Wine versus ethanol in human nutrition. IV. Zinc balance.

Six healthy young men participated in a metabolic balance study to assess the effects of wine versus ethanol on absorption of various elements. Zinc data are reported here. During each of four 18-day experimental periods, the subjects were fed a controlled diet plus 1 liter/day of one of the following test beverages, administered in random order: Zinfandel wine, dealcoholized Zinfandel wine, an aqueous ethanol solution, or deionized water. Urinary zinc was significantly greater during wine and ethanol administration than during administration of the nonalcoholic beverages, suggesting that alcohol may affect the metabolism or renal conservation mechanism for zinc. The possibility of muscle catabolism due to alcohol ingestion is discussed. There was increased absorption and, perhaps, also, decreased endogenous secretion of zinc during the wine and dealcoholized wine periods, as compared with ethanol and deionized water. That presumably was due to the nonalcoholic constiuents of wine. Analysis of zinc in whole sweat after strenous exercise revealed that a considerable amount of this ion can be lost under conditions of excessive sweating.