Dietary zinc intake and chronic kidney disease risk in people
What it found
People who took in less zinc from food had a higher chance of developing chronic kidney disease over about 11.5 years.
Kidney function also declined faster in those with the lowest zinc intake.
What they found
Studies in people
Lower zinc, more kidney disease
Among 7735 people followed for a median of 11.5 years, 1409 developed chronic kidney disease. Those in the group eating the least zinc per calorie had a higher risk than those eating the most.
Faster kidney decline
Kidney function dropped by an average of 1.31 units per year across all participants. People in the lowest zinc group lost kidney function faster than those in the highest zinc group, at 1.43 versus 1.18 units per year.
Link held after adjustments
The connection between low zinc intake and kidney disease remained even after accounting for blood pressure, diabetes, body size, smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity.
Consistent across groups
The link between lower zinc intake and higher kidney disease risk was similar for men and women, younger and older adults, and people with or without diabetes and high blood pressure.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that taking in less zinc from food is linked to a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease in people with normal kidneys.
- They call for further research to explain how zinc intake affects kidney health.
How it was done
Chronic kidney disease is rising worldwide and cannot be reversed once established. Scientists wanted to see if the amount of zinc people get from food is linked to kidney problems, since zinc relates to heart and metabolic health.
They followed 7735 adults in South Korea who started with normal kidney function for a median of 11.5 years. Participants reported their diets using a food questionnaire at the start. The researchers then tracked who developed chronic kidney disease over time.
What it can’t tell you
- Because this study followed people over time rather than assigning diets, it can only show a link between zinc intake and kidney disease, not prove one causes the other.
- Diets were recorded only at the start, so changes in eating habits over the 11.5 years could not be tracked.
- All participants lived in South Korea, so scientists do not yet know if the same pattern applies to people eating different diets elsewhere.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Conflicts of interest The authors declare that they have no relevant interests.
- Authors work at
- Yonsei University, Republic of Korea; Myongji Hospital, Republic of Korea; Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
The paper
- Title
- Dietary zinc intake and incident chronic kidney disease
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Joo YS, Kim HW, Lee S, et al (2021). Dietary zinc intake and incident chronic kidney disease. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2020.07.005Free full textPubMed 32753349DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error