Zinc is a Necessary Nutrient
I had a hard time deciding what to write about last. The first 4 supplements that I keep an eye out for were easy: Folate, Magnesium, Vitamin B-12, and Omega 3’s. I decided to write about zinc because it is the hardest working mineral in your body. Zinc is often deficient. Lastly, zinc is personally involved in over 1,000 different biochemical reactions in the body. Tests are not great and anything from hair loss to nausea can be related to zinc deficiency. In naturopathic medical school, I was taught to use zinc picolinate. Usually, the studies consist of taking various forms of zinc, then having the participants collect their urine. The urine levels with the highest amount of zinc indicate the best gastrointestinal absorption. This makes sense because the focus is often on getting the zinc in a supplement from outside of the body into the bloodstream. The amount of zinc in your urine is thus connected to how much is in your blood.
No More Zinc Picolinate
Zinc Picolinate is probably the most recommended form of zinc healthcare professionals. Whenever patients come in and they have seen other naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, or functional medicine doctors they usually recommend this form. I am guilty too, over the course of my career I have recommended this form hundreds of times. I stopped recommending it because of one study. In this study instead of giving various forms of zinc like zinc orotate, zinc picolinate, zinc oxide, or zinc acetate. They simply gave what the zinc was attached to picolinic acid (zinc picolinate), acetic acid (zinc acetate), and etc. This study found that people taking just picolinic acid alone had the highest amount of zinc in their urine. That means the picolinic acid was helping them remove zinc from their body. So yes it has great absorption but that doesn’t matter if the zinc is quickly eliminated. Ideally there would be a zinc that is well absorbed and then passes into the cell and only once the cells are saturated then excess would be eliminated via urine. So honestly the jury is still out but I usually recommend zinc gluconate or zinc monomethionine now a days.
Zinc: The Hardest Working Mineral
When choosing the most critical nutrients to monitor, the first four are always easy: Folate, Magnesium, Vitamin B-12, and Omega-3s. Deciding on the fifth was harder, but I ultimately chose Zinc.
Zinc is perhaps the hardest-working mineral in the human body, serving as a co-factor in over 1,000 different biochemical reactions. Despite its importance, deficiency is incredibly common. Because clinical testing for zinc isn’t always definitive, we often have to look at a broad spectrum of symptoms—ranging from hair loss and poor wound healing to chronic nausea—to identify a deficit.
The Problem with Absorption Studies
In naturopathic medical school, we were taught that Zinc Picolinate was the gold standard. The reasoning was based on traditional absorption studies:
Participants take various forms of zinc (oxide, citrate, picolinate, etc.).
Researchers measure the amount of zinc excreted in the urine.
High levels of zinc in the urine were interpreted as proof of high gastrointestinal absorption into the bloodstream.
For years, the logic was simple: if it’s in your pee, it must have been in your blood.
Why I Stopped Recommending Zinc Picolinate
Zinc Picolinate is likely the most recommended form of zinc by naturopaths, chiropractors, and functional medicine practitioners alike. Early in my career, I recommended it hundreds of times. However, my perspective shifted after reviewing a specific study that looked closer at the “delivery vehicle.”
In this study, researchers didn’t just test zinc compounds; they tested the ligands (the acids that zinc is attached to) on their own. They discovered that participants taking picolinic acid alone showed the highest levels of zinc in their urine.
The “Exit Door” Effect
This suggests a major flaw in our previous logic: picolinic acid may not just be helping zinc get into the body—it might be actively helping the body remove it.
The Goal: A supplement that is well-absorbed into the bloodstream, enters the cells where it’s needed, and is only excreted once the cells are saturated.
The Reality: High urine levels might actually indicate that the zinc is being “escorted” out of the body before it ever has a chance to do its job.
While the jury is still out on the absolute “best” form, this data was enough for me to change my clinical approach. I now typically recommend Zinc Gluconate or Zinc Monomethionine to ensure my patients are actually retaining the mineral, not just filtering it out.
A Note on Bioavailability
Most people assume “absorption” equals “utilization.” This study reminds us that what matters isn’t just how much gets into the blood, but how long it stays there to support those 1,000+ biochemical reactions.
