Trace element intakes of women

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Human Nutrition
• Dietary Assessment

Background:

• Understanding nutrient intake is crucial for public health, especially in specific demographics like pre-menopausal women.
• Self-selected diets can vary significantly, necessitating accurate assessment of energy, protein, and micronutrient consumption.
• Trace elements like zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) play vital roles in physiological functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the energy, protein, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and dietary fiber intakes of 100 pre-menopausal women.
• To compare calculated nutrient intakes from dietary records with analyzed intakes from food composites.
• To identify major food sources of these nutrients and assess adequacy relative to Canadian Dietary Standards (CDS).

Main Methods:

• Utilized 3-day dietary records and food composition values to calculate nutrient intakes.
• Collected 24-hour food composites for atomic absorption spectrophotometry analysis of Zn, Cu, and Mn.
• Compared daily analyzed intakes with calculated intakes and assessed against CDS recommendations.

Main Results:

• Mean daily calculated intakes were: energy 7.54 MJ, protein 74 g, Zn 10.1 mg, Cu 1.9 mg, Mn 3.1 mg, Se 131 µg, fiber 19.4 g.
• Significant correlations were found between calculated and analyzed Zn, Cu, and Mn intakes, though calculated values were higher.
• 48% of women had inadequate zinc intake according to CDS, while all met copper recommendations.

Conclusions:

• Dietary records provide a reliable basis for estimating Zn, Cu, and Mn intake, but may overestimate actual consumption.
• A significant portion of pre-menopausal women in this university community may not meet recommended zinc intake levels.
• Major food contributors to trace element intake include meat, dairy, breads, cereals, vegetables, and fruits.