Daily intake of 11 elements in relation to reference Japanese man

Diet samples were collected by a duplicated portion method from 31 locations in Japan in both the summer and winter of 1981. The ashed samples were analyzed with an inductively coupled plasma atomic-emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) for 11 elements: Na, K, P, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn, Al, Sr, Cu and Ba. Average daily intake was as follows: Na--4.5 g, K--1.9 g, P--0.92 g, Ca--0.56 g, Mg--0.20 g, Zn--7.1 mg, Al--4.0 mg, Mn--3.4 mg, Sr--2.3 mg, Cu--1.3 mg and Ba--0.36 mg. A tendency for higher mineral intakes was found in central Japan. These were the highest in the Chubu area followed by the Kanto and Kinki areas. Lower mineral intakes, below the averages for Japan, were found in western Japan, especially in the Chugoku and Shikoku areas. Daily intake of most elements, except Na, Mn, and Sr, was found to be 40-70% of the levels of Reference Man, which were reported by International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for the Western Europeans and North Americans. Daily intake of Na, Mn and Sr was almost the same in both cases.