Associations of serum minerals with body mass index in adult women

Abstract

Objective: This cross-sectional study evaluated the association between serum minerals and body mass index in adult women. Methods: One hundredand eighteen adult women were recruited by written advertisement from outpatient clinics or a health promotion center at a university hospital. Serum calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc were measured by an automatic analytical instrument and body mass index was calculated from height and weight. Results: Serum magnesium was inversely associated with body mass index (β = -0.283, P = 0.001) whereas serum copper had a positive association with body mass index (β = 0.197, P = 0.025) after adjusting for age, physical activity, energy intake, dietary fat, alcohol consumption, supplements and menopause status. No associations were found with serum calcium and zinc. Conclusion: Serum magnesium and copper may be involved in the regulation of body size in adult women.