Conflicting evidence of iron and zinc interactions in humans: does iron affect zinc absorption?

摘要

This letter is in reference to the article by Lind et al (1) on iron and zinc supplementation in infants that appeared in a recent issue of the Journal. I under stand that the importance of the interactive effects of trace elements, particularly iron and zinc, on nutrient requirements is increasingly being recognized. The coexistence of multiple micronutrient deficiencies is a widespread public health problem in many regions of the world. Earlier human studies (2-7) provided evidence in favor of iron and zinc interactions at the site of absorption but gave conflicting results that were probably due to variations in protocol design or in the trace element status of subjects before the experiment.