NOW Foods Vitamin C-1000 Sustained Release vs Thorne Zinc Picolinate 15 mg

Choose NOW Foods if…

• People with low fruit and vegetable intake
• Smokers and endurance athletes
• Budget shoppers who want a large bottle
• You care most about value

Choose Thorne if…

• People with low zinc intake, including those eating mostly plant foods
• Athletes and label-conscious buyers who want NSF-certified products
• Anyone who wants single-nutrient zinc at a modest dose
• You care most about efficacy, quality & purity, experience

Vitamin C-1000 Sustained Release

• About $0.06 per day
• 1,000 mg dose stays well under the 2,000 mg upper limit
• Vegan, kosher and halal, made without major allergens
• GMP-certified manufacturing
• Far above daily needs, and absorption drops below 50% above 1 g
• Large oval tablet with a noticeable vitamin smell
• No evidence offered for the sustained-release design
• No USP or NSF certification

Zinc Picolinate 15 mg

• 15 mg dose close to the RDA and well under the 40 mg upper limit
• Minimal excipients; gluten-, dairy- and soy-free
• Listed in NSF's certification database; Amazon listing says NSF Contents Certified
• Small 18 mm capsules
• No copper included for long-term use
• Picolinate's absorption advantage is a brand claim NIH does not confirm
• About $0.25 per day, pricier than drugstore zinc
• Two capsules a day plus diet can approach the upper limit