Dr. Mercola June 17 2000 2,196 views
A new study suggests that zinc deficiency may play a large part in causing stunted growth in infants.
A team of researchers from Ethiopia and the Netherlands studied 184 infants aged 6 to 12 months in central Ethiopia. All of the children were free of disease and appeared healthy, except for the fact that 90 of them were abnormally small for their age. The 90 stunted infants and the 94 normal-length infants were each divided into two groups. Half the stunted infants and half the normal infants received a 10-milligram zinc supplement 6 days per week for 6 months. The other half of each group received a placebo.
Zinc supplementation had a significant impact on the growth rate of stunted infants. Those taking the zinc supplement grew an average of 7 centimeters during the study while those taking the placebo grew just under 3 centimeters. Meanwhile, non-stunted children taking zinc grew by an average of 6.6 centimeters while those taking a placebo grew 5 centimeters, suggesting that they already had enough zinc to achieve normal growth.
Zinc also seemed to help the infants gain weight. In the stunted children, body weight increased an average of 80% during the study, while weight gain in the non-stunted children went up just 20%, possibly due to the fact that zinc supplementation significantly cut episodes of anorexia, diarrhea, and vomiting in the stunted infants. As a matter of fact, zinc is so effective in the reduction of diarrhea (25%), that it rivals the World health Organizations estimated reduction in childhood diarrhea (27%) achieved by improvements in water quality and sanitation.
Zinc is also an important component in several enzymes, is involved in protein synthesis, gene expression and hormone control.
Although zinc was effective in this study, the authors note that it will only be effective in growth-stunted children who are zinc deficient. However, zinc deficiency is difficult to test for and often the only sign of it is when a positive response to zinc supplementation takes place.
The Lancet 2000;355:2008-2009, 2021-2026.
Zinc is an important mineral that many of us are deficient in. however, it is important to note that it is certainly not a panacea and just because a child is short, it does not necessarily indicate a need for zinc. Fortunately zinc is one of those minerals that lends itself very well to a taste test. There are solutions of zinc on the market that you can taste and if they taste sweet or neutral, this indicates a zinc deficiency and high likelihood of benefit from zinc supplementation. If the zinc solution tastes bitter or metallic than it is likely that zinc stores are adequate and further intake of zinc will upset the delicate zinc/copper ratio and cause problems. For my current patients we do have this zinc solution in our office and it is relatively inexpensive. The solution not only serves as diagnostic solution but it is a treatment.
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