Oral Zinc Supplementation Decreases the Serum Iron Concentration in Healthy Schoolchildren: a Pilot Study

Overview

Journal Nutrients

Date 2014 Sep 6

PMID 25192026

Citations 16

Authors

Naira Josele Neves de Brito

Erika Dantas Rocha

Alfredo de Araujo Silva

Joao Batista Sousa Costa

Mardone Cavalcante Franca

Maria das Gracas Almeida

Jose Brandao-Neto

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The recognized antagonistic actions between zinc and iron prompted us to study this subject in children. A convenience sample was used. Thirty healthy children between 8 and 9 years of age were studied with the aim of establishing the effect of a 3-mo oral zinc supplementation on iron status. Fifteen individuals were given a placebo (control group), and 15 were given 10 mg Zn/day (experimental group). Blood samples were collected at 0, 60, 120, 180 and 210 min after a 12-h overnight fast, before and after placebo or zinc supplementation. This supplementation was associated with significant improvements in energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber, calcium, iron, and zinc intake in accordance with the recommendations for age and sex. The basal serum zinc concentration significantly increased after oral zinc supplementation (p < 0.001). However, basal serum iron concentrations and area under the iron curves significantly decreased in the experimental group (p < 0.0001) and remained at the same level throughout the 210-min study. The values obtained for hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, ferritin, transferrin, transferrin saturation, ceruloplasmin and total protein were within normal reference ranges. In conclusion, the decrease in serum iron was likely due to the effects of chronic zinc administration, and the decrease in serum iron was not sufficient to cause anemia.

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