Dietary zinc intake and sources among Koreans: findings from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016-2019

Jee-Seon Shim; Ki Nam Kim; Jung-Sug Lee; Mi Ock Yoon; Hyun Sook Lee

doi:10.4162/nrp.2023.17.2.257

Dietary zinc intake and sources among Koreans: findings from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016-2019

Nutr Res Pract. 2023 Apr;17(2):257-268. doi: 10.4162/nrp.2023.17.2.257. Epub 2023 Jan 10.

Authors

Jee-Seon Shim¹, Ki Nam Kim², Jung-Sug Lee³, Mi Ock Yoon⁴, Hyun Sook Lee⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea.
² Department of Food and Nutrition, Daejeon University, Daejeon 34520, Korea.
³ Department of Food and Nutrition, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Korea.
⁴ Nutrition Information Center, Korean Nutrition Society, Seoul 04376, Korea.
⁵ Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Dongseo University, Busan 47011, Korea.

Abstract

Background/objectives: Zinc is an essential trace mineral which is important for the growth and development of the human body and immunological and neurological functions. Inadequate zinc intake may cause zinc deficiency with its adverse consequences. In this study, we aimed to estimate the dietary zinc intake levels and sources among Koreans.

Subjects/methods: For this secondary analysis, we obtained data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2016-2019. Individuals aged ≥ 1 yr who had completed a 24-h recall were included. The dietary zinc intake of each individual was calculated by applying data from a newly developed zinc content database to the KNHANES raw data. We also compared the extracted data with the sex-, age-specific reference values suggested in the Korean Dietary Reference Intakes 2020. The prevalence of adequate zinc intake was then evaluated by the proportion of the individuals who met the estimated average requirement (EAR).

Results: The mean zinc intake of Koreans aged ≥ 1 yr and adults aged ≥ 19 yrs were 10.2 and 10.4 mg/day, equivalent to 147.4% and 140.8% of the EAR, respectively. Approximately 2 in 3 Koreans met the EAR for zinc, but the zinc intake differed slightly among the different age and sex groups. In children aged 1-2 yrs, 2 out of 5 exceeded the upper level of intake, and nearly half of the younger adults (19-29 yrs) and the elders (≥ 75 yrs) did not meet the EAR. The major contributing food groups were grains (38.9%), meats (20.4%), and vegetables (11.1%). The top 5 food contributors to zinc intake were rice, beef, pork, egg, and baechu kimchi, which accounted for half of the dietary intake.

Conclusion: The mean zinc intake among Koreans was above the recommended level, but 1 in 3 Koreans had inadequate zinc intake and some children were at risk of excessive zinc intake. Our study included zinc intake from diet only, thus to better understand zinc status, further research to include intake from dietary supplements is needed.

Keywords: NHANES; Republic of Korea; Zinc; dietary intake.