Young people aged 11-14 can eat a healthy Mediterranean diet and get all the zinc they need to help them grow, according to researchers.
The Mediterranean diet is high in vegetables, fruit and olive oil and low in meat
The research by Marta Mesias et al. published in the Public Health Nutrition Journal found that a diet high in cereals, legumes and veg and low in meat could provide adequate zinc amounts even though these foods have typically been thought to reduce the bioavailability of minerals.
Med diet meets needs
The Mediterranean diet has been proposed as one of the healthiest dietary models available, said the study.
Although a diet based on Mediterranean patterns is associated with factors which can affect Zn [zinc] absorption, such as high consumption of phytate, its consumption in adequate amounts allows Zn status to be maintained during adolescence.
The study found that a med diet could account for 76% of the Spanish recommended daily intake of zinc.
Although, the diet did not meet 100% of Spanish zinc standards, the researchers called Spains recommendations unnecessarily high.
Why zinc is important
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Med diet satisfies growing teens’ zinc requirements
