things to look for to also increase your absorption of your zinc when you’re looking at a zinc supplement, is to ensure that it has something called a zinc ionophore. and a zinc ionophore what it does is it opens up that channel.
My favorite zinc ionophores is quercetin
so that that zinc can actually be properly absorbed into the cell. zinc often has difficulty for cellular absorption without that ionophore one of my favorite zinc ionophores is called quercetin. so quercetin helps to open up that channel allows for that proper absorption of that zinc. again a little bit of copper is what you’re looking for in a zinc supplement and always looking for that zinc this glycine. it because that means that it’s bound to glycine which is a natural amino acid and really does help that absorption but more importantly is very soothing to the stomach won’t cause that digestive upset when you take it.
dr janine bowring naturopathic doctor
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