7 Best Zinc Supplement Picks of 2021 For Immune System

Zinc is a vital mineral whose functions include keeping your skin healthy and providing support to the immune system. Certain foods (such as oysters) are rich in zinc, but it cannot be synthesized by the human body so a deficiency must be corrected either by consuming zinc-rich foods or by consuming zinc supplements.

Deficiencies are incredibly common- a quarter of some populations are affected!

Before we dig into the science of zinc deficiency and what zinc does for your body, here's a quick run-down of our best zinc supplement choices. Keep reading for why we love these choices!

THE WINNERS

1. Best Overall: Why Not Natural Zinc Blend

2. Best Capsule: Zinc Picolinate Thorne Research

3. Best Tablet: Solgar Chelated Zinc, 22 mg

4. Best Vegan: Vitamin Code Raw Zinc Garden Of Life

5. Best Whole Food: Peak Performance Raw Whole Foods Zinc

6. Best Lozenge: Antaeus Labs Acetate Lozenges

7. Best Gummy: Nature's Bounty 30 mg

Some factors that can make deficiency more common include aging, inflammatory bowel disease, a plant-based diet (plant-based sources are not as easily absorbed because of the presence of phytates), and liver disease.

Every organ and every cell in your body needs zinc- the only metal more abundant in the body is iron.

It's the catalyst for over 300 enzymes that control body processes (like digestion, metabolism, and testosterone production), helps you taste and smell food properly, and (perhaps most famously) important for a robust immune system.

Your body can't store zinc, so even if you don't have a deficiency it's important to consume enough zinc every day to avoid contagious illnesses, digestive problems, metabolic or skin issues and other problems associated with inadequate zinc levels.

Research shows that zinc stabilizes blood sugar levels, enhances immune system function, and maintains your eyes, brain, skin, and heart health.

Read on to learn how the most popular forms of zinc can help the immune system (whether you want to want to treat acne or reduce cold duration) along with potential side effects, and dosage recommendations of zinc supplements.

We hope you’ll stick around until the end, but let’s dig into Ingredient Nerd’s Best Zinc Supplement Picks for the Immune System.

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HOW TO CHOOSE ZINC SUPPLEMENTS

Vitamin Form: There's a huge range of absorbability between the different zinc forms. The best-absorbed forms are chelates (zinc bound to other molecules) like zinc picolinate and zinc bisglycinate, but high-quality zinc does tend to be more expensive (which is why lower-quality zinc is so common!). Better absorption and less side effects go hand in hand.

Reviews: The best zinc supplement (like those on our list) will have thousands of raving, verified reviews and come from highly respected a company.

Good Manufacturing Practices: All companies listed are compliant with the FDA's GMP standards for purity and consistency of ingredients so you can trust that you're getting what's advertised.

Low sugar: Sugar is highly inflammatory, so we recommend taking a supplement without it. However, two of our recommended supplements do contain sugar (a smaller amount than comparable products).

Vegetarian: Most of our recommended supplements are vegan, with the exception of #7 (it's hard to find a vegetarian gummy). One of the highest-risk groups for low zinc is those on a plant-based diet.

Beneficial Dose: Zinc is a metal, meaning it's not something your body can store so you need to get enough daily. This also means it can be toxic in high doses!

Excess zinc also interferes with the absorption of other necessary metals like iron and copper. Look for zinc with a serving size around your recommended daily dose (see the chart at the bottom).

PRICING SYSTEM

The supplements contain varied serving sizes servings per container. To simplify, the $ (USD) indicates price per serving:

$=under $0.25 per serving

$$=$0.26 to $0.50 per serving

$$$=$0.51 to $0.75 per serving

We haven't listed any products that cost more than $0.54 per serving.

Ingredient Nerd's Best Zinc Supplement Choices for the Immune System

1. Best Overall: Why Not Natural Zinc Blend

Price: $$

Almost every liquid zinc supplement contains the less-absorbable (and far less palatable!) form of zinc, zinc sulfate. Not this one!

This has a powerful blend of zinc picolinate and zinc bisglycinate chelate (more details on the best forms are further down in this article). These high-quality zinc forms would make these drops a steal on their own, but the drops also contain real elderberry (not cheap elderberry juice) and vitamin C!

2. Best Capsule: Zinc Picolinate Thorne Research

Price: $

Thorne Research is a company after our own heart, because they use well-researched, highly effective ingredients. We love to see zinc picolinate on an ingredient list.

This product does not contain the most common fillers and allergens; each capsule contains a whopping 30 milligrams of zinc picolinate (more than most people need; they have a 15 mg version as well).

They also have a great zinc bisglycinate. We wish they would combine the two (like Why Not Natural's formula)!

3. Best Tablet: Solgar Chelated Zinc, 22 mg

Price: $

You've probably seen Solgar's bottles at your local supermarket. Sometimes popular brands cut corners but in this case Solgar is giving you their best.

It says it's a "patented form of amino acid glycinate" but regular zinc bisglycinate is also an amino acid glycinate ("bis" just means "two" molecules).

It has one of the best forms of zinc, a generous 250 tablets and more than double most people's recommended daily serving. Whether you're sick or just want to boost your immune system, as far as tablets go this is a winner.

4. Best Vegan: Vitamin Code Raw Zinc Garden Of Life

Price: $$

Zinc deficiencies are common in vegans and vegetarians, and these vegan tablets contain a generous blend of veggies and fruits, probiotics, trace minerals, and enzymes to help with overall nutrition in addition to zinc.

This zinc is in chelate form which means it’s bound to another substance to make it more absorbable.

5. Best Whole Food: Peak Performance Raw Whole Foods Zinc

Price: $$$

If you can get zinc directly from food, that's always going to be the preferred way to consume it. These vegan capsules use a fruit and vegetable blend of zinc-rich foods.

Zinc consumed directly from plant foods isn't absorbed as well because they also tend to contain phytates, but with a generous 30 mg per serving you'll still get far more than your daily requirement.

The downside is that there are only 30 capsules in this container, so it's an expensive option for long-term supplementation.

6. Best Lozenge: Antaeus Labs Acetate Lozenges

Price: $$

As these lozenges claim, "although zinc is a common supplement, effective zinc lozenges that have been properly formulated are exceedingly rare"- you can say that again!

We had to look through countless listings to find one with a decent amount of zinc (some of them have only a sprinkling), that uses an effective form, and doesn't contain primarily sugar.

The reviews do say it tastes horrible so that explains why some reviewers don't think it's the best zinc supplement, but if you want something more palatable this is another good option (that has 4 grams of sugar per lozenge, which is why it's not our first choice).

7. Best Gummy: Nature's Bounty 30 mg

Price: $

You know we had to include everybody's favorite way to take their vitamins (candy!). It's really hard to find a good zinc gummy. Citrate here, citrate there.

We were about to throw in the towel when we came across the Nature's Bounty gluconate gummies- gluconate is far superior to citrate in terms of absorption. It is NOT vegan or even vegetarian (contains gelatin).

Dosage:

Below are the National Institutes of Health recommended daily intake:

Conclusion

Zinc is an immunity powerhouse - your immune system can't function without it, and it can even shorten colds. If you can't get enough in your diet, be sure to take an effective form of zinc!

Many supplements claim to be effective and easily absorbed, but the research says otherwise. Choose carefully to get the best zinc supplement for you!