Research paper
Dose-response trial of prophylactic zinc supplements, with or without copper, in young Ecuadorian children at risk of zinc deficiency.
Study answer
What this study found
Daily zinc supplementation improved zinc status and reduced diarrhea, with the clearest benefit seen at 3 mg/d and 7 mg/d. Mean plasma zinc increased progressively with higher zinc doses (P 0.001), and diarrhea incidence was 21-42% lower in children receiving any zinc dose than in placebo (P 0.01 overall); the reductions were significant for 3 mg Zn/d (P 0.04) and 7 mg Zn/d (P 0.01). There were no significant differences in other morbidity symptoms or in growth across groups. Ten mg/d zinc did not produce adverse effects on copper or iron status or on lipoprotein concentrations, and adding…
- Study & population
- Dose-response trial in Ecuadorian children 12 to 36 months old who were at risk of zinc deficiency and had low length-for-age.
- Intervention
- Children received oral zinc sulfate syrup for 6 months in one of three daily doses: 3 mg, 7 mg, or 10 mg zinc.
- Key limitation
- The intervention lasted 6 months and enrolled a specific population of young Ecuadorian children with low length-for-age, which limits generalizability.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple studies have shown the benefits of zinc supplementation among young children in high-risk populations. However, the optimal dose and safe upper level of zinc have not been determined. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were t…