A dietetic intern claims that adding calcium-fortified orange juice to a breakfast of fortified cereal and spinach will improve zinc absorption because vitamin C enhances mineral uptake. Critically evaluate this claim with respect to zinc and iron interactions explained in the lesson.

• A. Completely correct: Vitamin C universally increases absorption of all minerals including zinc, so adding orange juice will reliably boost zinc uptake and eliminate concerns about phytates or iron competition.
• B. Partly incorrect: Vitamin C can enhance non-heme iron absorption, but it does not overcome zinc inhibition caused by phytates or non-heme iron competition; calcium-fortified juice has little effect on zinc absorption and the cereal's non-heme iron may still compete with supplemental zinc if both are consumed simultaneously.
• C. Irrelevant: Vitamin C prevents phytate formation in the gut and therefore directly converts phytates into absorbable zinc and iron-binding compounds, so it makes no difference what else is consumed with cereal.
• D. Completely incorrect: Vitamin C reduces iron absorption and will thereby improve zinc absorption indirectly by removing iron competition, making the intern's claim the opposite of expected effects.

Answer: (B)