Prospective study of zinc intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in women.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to investigate the intake of zinc in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes in U.S. women.


METHODS
Dietary intakes of zinc and other nutrients were assessed and updated using a validated food frequency questionnaire from 1980 to 2002 among 82,297 women who were aged 33-60 years at baseline in 1980 and followed up to 2004 in the Nurses' Health Study.


RESULTS
During the 24 years of follow-up, 6,030 incident cases of type 2 diabetes were ascertained. After adjustment of lifestyle and dietary risk factors, the relative risks (RRs) (95% CI) of type 2 diabetes comparing the highest with the lowest quintiles were 0.90 (0.82-0.99) (P(trend) = 0.04) for total zinc intake and 0.92 (0.84-1.00) (P(trend) = 0.009) for dietary zinc intake from food sources, respectively. We further found an inverse association for dietary zinc to heme iron ratio. After multivariate adjustment of covariates, the RRs (95% CI) across quintiles of this ratio were 1.0 (reference), 0.93 (0.86-1.01), 0.86 (0.79-0.94), 0.82 (0.75-0.90), and 0.72 (0.66-0.80), respectively (P(trend) < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Higher zinc intake may be associated with a slightly lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women. More studies are warranted to confirm this association and to explore potential mechanisms.
Sun
Qi
Q
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. qisun@hsph.harvard.edu
van Dam
Rob M
RM
Willett
Walter C
WC
Hu
Frank B
FB
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses; D017698:Postmenopause; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D015032:Zinc