Impact of energy expenditure on zinc intake in healthy adults

Abstract The Institute of Medicine provides references of daily nutrient intake stratified by age and gender groups, considering that the basal metabolic rate varies according to these aspects. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the recommendation of zinc in healthy adults according to the energy expenditure. The study database "Influence of Gender and SNPs in GPX1 Gene on Biomarkers of Selenium Status in Healthy Brazilians" was used, which collected information from 116 apparently healthy adults recruited in São Paulo. The mean age of the sample was 28.7 ± 7.2 years and the mean for zinc intake was 7.63 ± 3.32 mg, with a statistically significant correlation observed between energy expenditure and zinc intake (R = 0.321; p = 0.004). No linear correlation was found between age and energy expenditure and the difference between sex was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The metabolic rate can be considered as a reference variable for the recommendation of the daily intake of the nutrient, aiming to avoid deficiencies and food poisoning because of its poor intake.