Association between serum zinc level and body composition: The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the association between serum zinc levels and several body composition factors in Korean adults. Methods: We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional survey of Korean civilians. Data from 1896 adults were analyzed. Results: Serum zinc levels in men with elevated waist circumference were higher than in those with normal waist circumference (152.1 ± 3.7 μg/dL versus 137.8 ± 2.2 μg/dL; P < 0.001) and serum zinc levels increased with increasing tertiles of total body fat percentage (134.2 ± 2.8 μg/dL, 142 ± 2.9 μg/dL, and 148 ± 2.7 μg/dL; P = 0.001). Among men with a normal waist circumference, serum zinc levels of those with the highest total body fat percentage were higher than in those with the lowest or medium total body fat percentage values (145.4 μg/dL versus 135.2 μg/dL; P = 0.029). In contrast, in men with an elevated waist circumference, no difference in serum zinc levels according to total body fat percentage was detected. There was no relationship between serum zinc levels and body composition factors in women. Conclusions: Body zinc status might be associated with the quantity and distribution of body fat in Korean men. Additional sex-specific studies are needed to determine whether the relationship of body zinc status with abdominal obesity and total body fat affects metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases.