Zinc Intake and Status of the Selected Korean Adults

Abstract

Zinc intake and status of South Koreans from rural, urban and metropolitan areas were investigated. The dietary habits of 760 healthy male and female adult subjects with a mean age of 54 were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire and were verified using 24 h dietary recall. Daily Zn intakes for men and women were 7.4±5.4 mg and 7.0±5.4 mg, respectively, which were 62% and 70% of the Korean RDA. The phytate : zinc and phytate×calcium : zinc molar ratios were 38 and 398, respectively. Both the low intake of zinc and the high extremely phytate and phytate×calcium ratios with zinc suggest that South Koreans may be at risk of zinc deficiency. Plasma zinc (86±61 μg/dL), urinary zinc (33±27 μg/dL) and plasma alkaline phosphatase (102±52 mU/mL) levels within the normal range did not however suggest marked zinc deficiency in these subjects. However, conventional zinc biomarkers are known to be unreliable for assessment of marginal zinc deficiency. Based on zinc intake alone, it is likely that at least a proportion of these subjects were marginally zinc deficient and the wider consumption of zinc rich, phytate deficient foods, particularly in rural areas, would be beneficial.