Zinc and Copper in Human Nutrition
January 1981
in “
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition
”
TLDR Zinc and copper are vital for various body functions, including taste, smell, blood formation, and enzyme activity.
The document discussed the roles of zinc and copper in human nutrition, highlighting their importance in various biological processes. Zinc was noted for its role in preventing malformations in offspring of zinc-depleted rats and its importance in taste and smell, though its role in wound healing in humans was less clear. Copper was recognized for its essential role in erythropoiesis alongside iron and its involvement in connective tissue and central nervous system disorders in animals. Copper deficiency in humans was considered unlikely until linked to specific syndromes in infants receiving total parenteral nutrition, with copper supplementation correcting some symptoms. The document also mentioned the discovery of zinc as a component of essential enzymes like carbonic anhydrase and carboxy peptidase A.
