Nutr Res Pract.  2009 Sep;3(3):212-219.

Association between hair mineral and age, BMI and nutrient intakes among Korean female adults

• Hong SR
• Lee SM
• Lim NR
• Chung HW
• Ahn HS

Abstract

This study was performed to investigate the association between hair mineral levels and nutrient intakes, age, and BMI in female adults who visited a woman's clinic located in Seoul. Dietary intakes were assessed by food frequency questionnaire and mineral levels were measured in collected hairs, and the relationship between these was examined. The average daily nutrient intakes of subjects were compared to those of the KDRIs, and the energy intake status was fair. The average intake of calcium in women of 50 years and over was 91.35% of KDRIs and the potassium intake was greatly below the recommended levels in all age groups. In the average hair mineral contents in subjects, calcium and copper exceeded far more than the reference range while selenium was very low with 85.19% of subjects being lower than the reference value. In addition, the concentrations of sodium, potassium, iron, and manganese in the hair were below the reference ranges in over 15% of subjects. The concentrations of sodium, chromium, sulfur, and cadmium in the hair showed positive correlations (P < 0.05) with age, but the hair zinc level showed a negative correlation (P < 0.05) with age. The concentrations of sodium, potassium, chromium, and cadmium in the hair showed positive correlations (P < 0.05) with BMI. Some mineral levels in subjects of this study showed significant correlations with nutrient intakes, but it seems that the hair mineral content is not directly influenced by each mineral intake. As described above, some hair mineral levels in female adults deviated from the normal range, and it is considered that nutritional intervention to control the imbalance of mineral nutrition is required. Also, as some correlations were shown between hair mineral levels and age, BMI, and nutrient intakes, the possibility of utilizing hair mineral analysis for specific purposes in the future is suggested.

Keyword

Hair minerals; nutrient intakes; age; body mass index; Korean female adults

MeSH Terms

Adult
Body Mass Index
Cadmium
Calcium
Chromium
Copper
Energy Intake
Female
Hair
Humans
Iron
Manganese
Potassium
Surveys and Questionnaires
Reference Values
Selenium
Sodium
Sulfur
Zinc
Cadmium
Calcium
Chromium
Copper
Iron
Manganese
Potassium
Selenium
Sodium
Sulfur
Zinc

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