Older adults are at an increased risk of zinc deficiency at baseline primarily due to what?

• A. Increased intake and absorption
• B. Increased zinc metabolism
• C. Decreased intake and absorption
• D. Genetic factors

Answer: (C)

Older adults are at higher baseline risk for zinc deficiency mainly because both zinc intake and zinc absorption tend to decline with age. Appetite, taste changes, dentition problems, medical conditions, and limited access to a varied diet often lead to lower zinc intake. Even when intake is adequate, aging can slow or reduce intestinal absorption due to factors like decreased gastric acid production and changes in the gut lining, and medications that affect the digestive tract can further impair absorption. This combination—less zinc coming in and less zinc being absorbed—drives the increased deficiency risk. Increased intake or metabolism would not explain the typical baseline deficiency in this group, and genetic factors generally play a smaller role compared with the dietary and absorptive changes seen with aging.