Zn supplementation was associated with increased fat-free mass among stunted children .
Due to the use of anthropometry when determining body composition , a majority of the studies could not accurately address whether alterations in the fat and /or fat-free mass components of the body were responsible for the observed changes in body composition .
The effect of Zn supplementation on body composition is not consistent but may modify fat-free mass among children with pre-existing growth failure
OBJECTIVE To provide a comprehensive synthesis of the effects of Zn supplementation on childhood body composition and adiposity-related hormone levels .
Zinc supplementation increases growth and circulating insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in growth-retarded Vietnamese children.
To determine whether zinc deficiency might be involved in the failure to thrive observed in undernourished Vietnamese children , we assessed growth , incidence of infections , and circulating insulin-like growth factor I ( IGF-I ) concentrations in a double-blind study of zinc supplementation .  Growth-retarded children ( n=146 ) aged 4 - 36 mo were paired according to age , sex , commune , Z scores for weight ( WAZ ) and for height ( HAZ ) , and number of siblings , and were r and omly assigned to receive either 153 micromol ( 10 mg ) Zn/d or a placebo for 5 mo . Weight , height , and episodes of infection were recorded each month and plasma IGF-I was measured 1 and 5 mo after the start of zinc supplementation . Multiple-linear-regression analysis for paired data showed that zinc supplementation increased weight ( + 0.5 + /- 0.1 kg ; P<0.001 ) and height ( + 1.5+/-0.2 cm ; P<0.001 ) after 5 mo compared with placebo treatment . The relative risk of infectious episodes in the zinc-treated subjects was reduced 3-fold for diarrhea ( P=0.012 ) and 2.5-fold for respiratory infections ( p=0.057 ) . The probability of having at least two episodes of diarrhea or respiratory infection was 2.9- and 3.2-fold lower , respectively , in zinc-treated subjects between 1 and 5 mo ( P=0.018 ) , whereas they did not change in placebo-treated subjects ( P-0.584 ) . After 1 mo , IGF-I concentration ( -x+/-SD ) in zinc-treated subjects was 2.8+/-0.3 nmol/L compared with 1.9+/-0.2 nmol/L in placebo-treated subjects ( P=0.021 ) . After 5 mo , the values were 3.4+/-0.5 nmol/L ( zinc-treated ) and 2.0+/-0.3 nmol/L ( placebo-treated ; P=0.044 ) . Our study suggests that zinc deficiency may limit growth in nutritionally deprived children . Because the increase in growth velocity result ing from zinc supplementation was associated with increased plasma IGF-I concentrations , we suggest that the growth-stimulating effect of zinc might be mediated through changes in circulating
Zn supplementation was associated with increased fat-free mass among stunted children .
Due to the use of anthropometry when determining body composition , a majority of the studies could not accurately address whether alterations in the fat and /or fat-free mass components of the body were responsible for the observed changes in body composition .
The effect of Zn supplementation on body composition is not consistent but may modify fat-free mass among children with pre-existing growth failure
OBJECTIVE To provide a comprehensive synthesis of the effects of Zn supplementation on childhood body composition and adiposity-related hormone levels .