Serum zinc and taste acuity in Tel-Aviv patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Serum zinc levels and taste acuity were determined in patients with Crohn's disease, those with ulcerative colitis, and normal controls. All serum zinc values were within the normal range but significantly lower in the Crohn's disease patients as compared with controls. The taste threshold for salt was significantly impaired in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. These findings were less than expected and may be explained by the relatively high zinc intake normal for the Tel-Aviv population and relate indirectly to the high intake of refined carbohydrate that occurs in Crohn's disease patients.