Zinc deficiency in

health and wellbeing.1 Consequences of severe zinc deficiency have been documented in several populations worldwide.2 The most widely used approach for the assessment of zinc status, particularly in a large population study, is the determination of circulating concentration of either serum or plasma zinc.3 Mild to moderate zinc deficiency is common in several developing countries, as the commonly stable foods have low zinc contents and are rich in phytates. We know that the high phytate content of cereal proteins decreases the availability of zinc, thus, the prevalence of mild to moderate zinc deficiency is likely to be high in a Z