Zinc: Dietary Sources and Bioavailability

11-409 12015 Zinc, as a cofactor for numerous enzymes in the body, plays an important role in growth and development, wound healing, taste acuity and appetite, immune function, and gene expression (1-4). Although zinc is needed in only small amounts by the human body, some people are vulnerable to mild to moderate zinc deficiency (1). Zinc deficiency results not only from a diet low in zinc-rich foods such as meat, but also from intake of dietary components such as phytate in unrefined cereals that reduce zinc absorption or its availability to the body. The Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board (1) has issued updated Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for zinc, as shown in Table 1.