Authors
Jianqin Zhong, Linyuan Zhang, Xueyi Wu, Zixuan Xu, Shuyan Cheng, Tonghai Long, Tingting Yang, Feng Hong
Published in
European journal of nutrition. Volume 65. Issue 5. Jul 30, 2026. Epub Jul 30, 2026.
Abstract
Trace elements such as zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) may influence obesity risk; however, the role of their balance, reflected by the urinary zinc-to-iron ratio (ZIR), remains unclear.
We analyzed baseline data from 14,761 adults aged 30-79 years in the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort. Urinary zinc and iron concentrations were normalized using urinary specific gravity to account for variations in urine dilution.
Urinary Zn and the ZIR were positively associated with waist circumference and general obesity. Urinary Fe was linked to increased hip circumference (β = 0.196, 95% CI 0.077-0.316) but a lower risk of overweight (OR = 0.947, 95% CI 0.907-0.988). These associations were stronger among individuals with higher obesity indicators. Stratified analyses showed sex-specific patterns: in males, ZIR was associated with overweight and abdominal obesity, while in females, urinary Zn and ZIR were significantly related to general obesity risk. Urinary Fe showed inverse associations with overweight and abdominal obesity in males (OR = 0.87 and 0.89, respectively), but was positively associated with abdominal obesity in females (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.13).
Urinary Zn, Fe, and ZIR are associated with obesity indicators and phenotypes, with notable sex differences. ZIR may serve as a non-invasive biomarker of obesity risk. These findings suggest the potential for sex-specific nutritional strategies in obesity prevention and management.
PMID:
42530649
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 30 Jul 2026.
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