Effect of calcium-supplemented goat or cow milk on zinc status in rats with nutritional ferropenic anaemia

The effects of goat- or cow-milk-based diets, whether normal or supplemented with calcium (5 or 10 g kg−1 Ca, respectively), on the nutritive utilization of Zn and its deposition in organs, were evaluated in rats with and without nutritional ferropenic anaemia (NFA). The digestive and metabolic utilization of Zn in anaemic and control groups was higher for rats on the goat milk diet than those on the cow milk diet. The most noteworthy result is that Ca supplementation in the diet improved Zn metabolism in all experimental groups, but especially in anaemic rats fed the goat milk diet. This fact is reflected in the higher levels of Zn deposition found with the goat milk diet. It appears that goat milk, especially when supplemented with Ca, had beneficial effects on nutritive utilization of Zn and Zn deposition in target organs in both control rats and, especially, rats with NFA.