ABSTRACT
Two main hurdles exist that have made it difficult to appreciate the extent to which zinc depletion may exist in apparently well-nourished populations. First, inadequate means of assessment of zinc status and second, insufficient understanding of the diversity of the metabolic role of zinc, especially in relation to other nutrients. Assessment of zinc status is also impeded by lack of understanding of the relationship of zinc to other nutrients, in other words, lack of understanding of the function of zinc beyond its biochemical function in enzymes and protein synthesis. Exploitation of other indexes of zinc status, including functional tests, and appreciation of the role of zinc in relation to other nutrients may be more fruitful in eventually defining truer indexes of zinc status, as well as understanding the important metabolic functions of zinc. The function of zinc in relation to other nutrients has been alluded to since the essentiality of zinc in animals was established in 1934.
