Trace Metal Studies in Bushman Hair

The study analyzed hair samples from Bushman women and men to assess iron, zinc, and copper content, revealing that Bushman women, including those who are young, lactating, and postmenopausal, had higher levels of iron (173 ppm) and zinc compared to Bantu and American inner-city mothers. In contrast, American inner-city mothers had higher copper levels (19.9 ppm) than Bushman (8.0 ppm) and Bantu women (9.9 ppm). The findings suggested that Bushman women had sufficient stores of iron and zinc during pregnancy and lactation, contributing to the rarity of iron deficiency anemia among them. The study also implied that the combined levels of these trace metals might be more significant than their individual concentrations.