Zinc absorption from breakfast flakes produced from sprouted or hydrothermally processed wheat: a randomized...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Human Nutrition
• Food Science

Background:

• Zinc deficiency is a global health concern.
• Wheat is a significant source of dietary zinc, but its absorption is hindered by phytic acid.
• Processing methods like sprouting and hydrothermal treatment aim to improve zinc bioavailability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of wheat sprouting and hydrothermal processing in enhancing zinc absorption in humans.
• To investigate the relationship between phytate reduction, zinc bioaccessibility, and actual zinc absorption.

Main Methods:

• A human intervention study using a dual isotope technique with enriched stable zinc isotopes.
• Participants consumed breakfast flakes made from untreated, sprouted, or hydrothermally treated wheat.
• Fractional zinc absorption was measured in two test groups.

Main Results:

• Hydrothermal processing increased fractional zinc absorption by 1.1-fold compared to untreated wheat.
• Wheat sprouting did not significantly enhance fractional zinc absorption.
• Both processing methods showed limited increases in zinc absorption, likely due to residual phytate:zinc molar ratios.

Conclusions:

• Hydrothermal processing shows potential for improving zinc absorption from wheat, though further optimization is needed.
• Phytate reduction and in vitro bioaccessibility do not fully predict in vivo zinc absorption.
• Assessing phytate:zinc molar ratios is crucial for predicting zinc absorption from food products.