Zinc Fortification: Current Trends and Strategies

Abstract

Zinc, through its structural and cofactor roles, affects a broad range of critical physiological functions, including growth, metabolism, immune and neurological functions. Zinc deficiency is widespread among populations around the world, and it may, therefore, underlie much of the global burden of malnutrition. Current zinc fortification strategies include biofortification and fortification with zinc salts with a primary focus on staple foods, such as wheat or rice and their products. However, zinc fortification presents unique challenges. Due to the influences of phytate and protein on zinc absorption, successful zinc fortification strategies should consider the impact on zinc bioavailability in the whole diet. When zinc is absorbed with food, shifts in plasma zinc concentrations are minor. However, co-absorbing zinc with food may preferentially direct zinc to cellular compartments where zinc-dependent metabolic processes primarily occur. Although the current lack of sensitive biomarkers of zinc nutritional status reduces the capacity to assess the impact of fortifying foods with zinc, new approaches for assessing zinc utilization are increasing. In this article, we review the tools available for assessing bioavailable zinc, approaches for evaluating the zinc nutritional status of populations consuming zinc fortified foods, and recent trends in fortification strategies to increase zinc absorption.

Preventing and Controlling Zinc Deficiency Across the Life Course: A Call to Action

“…Several functional biomarkers of zinc have been shown to be more sensitive than PZC to changes in zinc intake, and there is a trend toward their use in monitoring the efficacy and effectiveness of zinc interventions [ 23 ]. Examples include essential fatty acid desaturation, DNA damage, and zinc transporter gene expression [ 20 , 22 , 23 , 71 ]. Data from animal models further suggest that changes in gut microbiota may be used for the evaluation of zinc status [ 72 ].…”

“…Concurrent with the interventions discussed, it is essential to consider strategies to improve zinc bioavailability from food to enhance net zinc absorption and utilization [ 23 ]. Besides the total content of zinc, phytic acid (PA) present in plant-based foods is the most important dietary factor affecting zinc bioavailability.…”

“…Progress toward preventing and combating zinc deficiency is stifled by the lack of sensitive and specific biomarkers for the assessment of individual zinc status [ 20 , 21 ]. Novel functional biomarkers, however, demonstrate potential in research studies and show promise for the monitoring of population-level interventions [ 20 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Carnosine and Beta-Alanine Supplementation in Human Medicine: Narrative Review and Critical Assessment

“…Zinc is a biogenic element that is essential for the proper function of a wide range of biomolecules. Zinc acts as a cofactor of a number of antioxidant enzymes and is essential for cell proliferation and cell repair [ 102 ]. ZnC has several biological effects, including maintenance, prevention and treatment of mucosal and epithelial tissue damage [ 26 , 103 , 104 ].…”

Improving Dietary Zinc Bioavailability Using New Food Fortification Approaches: A Promising Tool to Boost Immunity in the Light of COVID-19

“…However, no absorption experiments (i.e., employing isotopic labeling) have been undertaken to assess if these forms of Zn vary in bioavailability. The amount of dietary Zn normally causes an increase in Zn absorption that is greatly impacted by the general composition of the diet [ 24 ]. Zn absorption is decreased by the phytate used by plants to store phosphorus.…”