Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyse copper intake and effect ofZn(30mg ZnSO4/d) supplementation on plasma copper level of Korean adults. Daily Cu intakes were studied in ninety subjects aging 20-20 years. Among them twenty four subjects participated in 6 weeks Zn supplementation study. The men consumed 1.47($\pm$0.64)mg of Cu and the women consumed 0.98($\pm$0.43)mg of Cu daily. the most abundant sources of Cu was meat, fish, egg and soybean group, the second was cereal and grain group and the third was vegetable group. These three groups supplied about 90% of copper in the subjects. The plasma copper level of the subjects was not changed much until two weeks of Zn supplementation. However, after two weeks of Zn supplementation plasma copper level was reduced continuously during the experiment. There was no significant difference in plasma Cu level between control and supplement group of the men, while the supplemented women showed significantly lower plasma Cu level than control group at week 4(p<0.01) and week 6(p<0.05). Although plasma Cu level of the subjects was slightly changed, its concentration in plasma was still in normal range in all groups and no one showed clinical Cu deficiency. Therefore the Zn supplementation of RDA level doesn't seem to cause any adverse effect on Cu status.