The essentiality of
zinc was recognized 46 years ago.
Zinc deficiency resulting in growth retardation,
hypogonadism, immune dysfunction and
cognitive impairment affects nearly 2 billion subjects in the developing world. High
phytate content of the cereal
proteins consumed in the developing world, results in decreased availability of
zinc for absorption.
Zinc therapy has been very successful and life saving measure in patients with
acrodermatitis enteropathica and
Wilson's disease. Beneficial therapeutic responses of
zinc supplementation have been ovserved in acute
diarrhea in children,
chronic hepatitis C,
shigellosis,
leprosy,
leishmaniasis, and
common cold.
Zinc supplementation was effective in decreasing incidences of
infection in elderly and patients with
sickle cell disease.
Zinc supplementation was effective in preventing
blindness in 25% of the elderly with dry type of
age related macular degeneration.
Zinc supplementation in the elderly decreased oxidative stress and decreased generation of inflammatory
cytokines.
Zinc is an intracellular signaling molecule in monocytes, dendritic cells and macrophages and it plays an important role in cell-mediated immune functions and oxidative stress.
Zinc is also an
anti-inflammatory agent. These unique properties of
zinc may have significant therapeutic benefits in several diseases in humans. In many diseases concurrent
zinc deficiency may complicate the clinical features, affect adversely immunological status, increase oxidative stress and increase generation of inflammatory
cytokines. Oxidative stress and chronic
inflammation may play important causative roles in many
chronic diseases, including
atherosclerosis, several
malignancies,
neurological disorders, and auto-
immune diseases. It is therefore, important that status of
zinc is assessed and
zinc deficiency corrected in these
chronic diseases. A controlled clinical trial of
zinc supplementation in these disorders in order to document the preventive and
therapeutic effects of
zinc is warranted.