Lee Swanson Research Update

More Zinc May Mean Less Diabetes In Women

March 2009

Increased intakes of zinc may decrease the risk of type-2 diabetes by 28%, according to a new study from Harvard.

The researchers, led by Qi Sun, caution that more studies are needed to confirm these findings, as well as to elucidate potential mechanisms. The results are published in the journal Diabetes Care.

The Harvard study involved 82,297 women aged 33 to 60, taking part in the Nurses’ Health Study. Over the course of 24 years, 6,030 cases of type-2 diabetes were documented.

After relating the incidence of the disease with data obtained from a validated food frequency questionnaire, the researchers note that women with the highest average dietary intakes of the mineral were 10% less likely to develop diabetes, while women with the highest average total intakes had their risk reduced by eight percent.

Further number crunching by the researchers took into account other potentially confounding factors, and showed that increasing intakes of the mineral were associated with a reduction up to 28%. The mechanism behind the effects is not yet known and needs further study. Also, the research does not prove causality.

There are more than 20 million people with diabetes in the U.S., equal to seven percent of the population. The total costs are thought to be as much as $132 billion, with $92 billion being direct costs from medication, according to American Diabetes Association figures.

Zinc, one of the most plentiful trace elements in the body, second only to iron, mediates many physiological functions. It is believed to be essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. Recent science suggests the mineral could also influence memory, muscle strength and endurance in adults. Zinc nutrition in very young children has been related to motor, cognitive and psychosocial function.

Diabetes Care Published online ahead of print.

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