Zinc supplement use and contribution to zinc intake in Australian children.

OBJECTIVE The aims of the present study were to examine the Zn intake and characteristics of Zn supplement users and non-users and to survey Zn supplements that are commercially available. DESIGN Cross-sectional national nutrition survey (2007 Australian Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey) and a review of commercially available Zn supplements. SETTING Australia. SUBJECTS Children (n 4834) aged 2-16 years. RESULTS Zn supplement use was associated with younger age, being female, having a lower BMI and consuming a vegetarian or modified diet. Supplement users had significantly higher intakes of Zn than non-users in all age and gender subgroups. Adolescent boys aged 14-16 years who did not use Zn supplements were at highest risk of inadequate Zn intake (15 % compared with 1 % of users). Conversely, children aged 2-3 years were at highest risk of exceeding the recommended upper limit of Zn intake (86-87 % of users and 64-71 % of non-users), followed by children aged 4-8 years (9-29 % of users and 3-12 % of non-users). The most common sources of Zn supplements consumed by children were multi-vitamin and mineral preparations (92 %), followed by Zn-only supplements (5 %) and Zn-containing cold and flu, or cold sore supplements (3 %). A survey of commercially available Zn supplements revealed that the median elemental Zn content was 2 and 25 mg for multi-vitamin and mineral preparations and Zn-only supplements, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Based on these data, widespread Zn supplement use among young children is unlikely to be warranted. The impact of exceeding the upper limit of Zn intake on biomarkers of Zn toxicity requires further investigation.