Dietary Copper/Zinc Ratio and Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Women: The E3N Cohort Study
Nasser Laouali, Conor‐James MacDonald, Sanam Shah, Douae El Fatouhi, Francesca Romana Mancini, Guy Fagherazzi, Marie‐Christine Boutron‐Ruault · Nutrients (2021)
TL;DR
A lower ratio of dietary copper to zinc was linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women followed for 20 years.
What they did
Researchers followed 70,991 women for 20 years. They estimated copper and zinc intake from food questionnaires at the start. They confirmed 3,292 new cases of type 2 diabetes.
What they found
A copper-to-zinc ratio below 0.55 was linked to lower type 2 diabetes risk. This link appeared in obese women and in women with zinc intake of 8 mg per day or more. For women with zinc intake below 8 mg per day, a higher ratio was linked to higher risk.
Why it matters
Studies suggest that the balance of copper and zinc in foods may relate to type 2 diabetes risk. This could matter when thinking about mineral-rich foods as part of daily eating. More research is needed to see how this fits everyday food choices.
Limits
The authors state that further studies are needed to confirm the results. This is general education, not medical advice.
Jargon explained
- Type 2 diabetes
- A health condition where the body has trouble keeping blood sugar at a normal level.
- dietary copper/zinc ratio
- The amount of copper compared to zinc in the foods a person eats.
- quintile
- One of five equal groups used to rank people from lowest to highest.
Read the original: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082502
Full citation
Nasser Laouali, Conor‐James MacDonald, Sanam Shah, Douae El Fatouhi, Francesca Romana Mancini, Guy Fagherazzi, Marie‐Christine Boutron‐Ruault (2021). Dietary Copper/Zinc Ratio and Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Women: The E3N Cohort Study. Nutrients. DOI: 10.3390/nu13082502
Open access (gold): https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082502
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Educational information only, not medical or dietary advice. Consult a qualified health professional for personal nutrition guidance.