An observational study funded by the National Institute of Aging and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found a large percentage of nursing home residents have a low zinc levels (in their blood).  The researchers determined that residents with normal blood zinc levels had a 50 percent reduction in the incidence of pneumonia, compared to those who were deficient.

Simin Nikbin Meydani,  the director of the Nutritional Immunology Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, led the study.  ARS is the chief intramural scientific research agency of USDA.

HNRCA researchers have conducted other studies on these same nursing home residents, comprised of  approximately 600 senior  residing in 33 Boston area nursing homes.  Their preceding research evaluated their immune response and respiratory infection rates, comparing those who consumed 200 international units (IU) of vitamin E daily for one year.  They found the residents receiving vitamin E were 20 percent less likely to get upper respiratory infections, such as colds, compared to those who didn’t receive it and took a placebo instead. 

The secondary analysis of data from that study found a very high percentage of the nursing home residents had very residents had low blood zinc concentrations at baseline and after one year of follow-up.  During the trial, everyone was given supplements providing them with half of the recommended dietary allowance of essential vitamins and minerals, including zinc.

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, death occurred less often in the participants with normal blood zinc levels.

The study suggests that supplementation of zinc-deficient elderly may result in reduced risk of pneumonia. The authors recommend that additional controlled clinical trials are needed to test efficacy of zinc supplementation as a low-cost intervention to reduce and prevent death caused by pneumonia among at risk groups, such as nursing home residents with low zinc levels.

Source:

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/usdo-aze081010.php

Following the publication of research suggesting calcium supplements could increase the risk of heart attack, the industry responded with the assertion that the research was “cherry picked.”

According to the authors of the study published in the British Medical Journal, the findings indicate that while calcium supplementation is helpful in treating osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), calcium should be reconsidered in the treatment of osteoporosis, due to their finding a link with an increased incidence of heart attacks.

Calcium supplements are often recommended to enhance bone health, but a recent clinical trial suggested they might increase the number of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems in healthy older women.

To investigate further, New Zealand’s University of Auckland’s Ian Reid, led a group of  international researchers. They reviewed 11 independent clinical studies with a total of 12,000 patients.

They determined that calcium supplements is associated with almost a 30 percent rise in the risk for having a heart attack.

The possibility of having a stroke and dying also increased, but to a lesser extent.

They also found the relationship was present in all of the trials and it was independent of age, sex, and type of calcium supplement.

While the added risk is modest for any individual, the widespread use of calcium supplements could translate into a significantly larger disease burden across an entire population, the authors warn.

Previous studies have found that upping calcium intake through changes in diet does not increase cardiovascular problems, suggesting that the risks are restricted to supplements.

While spokespersons for the Natural Products Association (NPA) and the Scientific & Regulatory Affairs for the Council for Responsible (CRN) nutrition noted the study’s results are contradictory to years of research that’s demonstrated the benefits of calcium supplementation.  Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., VP of scientific regulatory affairs for NPA suggested that the investigators, ‘cherry picked’ the studies from hundreds of available ones in the area.

The CRN notes, that these conclusions are overstated. According to Dr. Andrew Shao, the organization’s Senior VP of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, “Seven of the 15 trials evaluated had no or incomplete data on cardiovascular outcomes, and on 5 of the 15 studies accounted for almost all of the cardiovascular outcomes.  Further, the researchers chose to exclude any trials administering calcium plus vitamin D- including the Women’s Health Initiative, which found calcium plus vitamin D had no effect on the risk of coronary heart disease or stroke.”

He went on to ad, that “ Meta-analysis can be a useful tool for scientific evaluation, but we have to recognize its limitations, and keep in mind that its findings are based on a collection of past studies that may have different designs, doses and study populations.”

Source:

Nutraingredients-usa.com/content

One of the important components in the process of the hardening of the arteries is chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.  They are considered common risk factors for its development.  Zinc is an essential micronutrient that can function as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, and the researchers theorized may protect arteries against its development. Several studies have shown that zinc can reduce oxidative damage and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Wayne State University researchers, in Detroit, Michigan suggest zinc may slow down the creation of the proteins that contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.

Forty healthy adults 56-83 years were involved in the double-blinded, randomized zinc supplementation trial. They were randomly assigned them to 2 groups. One group was given an oral dose of 45 mg zinc/d as a gluconate for 6 months. The other group was given a placebo

Six months after the supplementation ended, the zinc supplement receiving participants were evaluated and compared to the placebo (an inert substance).  They were found to have significantly lower levels of key inflammatory proteins.

These findings suggest that zinc may have a protective effect in atherosclerosis because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions.

Source:  http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/91/6/1634

I was amazed to discover that zinc deficiency affects almost 1 in 3 persons globally.  Mood swings are the most common symptoms associated with this mineral deficiency. 

Japanese researchers at Seitoku University and Daiguku  Junior College tested the impact zinc supplementation could have on mood, 30 young women and placed them randomly into 2 different groups-to receive either multi-vitamins and zinc plus multivitamins for ten weeks.  The study participants were given 7 milligrams of zinc gluconate. 

The multivitamins were given to prevent other vitamin deficiencies.  They provided half of the recommended dietary allowances of vitamins A, D, B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid and niacin by the Japanese government.

Upon the study’s completion, only the women taking zinc gluconate demonstrated reductions in depression and anger. Their zinc blood levels also increased significantly.

Interestingly, animal studies have found that only zinc deficient female animals experienced increased aggression.  This new research appears to support the anger reducing impact in women proceeding zinc supplementations noted the researchers, as well as the preceding research studies’ findings 

“Our results suggest that zinc supplementation may be effective in reducing anger and depression,” they concluded.

This study was reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  “Although our findings are preliminary and should be interpreted with caution, they may prompt further investigations to evaluate the relationship between zinc nutrition and mood states, in women.

Source:

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

“Effect of zinc supplementation on mood states in young women: a pilot study”

Over 23,000 Swedish men between the ages of 45 and 79 were evaluated regarding the association of dietary calcium and magnesium intake with death from all causes, heart disease and cancer among men who didn’t take mineral supplements.

The men were monitored from 1998 through  December 2007, 2,358 deaths from all causes were recorded in the Swedish population registry; through December 2006, 819 CVD and 738 cancer deaths were recorded in the Swedish cause-of-death registry.

Dietary calcium was associated with a statistically significant lower rate of all-cause mortality and a lower rate of but not cancer mortality, when the highest intake level average  1,953 mg/day was compared with the lowest  990 mg/day.

Dietary magnesium intake from 387 mg/day to 523 mg/day was not associated with all-cause, CVD, or cancer mortality.

The study revealed that the men with relatively high intakes of dietary calcium and magnesium showed that intake of calcium above that recommended daily experienced a reduction in all cause of death.

Source:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20172919?dopt=Abstract

Over the years, I’ve read numerous intriguing studies about the role nutrition plays in violent behavior.  Other studies have clearly demonstrated a link between heavy metals and vitamin deficiencies.

A new study from the Netherlands found prisoners given supplements of vitamins, minerals and omega-3 f and omega-6 fatty acids, have the potential to reduce the frequency of violent and aggressive incidents.  Prisoners receiving supplements experienced a significant reduction of violent incidents, over 34 percent, among 200 young adult offenders.

The group receiving a placebo, experienced a 14 per cent increase in the number of reported incidents.

The researchers noted, “The prospect of influencing aggression and rule-breaking behavior with nutrients in moderate doses is important enough to warrant further research. This is particularly true as adequate supplementation may also have beneficial effects on mental health and cognitive functioning.”

Surprisingly, the young men did not report any difference in the number of violent incidents, when asked to rate their health and aggression. The reductions in violent incidents were documented by the prison staff.

“Yet, the results in terms of a substantial reduction in reported incidents seem promising, as this outcome measure in particular may have practical relevance,” wrote Dr. Zaalberg.

This study continues along the lines of one reported in 200, an Oxford University study that also found a 39 per cent reduction in violent behavior among young offenders receiving micronutrients and fatty acids.

“In my view, this could be milestone research, the research that finally makes the world take seriously the connection between diet and mental ill health, in all its forms,” said Prof Winkler.

Professor Crawford noted the association between aggressive behavior and nutrition,  “Makes sense on the basis of evidence of links between major depression, suicide and homicide reported by Dr Joseph Hibblen at the National Institutes of Health in the USA and of course our stuff demonstrating the absolute dependence of the brain on the long chain essential fatty acids.”

Source:

Aggressive Behavior
March/April 2010, Volume 36, Issue 2, Pages 117-126
“Effects of nutritional supplements on aggression, rule-breaking, and psychopathology among young adult prisoners”