title: Measurement of zinc bioavailability from beef and a ready-to-eat high-fiber breakfast cereal in humans: application of a whole-gut lavage technique.
abstract: We measured zinc absorption in humans from two different foods, using a whole-gut lavage technique. Healthy adults (n = 8) were given test foods containing approximately 4 mg (61.2 mumol) Zn as either beef or a high-fiber, ready-to-eat breakfast cereal. Basal zinc loss in the gut was measured after giving only 200 mL water alone after an overnight fast. Mean polyethylene glycol (PEG) recovery, a nonabsorbable fecal marker, was 95 +/- 2% (mean +/- SE). There was no significant difference of PEG recoveries with the various treatments. True absorption of zinc was 11.0 +/- 5.4 mumol (716.3 +/- 355.9 micrograms) for breakfast cereal and 34.8 +/- 3.5 mumol (2274.1 +/- 230.2 micrograms) for beef. Fractional zinc absorption was significantly lower for breakfast cereal compared with beef, 14.7 +/- 6.7% vs 55.1 +/- 4.6%, respectively. Our findings demonstrate that zinc absorption can be measured in humans from single foods containing a physiological dose of zinc by using the whole-gut lavage absorption technique and that zinc bioavailability from beef is about fourfold greater than from a high-fiber breakfast cereal.
authors.affiliation: Mineral Bioavailability Laboratory, US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001682:Biological Availability; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000032:analysis; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D010833:Phytic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D010833:Phytic Acid; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc