Abstract

Pharmacological doses of zinc can adversely affect body copper status. The resulting copper deficiency can impact directly upon cholesterol metabolism and a suboptimal copper status has been observed to influence markers of hemostasis (specifically fibrinogen and the copper-containing coagulation factors V and VIII). The aim of this investigation was to examine the effect of a low level of zinc supplementation, to include dietary intake, at the United States tolerable upper intake level of 40 mg/d upon indicators of lipid metabolism, hemostasis, and copper. Thirty-eight subjects were recruited onto a double-blind placebo-controlled intervention trial and randomly selected to one of two groups. Group 1 took zinc supplements (30 mg/d) for 14 wk followed by copper supplements (3 mg/d) for 8 wk (to counteract adverse effects, if any, of zinc supplementation). A second group took placebo supplements for the full duration of the trial. Estimated dietary zinc intake approximated 10 mg/d. The effect of supplement was analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance (anova). Results indicate that no effect of zinc supplementation on putative indices of copper status, lipoprotein metabolism, and markers of hemostasis. These results indicate that short-term low-level zinc supplementation (total intake 40 mg/d) is not detrimental to health.