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Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
Teriparatide vs Zinc: Zinc has the stronger overall evidence (8.5 vs 7/10); they're alternatives for bone health — the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
Zinc wins 3 of 3 categories. Both are solid choices — the best pick depends on your specific goals.
Verdict
Too few graded studies
Top outcomes
Verdict
Likely helps
13 of 15 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
20 micrograms once daily by subcutaneous injection (the approved osteoporosis dose; PRESCRIPTION ONLY)
Any time of day
Subcutaneous injection (prefilled pen)
15-25mg daily (a typical label dose, not the dose used in the cited trials, which used about 30 mg a day)
With meals
Zinc picolinate or zinc citrate
and 4 more not shown
Over ~18-24 months of daily use
Over ~18-24 months
Detectable by ~3 months
Hours after each dose
2-4 weeks
2-4 weeks
4-8 weeks
Immediate
Effect of parathyroid hormone (1-34) on fractures and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
N Engl J Med (2001) · Rct · n=1637
Pivotal Fracture Prevention Trial: 1637 postmenopausal women with prior vertebral fractures randomized to PTH(1-34) 20 or 40 microg/day or placebo, median 21 months
Effects of teriparatide and risedronate on new fractures in post-menopausal women with severe osteoporosis (VERO): a multicentre, double-blind, double-dummy, randomised controlled trial.
Lancet (2018) · Rct · n=1360
Head-to-head double-blind, double-dummy RCT of teriparatide 20 microg/day vs risedronate 35 mg/week in 1360 women with severe osteoporosis over 24 months
Teriparatide or alendronate in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.
N Engl J Med (2007) · Rct · n=428
18-month randomized, double-blind, controlled head-to-head trial in 428 patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis
Efficacy of Zinc Supplementation in the Management of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Nutrients (2024) · Meta analysis · n=739
Zinc supplementation significantly reduced pain severity compared to placebo (Hedges's g = -1.541; 95% CI: -2.268 to -0.814; p < 0.001), representing a clinically meaningful reduction in pain.
Effects of Daily Zinc Alone or in Combination with Other Nutrient Supplements on the Risk of Malaria Parasitaemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials
Nutrients (2023) · Meta analysis · n=1339
The effect sizes, represented as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were standardised by transforming them into log RRs and then pooling them using a fixed-effects or random-effects model depending on the heterogeneity across studies.
Prevalence of Zinc Deficiency in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Nutrients (2022) · Meta analysis · n=806
Pooled analyses by the IBD subgroup showed a total population of 1677 with CD, for an overall mean zinc deficiency prevalence of 54% and 95% confidence intervals (CI) ranging from 0.51 to 0.56, versus 41% (95%CI 0.38-0.45) in the UC population (n = 806).
Zinc has a higher evidence score (8.5/10 vs 7/10) and wins in 3 of 3 categories.
For bone health, Teriparatide has a higher relevance score (85 vs 70).
No documented interaction was found in the data searched. This does not establish that this exact combination is safe.
AREDS2 works for diagnosed AMD; lutein/screen-strain claims are weaker. Who actually benefits.
The popular one (saw palmetto) mostly fails in rigorous trials; beta-sitosterol is the better bet.
Selenium helps; iodine can WORSEN Hashimoto’s. The honest take on "thyroid support".
CoQ10, zinc, selenium, carnitine modestly help sperm parameters — but live-birth evidence is weak.
The right pick depends on your goals. Answer a few quick questions for a personalised recommendation — or dig into the full evidence on each.