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 .
A 14-mo zinc-supplementation trial in apparently healthy Chilean preschool children.
Apparently healthy preschool children ( 46 boys , 52 girls ) aged 27 - 50 mo from low socioeconomic conditions who attended daycare centers in Santiago participated in a 14-mo long double-blind zinc supplementation trial . Unlike most previous studies , no additional inclusion criteria such as short stature or slow growth rate were considered . Subjects were pair matched according to sex and age and r and omly assigned to two experimental groups : the supplemented group , which received 10 mg Zn/d , and the placebo group . Selected anthropometric , clinical , dietary , biochemical , and functional indexes were determined at the beginning of the study and after 6 and 14 mo of intervention . Actual dietary zinc intake was 66 % of the recommended dietary allowance . Height gain after 14 mo was on average 0.5 cm higher in the supplemented group ( P = 0.10 ) . The response , however , was different between sexes . Boys from the supplemented group  gained 0.9 cm more than those in the placebo group ( P = 0.045 ) . No effect was seen in girls . Although no significant differences were observed in the rest of the variables studied , trends ( 0.05 < P < 0.10 ) in the supplemented group compared with the placebo group for increased midarm muscle area in boys , improved response to tuberculin , and reduced rates of parasite reinfestation were noted . We conclude that in preschool children of low socioeconomic status , zinc is a limiting factor in the expression of growth potential
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 .