Dietary Intakes, Serum Concentrations, and Urinary Excretions of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Se, Mo, and Cr of Korean Young Adult Women

Kim, Kyung Hee; Lim, Hyeon Sook

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate dietary intakes, serum concentrations, and urinary excretions of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se), molybdenum (Mo), and chromium (Cr) of Korean young adult women. A total of 19 apparently healthy young adult women aged in their twenties or thirties participated voluntarily. One-tenth of all foods they consumed for 3 consecutive days were collected, all urine excreted for the same 3 days was gathered, and fasting venous blood was withdrawn for the trace mineral analyses. Of the food, blood, and urine samples, the contents of Zn, Cu, Mn, Se, Mo, and Cr were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and that of Fe by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) after wet digestion. The intake of Fe, 6.94 +/- 2.18 mg, did not meet the estimated average requirement (EAR) for Korean women aged 20-29 years old. On the contrary, the intakes of Zn (9.35 +/- 4.95 mg), Cu (1.18 +/- 0.26 mg), and Mn (3.69 +/- 0.69 mg) were sufficient for each respective EAR. However, some of the subjects did not take the EAR for Zn. The Se intake, 41.93 +/- 9.28microgram, however, was almost similar to the EAR for Se. Although there are no references for Mo and Cr, the intakes of these minerals (134.0 +/- 49.1 and 136.5 +/- 147.9microgram, respectively) seemed to be excessively sufficient. Serum Fe concentration, 88.7 +/- 36.8microgram/dL, seemed to be a little bit lower than its reference median but within its normal range. Approximately one-fourth of the subjects were in anemic determined by Hb and Hct and below the deficiency serum level of Fe, 60microgram/dL. In addition, serum Se concentration, 3.73 +/- 0.60microgram/dL, was also below its reference median and normal range. However, serum concentrations of Zn (99.6 +/- 30.6microgram/dL) and Mo (0.25 +/- 0.10 microgram/dL) were fairly good compared to each reference median. The status of Cu could be determined as good although its serum concentration (91.6 +/- 14.6microgram/dL) was slightly below its reference median. Since there are no decisive reference values, it was not easy to evaluate serum concentrations of Mn (0.93 +/- 0.85microgram/dL) and Cr (8.60 +/- 7.25microgram/ dL). But Mn and Cr status seemed to be adequate. Urinary Fe excretion, 4.48 +/- 1.98microgram/dL, was pretty much lower than its reference and that of Se, 2.45 +/- 1.17microgram/dL, was also lower than its average. On the other hand, those of Zn (42.95 +/- 20.47microgram/dL) and Cu (5.68 +/- 1.50microgram/dL) were fairly good. In case of Mn, urinary excretion, 0.31 +/- 0.09microgram/ dL, was much greater than its reference. Urinary excretions of Mo (7.48 +/- 2.95microgram/dL) and Cr (1.37 +/- 0.41microgram/dL) were very higher compared to each reference. The results of this study revealed that Korean young adult women were considerably poor in Fe status, a bit inadequate in Se status, partly inadequate in Zn status, and fairly good in Cu, Mn, Mo and Cr status. However, there was a problem of excessive intakes of Mo and Cr. It, therefore, should be concerned to increase the intakes of Fe, Se and Zn but to decrease Mo and Cr consumption for young adult women.