Zinc (picolinate vs gluconate vs bisglycinate) and immune
What 5 graded rows on zinc (picolinate vs gluconate vs bisglycinate) agree on for immune, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Zinc (picolinate vs gluconate vs bisglycinate) page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Zinc (picolinate vs gluconate vs bisglycinate) page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Zinc (picolinate vs gluconate vs bisglycinate) and immune
5 rows · 2,463 peopleSplit. 3 rows found an improvement, 1 found no difference and 1 had mixed results.
- BGrade B× 1
- CGrade C× 1
- DGrade D× 3
- Rows
- 5
- Trials
- 5
- At least: a review without a trial count
- People
- 2,463
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
Where they differ
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade B, is a systematic review of 972 people (2024) and found an improvement.
The row that found no difference was larger: 1,449 people, against a median of 15 people for the 3 rows that found an improvement.
Only the 3 rows that found an improvement name women in their population.
The best grade is B among the rows that found an improvement, and C among the row that found no difference.
1 row with mixed results is left out of this comparison.
The rows
3 improved · 1 no difference · 1 mixed- BGrade BLength of a cold when zinc is started after symptoms begin · Improved
Systematic review · n 972 · 2024 · 8 treatment trials in people with the common cold
Zinc gluconate lozenges 45–276 mg/day across lozenge trials · 4.5–21 days
Colds were 2.37 days shorter on average (MD -2.37; 95% CI -4.21 to -0.53), low-certainty evidence with very high heterogeneity (I² 97%). Non-serious side effects such as nausea were more common with zinc (RR 1.34).
Row on the Zinc (picolinate vs gluconate vs bisglycinate) page · PubMed 38719213 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DZinc status markers: picolinate vs citrate vs gluconate · Improved
Crossover RCT · n 15 · 1987 · Healthy volunteers
50 mg elemental zinc/day · 4 weeks per period
Hair, urine and red-blood-cell zinc rose significantly only with picolinate; none changed with citrate, gluconate or placebo. Serum zinc did not rise significantly with any form.
Row on the Zinc (picolinate vs gluconate vs bisglycinate) page · PubMed 3630857 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DZinc absorption: bisglycinate vs gluconate · Improved
PK study · n 12 · 2007 · Healthy female volunteers
15 mg elemental zinc, single administration · Single doses with a 7-day washout
Bisglycinate gave 43.4% higher oral bioavailability of zinc than gluconate, based on serum zinc levels.
Row on the Zinc (picolinate vs gluconate vs bisglycinate) page · PubMed 18271278 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CChance of catching a cold with regular zinc · No difference
Systematic review · n 1,449 · 2024 · 9 prevention trials
Varied across trials · Up to 5–18 months of follow-up in some trials
Little or no reduction in the risk of developing a cold (RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.85 to 1.01), low-certainty evidence.
Row on the Zinc (picolinate vs gluconate vs bisglycinate) page · PubMed 38719213 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DZinc absorption: citrate vs gluconate vs oxide · Mixed
Crossover RCT · n 15 · 2014 · Healthy young adults, fasting
10 mg elemental zinc, single test doses · Single-dose isotope tests
Median fractional absorption was 61.3% from citrate and 60.9% from gluconate (no difference), but 49.9% from oxide (significantly lower). Three participants absorbed little or no zinc from oxide.
Row on the Zinc (picolinate vs gluconate vs bisglycinate) page · PubMed 24259556 (opens PubMed)