Preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course: A call to action

Through diverse roles, zinc determines a greater number of critical life functions than any other single micronutrient. Beyond the well-recognized importance of zinc for child growth and resistance to infections, zinc has numerous specific roles covering the regulation of glucose metabolism, and gro...

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Main Authors: Lowe, Nicola M., Hall, Andrew G., Broadley, Martin R., Foley, Jennifer, Boy, Erick, Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138925
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author Lowe, Nicola M.
Hall, Andrew G.
Broadley, Martin R.
Foley, Jennifer
Boy, Erick
Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.
author_browse Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.
Boy, Erick
Broadley, Martin R.
Foley, Jennifer
Hall, Andrew G.
Lowe, Nicola M.
author_facet Lowe, Nicola M.
Hall, Andrew G.
Broadley, Martin R.
Foley, Jennifer
Boy, Erick
Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.
author_sort Lowe, Nicola M.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Through diverse roles, zinc determines a greater number of critical life functions than any other single micronutrient. Beyond the well-recognized importance of zinc for child growth and resistance to infections, zinc has numerous specific roles covering the regulation of glucose metabolism, and growing evidence links zinc deficiency with increased risk of diabetes and cardiometabolic disorders. Zinc nutriture is thus vitally important to health across the life course. Zinc deficiency is also one of the most common forms of micronutrient malnutrition globally. A clearer estimate of the burden of health disparity attributable to zinc deficiency in adulthood and later life emerges when accounting for its contribution to global elevated fasting blood glucose and related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Yet progress attenuating its prevalence has been limited due, in part, to the lack of sensitive and specific methods to assess human zinc status. This narrative review covers recent developments in our understanding of zinc's role in health; the impact of the changing climate and global context on zinc intake; novel functional biomarkers showing promise for monitoring population-level interventions; and solutions for improving population zinc intake. It aims to spur on implementation of evidence-based interventions for preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course. Increasing zinc intake and combatting global zinc deficiency requires context-specific strategies and a combination of complementary, evidence-based interventions including supplementation, food fortification, and food and agricultural solutions such as biofortification, alongside efforts to improve zinc bioavailability. Enhancing dietary zinc content and bioavailability through zinc biofortification is an inclusive nutrition solution that can benefit the most vulnerable individuals and populations affected by inadequate diets to the greatest extent.
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spelling CGSpace1389252025-10-26T12:51:26Z Preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course: A call to action Lowe, Nicola M. Hall, Andrew G. Broadley, Martin R. Foley, Jennifer Boy, Erick Bhutta, Zulfiqar A. zinc micronutrient deficiencies deficiency diseases biofortification nutrition Through diverse roles, zinc determines a greater number of critical life functions than any other single micronutrient. Beyond the well-recognized importance of zinc for child growth and resistance to infections, zinc has numerous specific roles covering the regulation of glucose metabolism, and growing evidence links zinc deficiency with increased risk of diabetes and cardiometabolic disorders. Zinc nutriture is thus vitally important to health across the life course. Zinc deficiency is also one of the most common forms of micronutrient malnutrition globally. A clearer estimate of the burden of health disparity attributable to zinc deficiency in adulthood and later life emerges when accounting for its contribution to global elevated fasting blood glucose and related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Yet progress attenuating its prevalence has been limited due, in part, to the lack of sensitive and specific methods to assess human zinc status. This narrative review covers recent developments in our understanding of zinc's role in health; the impact of the changing climate and global context on zinc intake; novel functional biomarkers showing promise for monitoring population-level interventions; and solutions for improving population zinc intake. It aims to spur on implementation of evidence-based interventions for preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course. Increasing zinc intake and combatting global zinc deficiency requires context-specific strategies and a combination of complementary, evidence-based interventions including supplementation, food fortification, and food and agricultural solutions such as biofortification, alongside efforts to improve zinc bioavailability. Enhancing dietary zinc content and bioavailability through zinc biofortification is an inclusive nutrition solution that can benefit the most vulnerable individuals and populations affected by inadequate diets to the greatest extent. 2024-03 2024-02-05T16:29:08Z 2024-02-05T16:29:08Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138925 en Open Access Elsevier Lowe, Nicola M.; Hall, Andrew G.; Broadley, Martin R.; Foley, Jennifer; Boy, Erick; and Bhutta, Zulfiqar A. 2024. Preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course: A call to action. Advances in Nutrition 15(3): 100181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100181
spellingShingle zinc
micronutrient deficiencies
deficiency diseases
biofortification
nutrition
Lowe, Nicola M.
Hall, Andrew G.
Broadley, Martin R.
Foley, Jennifer
Boy, Erick
Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.
Preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course: A call to action
title Preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course: A call to action
title_full Preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course: A call to action
title_fullStr Preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course: A call to action
title_full_unstemmed Preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course: A call to action
title_short Preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course: A call to action
title_sort preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course a call to action
topic zinc
micronutrient deficiencies
deficiency diseases
biofortification
nutrition
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138925
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