Low zinc levels associated with reduced bone mineral density in men

Low zinc intakes and reduced blood zinc concentrations have been previously reported in women with osteoporosis. A new study published in the September 2004 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the association between dietary zinc and plasma zinc to bone mineral density (BMD) and bone loss in older men.

The current study included 396 men over the age of 45 who were followed for four years. The researchers found that dietary zinc intake and plasma zinc concentrations were lower in men with osteoporosis at the hip and spine than in men without osteoporosis at those locations. BMD at the hip, spine, and distal wrist were significantly lower in men with the lowest plasma zinc levels.

This is the first published study to illustrate that low dietary zinc intake and decreased plasma zinc levels are related to reduced bone mineral density in men.