Karlo Angelo S.

Barcelona
BSN IV section 4 Group A

Zinc helps prevent pneumonia in the elderly

Friday, August 20, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

A new report published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that zinc plays a very
important role in health maintenance. In a study of over 600 seniors from 33 different nursing homes in
the Boston area, researchers found that seniors with healthy blood levels of zinc are 50 percent less likely
to develop pneumonia than those with sub-par levels.

The study was a follow-up to a previous one which found that people given 200 international units (IU) of
vitamin E every day for one year are 20 percent less likely to develop upper respiratory infections,
including common colds. But after a follow-up, the trial also revealed that a majority of those same
participants had low levels of zinc in their blood.

Subjects in the first trial were supplemented with only half the recommended daily intake of zincand other
essential vitamins, but those who had normal blood levels of the mineral overall experienced less
infections and needed fewer antibiotics. Those with zinc deficiencies were far more prone to developing
prolonged illness.

Zinc is a necessary mineral for maintaining health in many other areas as well. The eyes and prostate, for
example, need zinc in order to function properly.

"[Zinc] is...important for the proper functioning of the immune system -- which you definitely want in top
working order! Zinc also aids in the regulation of blood pressure and the mineralization of bone," explains
Elaine Magee in her book Food Synergy: Unleash Hundreds of Powerful Healing Food Combinations to
Fight Disease and Live Well.

Reaction

Zinc supplements are the most effective of all the available nutritional supplements to help
prevent pneumonia, according to a report from the World Health Organization. A zinc deficiency is
associated with a weakened immune function and an increased rate of serious infectious disease.
Another possible effect of zinc is that it may protect the lung from inflammatory states, whereas zinc
deficiency might enhance airway inflammation and cellular damage.

Those with normal zinc status were not only less likely to develop pneumonia, they also had
fewer new prescriptions for antibiotics, a shorter duration of pneumonia, and fewer days of antibiotic use
compared with residents who had low zinc levels. In addition, mortality was lower in those with adequate
blood zinc levels.

The article suggests that supplementation of zinc-deficient elderly may result in reduced risk of
pneumonia. Still, the authors note that controlled clinical trials are needed to test efficacy of zinc
supplementation as a low-cost intervention to reduce mortality due to pneumonia among vulnerable
populations who already have low zinc levels.