Table 1.
General characteristics of study subjects a.
| Men | Women | P e | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 104) | (n = 103) | ||
| Age (years) | 23.6 ± 2.2 | 23.6 ± 2.3 | 0.87 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 23.0 ± 2.1 | 20.9 ± 1.8 | <0.001 |
| Albumin (g/dL) | 4.9 ± 0.3 | 4.8 ± 0.2 | 0.02 |
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 15.8 ± 1.0 | 13.4 ± 0.9 | <0.001 |
| Energy intake (kcal/day) | 2116.2 ± 449.3 | 1630.0 ± 355.8 | <0.001 |
| Sodium intake (mg) | 4114.2 ± 113.8 | 3071.5 ± 78.8 | <0.001 |
| Sodium intake (mg/1000 kcal) | 1960.6 ± 45.2 | 1907.7 ± 41.8 | 0.39 |
| Zinc intake (mg/1000 kcal) | |||
| Total zinc | 4.2 ± 0.9 | 4.4 ± 1.1 | 0.22 |
| Available zinc b | 1.8 ± 0.5 | 1.9 ± 0.6 | 0.19 |
| <EAR c | 40 (38.5) | 58 (56.3) | 0.01 |
| Serum zinc (μM) | 14.4 ± 2.8 | 13.6 ± 2.5 | 0.04 |
| Serum deficiency d | 13 (12.5) | 11 (10.7) | 0.68 |
| Salty taste threshold (mM) | 19.3 ± 1.2 | 15.8 ± 0.9 | 0.02 |
| Salty taste preference (mM) | 86.0 ± 4.0 | 75.4 ± 3.0 | 0.03 |
a Data are expressed as means ± SEM or n (%); b Available zinc intake was estimated based on the phytate-to-zinc molar ratio using a standard algorithm [32,33]; c EAR (Estimated average requirements) for zinc: Men—8.1 mg/day, Women—7 mg/day; d Men—<11.3 μM, Women—<10.7 μM [35]; e Differences between men and women were examined by Student’s t-test or χ2-test.