Are there trace minerals that can reduce the utilization of copper and zinc?
Yes, it has been shown that an excess of sulfur, molybdenum and iron in the diet can interfere with the utilization of copper and may result in deficiency symptoms even though the levels of copper in the diet are adequate. This is one reason why nutritionists try to maintain a copper to molybdenum ratio of at least 4 to 1 when formulating diets or supplements. The following table summarizes results of a survey conducted in Montana several years ago. This survey indicated that copper and zinc were deficient in most of the forages sampled (Table 3). Results with the grasses also indicated that there could be a secondary deficiency caused by a ratio of copper to molybdenum that was less than 4. Table 3.
