Clinical trials assessing zinc supplementation in liver diseases do not show benefits in terms of clinical improvement or disease halting .
There are possible benefits of zinc supplementation on hepatic encephalopathy , however , this is based on limited evidence .
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Zinc deficiency has been associated with poor prognosis in chronic liver disease .
This systematic review and meta- analysis aim ed to evaluate the role of zinc supplementation in the management of chronic liver diseases .
Zinc supplementation in alcoholic cirrhosis. A double-blind clinical trial.
A double-blind clinical trial with zinc sulfate , 0.2 g three times daily , and a placebo was performed in 30 patients with biopsy-proven alcoholic liver cirrhosis . The disease was in a stable phase , and none of the patients showed evidence of a decompensated liver function . Parameters of liver function , taste acuity , dark adaptation and of zinc and vitamin A metabolism were followed for six weeks . In the zinc-treated group of 16 patients , serum zinc rose from a normal mean value of 13.3 to 17.4 mumol/l , whereas the mean serum vitamin A level remained practically unaltered within the normal range , 1.89 at the entry and 1.83 mumol/l at the end of the study . Plasma prothrombin and serum alkaline phosphatase levels of the zinc group increased and serum bilirubin and serum carotene decreased significantly . The dark adaptation did not change , but the taste function was significantly improved during zinc treatment . The results indicate that zinc supplementation causes alleviation of certain abnormalities of cirrhotics , which deserves further attention
Clinical trials assessing zinc supplementation in liver diseases do not show benefits in terms of clinical improvement or disease halting .
There are possible benefits of zinc supplementation on hepatic encephalopathy , however , this is based on limited evidence .
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Zinc deficiency has been associated with poor prognosis in chronic liver disease .
This systematic review and meta- analysis aim ed to evaluate the role of zinc supplementation in the management of chronic liver diseases .