ZINC STATUS IS NOT ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY FOLIC-ACID SUPPLEMENTATION AND ZINC INTAKE DOES NOT IMPAIR FOLATE UTILIZATION IN HUMAN-SUBJECTS

Changes in zinc status in response to folic acid supplementation and t he effect of zinc intake on folate utilization were evaluated in 12 me n (20-34 y old) consuming a diet containing 3.5 or 14.5 mg zinc/d for two 25-d intervals. Deuterium-labeled folic acid (800 mu g/d) or a pla cebo was administered orally during each phase. No differences in plas ma zinc, erythrocyte zinc, urinary zinc, erythrocyte metallothionein o r serum alkaline phosphatase, due to supplemental folic acid, were det ected at either level of zinc intake. Differences in the response to f olic acid supplementation, due to the level of zinc intake, were not d etected for serum, erythrocyte or urinary (labeled and unlabeled) fola te. Within the constraints of this short-term folic acid supplementati on study, adverse effects on zinc status were not observed and our dat a suggest that folic acid utilization was not influenced by level of z inc intake.