PlainPill

L-Citrulline vs Zinc for libido

Short answer: For libido, more users report improvement with L-Citrulline — 97% of 37 reports, versus 88% of 95 for Zinc.

L-Citrulline has 14 meta-analyses and 101 randomized trials on PubMed; Zinc has 220 and 555.

Based on 181 reports about L-Citrulline and 1,264 about Zinc. Not medical advice.

L-Citrulline
Supplement
Zinc
Supplement
User score5742
Verdict
Mostly positive
Mostly positive
Positive
of reports that state an outcome
76%61%
Reports1811,264
ResearchAResearch: StrongAResearch: Strong
Meta-analyses / RCTs14 / 101220 / 555
Mainly used for
Weight loss
% reporting improvement
—100% (3)
Appetite
% reporting improvement
—33% (3)
Focus
% reporting improvement
67% (3)62% (26)
Energy
% reporting improvement
100% (7)71% (51)
Sleep
% reporting improvement
—82% (68)
Anxiety
% reporting improvement
100% (2)73% (30)
Mood
% reporting improvement
100% (2)80% (61)
Memory
% reporting improvement
—20% (5)
Performance
% reporting improvement
97% (30)90% (20)
Recovery
% reporting improvement
100% (3)86% (7)
Pain & inflammation
% reporting improvement
100% (2)56% (9)
Digestion
% reporting improvement
—0% (2)
Libido
% reporting improvement
97% (37)88% (95)
Hormones
% reporting improvement
50% (2)89% (63)
Heart & lipids
% reporting improvement
94% (16)50% (2)
Skin & hair
% reporting improvement
—81% (32)
Immunity
% reporting improvement
—86% (28)
Common side effectsdizziness, headache, eye bags, tooth damagenausea, fatigue, stomach issues, copper depletion
Typical dose reported8 g / 3x/weekdaily
L-Citrulline
Latest review conclusion

Foods rich in polyphenols and nitrate provide trivial benefits for endurance exercise performance, although these effects may be food dependent. Highly trained endurance athletes do not appear to benefit from consuming nitrate-rich foods but may benefit from polyphenol consumption. Further research into food sources, dosage and supplementation duration to optimise the ergogenic response to polyphenol consumption is warranted. Further studies should evaluate whether differential sex-based responses to nitrate and polyphenol consumption are attributable to physiological differences or sample siz

J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2021 ↗
What a user said
“Something I found that makes my meds work way better is Citrulline 2g + Arginine 2g twice daily.”
Full L-Citrulline profile →
Zinc
Latest review conclusion

Acne patients have decreased serum zinc levels. Zinc is effective for the treatment of acne, particularly at decreasing the number of inflammatory papules, when used as monotherapy or as an adjunctive treatment.

Dermatol Ther, 2020 ↗
What a user said
“I had actual energy in the mornings for the first time I could remember.”
Full Zinc profile →

Related comparisons

Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate