Now Foods Zinc Glycinate - Zinc Glycinate Chélaté Biodisponible

What is Now Foods Zinc Glycinate?

Now Foods Zinc Glycinate is a zinc supplement in softgel form, sold in a bottle of 120 softgels. The mineral is supplied as glycinate — a salt in which zinc is chelated to glycine, an amino acid. It is the best-tolerated form where digestion is concerned, far ahead of the oxide or the sulphate, and it is the whole point of this product.

Its second distinguishing feature is the carrier. The zinc is not dry-compressed into a capsule but suspended in 250 mg of pumpkin seed oil, inside a softgel. This oil is not an active ingredient in the regulatory sense — we will come back to that — but it explains the product's texture and the way it should be taken.

The formula runs to just a few lines: zinc glycinate, pumpkin seed oil, bovine gelatine for the shell, glycerine, water, carob, beeswax and soya lecithin. The American manufacturer states that production is non-GMO. The rest of the range can be found in the Now Foods section.

What does one softgel contain?

The bottle holds 120 softgels, which is four months at one softgel a day.

30 mg of zinc is a high dose, and that should be stated plainly rather than sold as a benefit. The nutrient reference value is 10 mg: you are at 300%. More to the point, EFSA sets 25 mg a day as the upper safe limit for adults, from all sources combined. A single softgel of this product therefore exceeds that limit on its own, before you even count the zinc in your diet. This is a formula designed for the American market, where the ceilings are not the same as in Europe. It is not a dangerous product, it is a product that should not be taken blindly or long-term without a reason — and certainly not on top of a multivitamin that already contains some.

That said, zinc is a mineral with numerous and firmly established claims. We can state, using the exact wording of the European regulation, that zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to normal protein synthesis, to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood, to the maintenance of normal hair, nails and skin, to the protection of cells from oxidative stress and to normal fertility and reproduction. Few minerals cover as much ground.

The 250 mg of pumpkin seed oil, on the other hand, carries no health claim authorised in Europe. You will therefore read no promises about it here. Its documented role is that of a fat-soluble excipient: it acts as the carrier inside the softgel.

How should Zinc Glycinate be taken?

Dose: 1 softgel a day. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: with a meal, preferably dinner. Frequency: 1 serving a day. Duration: the manufacturer advises a course of 2 to 3 months, which may be repeated.

Never take it on an empty stomach. Zinc is the mineral most likely to cause nausea when the stomach is empty, and 30 mg in one go is a good illustration of this: the sensation comes on within half an hour and it is decidedly unpleasant. A meal, even a light one, solves the problem.

Dinner is the most practical slot, for a simple reason of organisation rather than physiology: it is the meal at which people take the fewest other supplements. That matters because zinc competes for absorption with several minerals. Leave at least two hours between it and any iron, calcium or magnesium. That is the rule that counts most in this paragraph, and the one most often forgotten.

On duration: a two to three month course, then a break. Zinc has no perceptible day-to-day effect, and the idea of taking 30 mg continuously all year round is far from trivial — prolonged high-dose supplementation can interfere with copper absorption. If your situation warrants a permanent intake, that is a question for a doctor, backed up by a blood test.

Who is this zinc for, and who is it not for?

It is intended for adults, and its dosage points it towards specific situations: a documented deficiency, a diet low in animal products, or a period of prolonged calorie deficit in an athlete. Outside those cases, a more modest dose is amply sufficient.

The softgel shell is made of bovine gelatine. This product is therefore suitable neither for vegetarians nor for vegans — which is a genuine irony, since diets without animal products are precisely the ones most often short of zinc. The beeswax rules it out of a strict vegan diet as well.

It contains SOYA in the form of lecithin, and traces of WHEAT, GLUTEN, MILK, EGG, FISH and CRUSTACEANS are possible. The manufacturer advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women without medical advice and recommends consulting a healthcare professional if you are on any treatment or have a health condition.

It is not suitable if you are already taking a multivitamin, a ZMA or any other supplement containing zinc: the combined total would take you well beyond anything useful. Nor is it suitable if you have no particular reason to supplement — 30 mg a day in someone whose diet already meets their needs brings nothing and is not without consequences in the long run.

What not to expect from it: this is not a testosterone booster. The authorised claim says that zinc “contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood” — maintaining a normal level is not raising it, and the distinction is not merely rhetorical. Nor is it an acne treatment or a performance product.

Zinc on its own or a multivitamin?

The question is worth asking in that order, because most zinc buyers already have a multivitamin in the cupboard without giving it a thought.

A multivitamin is the better choice if your concern is a general one: an irregular diet, skipped meals, uncertainty about your overall micronutrient coverage. It generally supplies 10 to 15 mg of zinc, a sensible baseline dose, alongside the vitamins and the other minerals. In that case you have no reason to add this product: you would double the zinc without gaining anything else.

Zinc on its own is the better choice in the opposite situation: you know why you are taking it, you want to control that one line precisely, and you do not want to swallow anything else. That covers a vegan diet, a deficiency confirmed by a blood test, or a short period of increased need. The glycinate then has a real argument in its favour: it goes down better than the other forms, and with a mineral known for causing nausea, that is no small detail. One last pointer: if zinc interests you for evening sports use, look instead at ZMA products, which combine it with magnesium and vitamin B6 at more measured doses.

Frequently asked questions

Is 30 mg of zinc a day too much?

It is above the safe limit of 25 mg a day set by EFSA for adults, from all sources combined. One softgel a day taken on an occasional basis, during a two to three month course, remains common practice; a permanent intake at that level, on top of other supplements, does not. If in doubt, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Is the product suitable for vegetarians?

No. The softgel shell is made of bovine gelatine, and the formula also contains beeswax. That is all the more unfortunate given that vegetarian and vegan diets are among those most often short of zinc. Check this point before ordering.

What is the pumpkin seed oil for?

It serves as a fat-soluble carrier inside the softgel: it is the medium in which the zinc glycinate is suspended. As no health claim is authorised in Europe for this oil, we will not attribute any to it, whatever assertions you may read elsewhere.

Why should it not be taken with iron or calcium?

Because those minerals use the same intestinal transporters and get in each other's way. The manufacturer recommends leaving two hours between servings. In practice: iron at breakfast, zinc at dinner. It is the simplest rule, and it is enough.

How long does the bottle of 120 softgels last?

Four months at one softgel a day, which is longer than the two to three month course advised by the manufacturer. In other words, one bottle covers a full course and you will have some left over. Store it out of the reach of children, in a dry place away from light.

Is glycinate better absorbed than zinc oxide?

Above all it is better tolerated: chelation to glycine limits gastric irritation, and that is a real benefit you can verify day to day. On absorption itself, we will not repeat any numerical multiplier: those comparisons circulate widely and are validated by no health authority.

Can it be taken at the same time as a whey protein or a creatine?

Yes, there is no known interaction between zinc and a protein powder or creatine. The only thing to watch is other sources of zinc: multivitamins, ZMA, immunity complexes. Add up the milligrams before drawing any conclusion, keeping the limit of 25 mg a day in mind.

Where can you buy Now Foods Zinc Glycinate?

It can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe.

Zinc is one of the few supplements for which we sometimes advise against buying over the counter at our shop in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier. Not because the product is poor — it is well formulated — but because at 30 mg the question “are you already taking some elsewhere?” needs to be asked beforehand, not afterwards. The rest of our everyday supplements can be found in the sports nutrition section.