The Journal of Nutrition · 12 authors, 8 centres
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A randomized crossover trial in 37 Peruvian highland women found that consuming 500g of zinc-biofortified potatoes twice daily resulted in significantly higher total zinc absorbed compared to regular potatoes, despite a lower fractional absorption rate.
Participants consumed 500g of each potato variety twice daily in separate periods. The biofortified potato contained 50% more zinc (0.48 mg/100g) than the regular potato (0.32 mg/100g). Mean FZA was lower for biofortified potatoes (20.8%) than regular potatoes (25.5%), but TAZ was significantly higher (0.49 mg vs. 0.40 mg per 500g meal). The study attributes the higher TAZ to the greater zinc content in biofortified potatoes, noting that both meals were within the linear range of the zinc dose-response curve. The lower phytate content and PA:Zn molar ratio in biofortified potatoes (4.66) versus regular potatoes (13.45) likely contributed to favorable absorption conditions. The study is limited to populations where potatoes are a staple and does not assess combined meals. Findings suggest biofortified potatoes could meaningfully contribute to zinc intake in communities with high potato consumption.
