Dietary phytate, zinc and hidden zinc deficiency.

Epidemiological data suggest at least one in five humans are at risk of zinc deficiency. This is in large part because the phytate in cereals and legumes has not been removed during food preparation. Phytate, a potent indigestible ligand for zinc prevents it's absorption.

Human zinc deficiency: discovery to initial translation.

Ananda S Prasad first suspected zinc deficiency in 1958 after he, at the request of James A Halsted, evaluated a patient with severe iron deficiency. In addition to iron deficiency, the patient appeared ∼10 y old and was severely stunted and prepubertal, though his chronological and bone age were much older. He also had hepatosplenomegaly and ate clay.