Background: Poor bioavailability of zinc from high-phytate diets is an important contributory factor to zinc deficiency in low-income populations.
Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of low-phytate maize consumption on zinc absorption.
Design: The participants were apparently healthy children from the Central Highlands of Guatemala. Sixty children (20 per group) were randomly assigned to be fed only the low-phytate maize or 1 of 2 control maizes, the isohybrid wild-type maize or a local maize, for a 10-wk period. During the final week, the fractional absorption of zinc for all meals was measured during 1 d with the use of zinc stable isotopes and a dual isotope ratio technique based on urine enrichment data.
Results: Mean (+/-SD) phytate intakes for the low-phytate, wild-type, and local maize groups were 1536 +/- 563, 2056 +/- 517, and 2253 +/- 687 mg/d, respectively. Corresponding zinc intakes were 8.6 +/- 2.5, 8.1 +/- 2.0, and 9.7 +/- 2.6 mg/d, and the dietary phytate:zinc molar ratios were 18 +/- 5, 26 +/- 6, and 23 +/- 5. Corresponding fractional absorptions of zinc were 0.32 +/- 0.07, 0.28 +/- 0.07, and 0.29 +/- 0.06. The respective values for total absorbed zinc were 2.72 +/- 0.88, 2.30 +/- 0.96, and 2.78 +/- 1.04 mg/d. No significant differences in either the fractional absorption of zinc or total absorbed zinc were seen between the maize groups.
Conclusion: Under the conditions of the present study, zinc absorption was not increased by the long-term use of low-phytate maize in children whose major dietary staple is maize.