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Zinc intake and the risk of hyperglycemia among Chinese adults: The prospective Jiangsu nutrition study (JIN)

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objective

To prospectively examine the associations between zinc intake, the zinc to heme iron ratio and the incidence of hyperglycemia in Chinese.

Methods

We followed 1056 healthy adults aged 20 and older from 2002 to 2007. Dietary data were collected using 3-day food record and food frequency questionnaire. Hyperglycemia was defined as fasting plasma glucose >5.6 mmol/l.

Results

During the 5 years of follow-up, we documented 125 incident cases of hyperglycemia. Zinc intake alone was not associated with the risk of hyperglycemia. The zinc to heme iron ratio was inversely associated with the risk of hyperglycemia: odds ratios (OR, 95% CI) across increasing quartiles of the zinc to heme iron ratio were 1.00, 0.78(0.44–1.37), 0.40(0.19–0.83), and 0.21(0.08–0.54)(p for trend= 0.001). Adjustment for lifestyle covariates did not significantly change the associations.

Conclusions

This cohort study suggests that the zinc to heme iron intake ratio was significantly associated with a decreased risk of hyperglycemia in Chinese adults.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China

    Zumin Shi, B. Yuan, Y. Dai, H. Zuo & M. Zhou

  2. Discipline of Medicine, University Of Adelaide, Frome Rd, Adelaide, Australia

    Zumin Shi

  3. Department of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard, USA

    L. Qi

  4. Nutrition and Foodborne Disease Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 172 Jiangsu Road, Nanjing, 210009, China

    Zumin Shi

Authors
  1. Zumin Shi
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  2. B. Yuan
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  3. L. Qi
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  4. Y. Dai
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  5. H. Zuo
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  6. M. Zhou
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Correspondence to Zumin Shi.

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Shi, Z., Yuan, B., Qi, L. et al. Zinc intake and the risk of hyperglycemia among Chinese adults: The prospective Jiangsu nutrition study (JIN). J Nutr Health Aging 14, 332–335 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-010-0075-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-010-0075-0

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