Trace Element Intake of Adults with Mixed and Ovolactovegetarian Diets

Trace Element Intake of Adults with Mixed and Ovolactovegetarian Diets 

On average, the zinc intake of women and men in Germany approximately equals the normal daily zinc requirement, which is less than 6 and 8 mg, respectively, and varies with the bioavailability of the element. Women in a placebo-controlled, doubleblind study with a daily zinc intake of 

7 mg in the placebo cluster and 17 mg in the zinc cluster, the latter excreted exactly 10 mg zinc more in the feces. A zinc deficit in Germany, especially in women, cannot be excluded. The zinc intake of women in Mexico is significantly higher than that in Germany (Anke et al. 1996, 1999d). 

The normative requirement of manganese is completely satisfied by food in both mixed and vegetarian diets. No adult was found to take in 1 mg per day on the average of a week (Anke et al. 1999a). Women of both diet forms prefer manganese-rich vegetables. Men were found to take in only 7-12% more manganese than women, rather than an expected value of 24% (Table 4.9). 

The normal copper requirement of both sexes is met in Germany and Mexico by both mixed and vegetarian diets (Table 4.9). Vegetarians take in significantly more copper than people with mixed diets 

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Tab. 4.9 Trace element intake of adults with mixed and ovolactovegetarian diets as a function of gender and type of diet...

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