The Zinc, Copper, and Selenium Status of a Selected Sample of Canadian Elderly Women

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Abstract
The zinc, copper, and selenium status of 90 noninstitutionalized canadian elderly women (M age = 70.3 years) in a university community and consuming self-selected diets was assessed using hair and serum trace element levels and dietary trace element intakes. Mean (± SD) serum zinc and copper levels (analyzed via atomic absorption spectrophotometry, AA) were 1.09 ± 0.13 and 1.22 ± 0.29 μg/ml, respectively. Mean serum selenium (± SD) (analyzed via instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was 0.115 ± 0.03 μg/ml. Median hair trace element values, analyzed via INAA, were 156 for zinc, 12.8 for copper, and 0.63 μg/g for selenium. Mean (± SD) daily dietary intakes determined via chemical analysis of 1-day diet duplicates were 1.2 ± .06 mg/d for copper (via AA), 7.6 ± 3.3 mg/d and 77.6 ± 44.5 μg/d for zinc and selenium (via INAA), respectively, whereas mean copper and zinc intakes (± SD) calculated from 3-day records were 1.6 ± 0.7 and 10.1 ± 3.5 mg/day, respectively. Median hair and serum trace element values were above the levels associated with deficiencies. Thus the zinc, copper and selenium status of these elderly women appeared adequate.