title: Serum zinc and copper in relation to diet in 3- to 18-year old Finnish girls and boys.
abstract: Serum zinc (S-Zn) and copper (S-Cu) concentrations were measured and compared with data on dietary intakes of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, zinc, copper, phosphorus, calcium, iron, sucrose, vitamin C and dietary fibre, collected by means of the 48-h recall method in 1634 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 15- and 18-year old girls and boys. The intake of fibre was inversely related to S-Cu but not to S-Zn. None of the dietary components measured seemed to have a distinct negative effect on S-Zn, indicating that such factors were present at levels too low to affect S-Zn, or associated with factors favouring Zn bioavailability. Factors decreasing the bioavailability of Zn or Cu may especially affect adolescent girls whose average intakes of both Zn and Cu were low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Science, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Räsänen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vuori
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001682:Biological Availability; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc