Zinc Improves Asthma in Children
According to a clinical trial published in June 2014, zinc supplementation improves lung function and symptoms in children with asthma. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology states that approximately ten percent of children and eight percent of adults have asthma, and the incidence is increasing.
In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 284 children with asthma on inhaled steroids and low initial serum zinc concentrations received 50 mg per day of zinc or a placebo for eight weeks. The researchers assessed the subjects for clinical symptoms including cough, wheeze, dyspnea (breathing difficulty), and lung function using forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and the FEV1/FVC ratio. The investigators also measured immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody that plays a significant role in allergic diseases.
The zinc-supplemented group had significantly higher serum zinc levels after the intervention compared to the control group. The zinc group had significant improvement in clinical symptoms such as cough, wheezing, and dyspnea and in all spirometry parameters including FVC, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC. They did not find any change in IgE.
Thus, the study showed that zinc supplementation improves both clinical symptoms and lung function in children with asthma on inhaled steroid treatment who had low zinc levels.
Reference:
Ghaffari J, et al. East Mediterr Health J. 2014 Jun 18;20(6):391-6.
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