Nutritional Advice El Mondo
Objectives:
Although many studies have shown that low zinc status is associated with diabetes, the putative effects of zinc supplementation on glycemic control are inconclusive. Therefore, this review article (meta-analysis) has been conducted.
Does zinc supplementation reduce risk of diabetes mellitus?
Study design:
This review article included 32 RCTs, involving a total of 1,700 participants in 14 countries.
Results and conclusions:
The investigators found overall, compared with their respective control groups, the subjects in the zinc supplementation group had a statistically significant reduction in concentrations of :
-fasting glucose [WMD = -14.15 mg/dL, 95% CI = -17.36 to -10.93 mg/dL];
-2-h postprandial glucose [WMD = -36.85 mg/dL, 95% CI = -62.05 to -11.65 mg/dL];
-fasting insulin [WMD = -1.82 mU/L, 95% CI = -3.10 to -0.54 mU/L];
-homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance [WMD = -0.73, 95% CI = -1.22 to -0.24]:
-glycated hemoglobin [WMD = -0.55%, 95% CI = -0.84 to -0.27%] and;
-high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [WMD = -1.31 mg/L, 95% CI = -2.05 to -0.56 mg/L].
The investigators found, moreover, subgroup analyses revealed that the effects of zinc supplementation on fasting glucose were significantly influenced by diabetic status and the formulation of the zinc supplement.
The investigators concluded several key glycemic indicators are significantly reduced by zinc supplementation, particularly the fasting glucose in subjects with diabetes and in subjects who received an inorganic zinc supplement. Together, these findings support the notion that zinc supplementation may have clinical potential as an adjunct therapy for preventing or managing diabetes.
Original title:
Zinc supplementation improves glycemic control for diabetes prevention and management: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by Wang X, Wu W, [...], Wang F.
Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31161192
Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more information/studies on diabetes and zinc right here.