Friday Oct 25, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Low dietary intake of zinc, a mineral humans need, is linked to high risk of high systolic blood pressure in young obese women, according to a new study in Nutrition Research and Practice.

J. Kim from Department of Medical Nutrition, Kyung Hee University in Yongin, Gyeonggi, Korea conducted the study and found an inverse association between dietary intake of zinc and risk of high systolic blood pressure.

Zinc is known to participate in blood pressure regulation and also in the pathogenesis of hypertension or high blood pressure, the author said.  The study was intended to examine the relation between zinc status and blood pressure in obese Korean women. 

For the study, 40 obese women with body mass index equal to or greater than 25 kg/m2 aged 19 to 28 provided blood and urine samples for the determination of zinc concentration.  Dietary intake of zinc was estimated and blood pressures including systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were measured.  Metabolic parameters, waist circumference, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose level, and fasting insulin levels were also measured.

Dietary zinc intake was not associated with systolic blood pressure after adjustment for energy intake and blood and urinary zinc concentrations were not correlated with systolic blood pressure or diastolic blood pressure either.

However, dietary intake of zinc was inversely associated with systolic blood pressure among the obese women after adjustment for confounders including body weight, energy intake and sodium intake.

The author concluded "The results show that dietary zinc intake may be an independent risk factor of elevated SBP (systolic blood pressure) in obese Korean women."

Zinc is known to help type 2 diabetes mellitus, common cold together with vitamin C, asthma, and hepatitis C.  

Zinc deficiency can impair growth and neurological and behavioral development in children and immune system function, and increase susceptibility to infections in children and elderly people, and increase risk of pregnancy complications, age-related macular degeneration, diabetes mellitus, and compromised immunity in HIV/AIS patients.

Foods high in zinc include oysters, carb, turkey, baked beans, yogurt, cashews, chickpeas, almonds, and peanuts.

Food consumers should know that research has revealed that zinc oxide, a type of nanoparticles used a source of dietary zinc in foods and dietary supplements are harmful. (DL)