Summary Zinc plays an important role in immune function. Therefore, a study executed by several research institutes in Boston, USA, investigated whether zinc concentrations in the blood are associated with the incidence and duration of pneumonia, use of antibiotics, and pneumonia-associated deaths. 578 residents of 33 nursing homes in Boston were involved. All participants received…
Summary This review, conducted by Swiss researchers, gives an overview of several studies investigating the immune-enhancing effect of vitamin C and zinc and their influence on clinical conditions. The results showed that vitamin C concentrations rapidly decline during infections and that supplementation of vitamin C improves the function of the human immune system. Zinc deficiency…
Summary According to this Ecuadorian study, micronutrient deficiencies and infectious diseases are common in the Ecuadorian elderly. In this study, 145 elderly were involved. It showed, among others, that participants in this group have deficiencies of zinc (50%), iron (44%), vitamin B12 (43%), vitamin D (19%), and folate (18%). Furthermore, an increased number of respiratory…
Summary This review, conducted by several Australian research institutes, gives an overview of the effects of probiotics on immunity after intense physical exercise. Probiotics are well-known as modulators of the so-called microbiota. A well-functioning microbiota contains varied bacteria, which, among others, contribute to the regulation of the immune system and protection of the body from…
Summary This review, conducted by two Egyptian research centers, gives an overview of the role of various nutrients on immune function. Several studies showed, among others, that multiple micronutrients, essential fatty acids, some amino acids, but also pre- and probiotics boost the immune system and beneficially affect immune function. At the same time, micronutrient deficiencies…
Summary This Swedish study aimed to investigate whether vitamin D supplementation could reduce infectious symptoms and antibiotic consumption in patients with frequent respiratory infections. 140 suitable participants were involved who received either a supplement or a placebo daily for one year. The results showed a significantly reduced number of infections and decreased antibiotic use in…
Summary This study, conducted by a Canadian University, investigated whether vitamin D supplementation could prevent viral upper respiratory tract infections. 600 participants were divided into four groups. 1st group: vitamin D and gargling; 2nd group: placebo and gargling; 3rd group: vitamin D only, and 4th group: placebo only. The results showed that vitamin D supplementation…
Summary This study, conducted by the University of Kabul in Afghanistan, investigated the effects of vitamin D supplementation on children with diagnosed pneumonia. 453 children aged between 1 and 36 months and diagnosed with non-severe or severe pneumonia were included in the study. 224 patients received 100,000 IU of vitamin D, and 229 patients received…
Summary Researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA, investigated the effect of vitamin D supplements on the risk of acute respiratory infections in children in Mongolia. To this end, 247 Mongolian schoolchildren were divided into two groups. The test group received milk supplemented with vitamin D (143 children), and the control group (104…
Summary This study, conducted by the University of Auckland, New Zealand, investigated the effect of vitamin D supplementation on primary care visits during pregnancy and infancy due to acute respiratory infections. Additionally, the required dose to achieve a normal vitamin D status during infancy was determined. To this end, healthy pregnant women were assigned in…
Summary This study, executed by three research institutes in Uzbekistan, investigated seasonal changes in vitamin D status and its influence on upper respiratory tract infections among water sports athletes. 40 elite athletes and 30 controls were involved in the study. In the course of one year, vitamin D levels and inflammation parameters were measured, whereafter…
Summary This review, executed by a research institute in Boston, USA, gives an overview of different factors involved in aging in less developed countries. For instance, malnutrition and related micronutrient deficiencies account for many chronic diseases and increase the incidence of infectious diseases due to an impaired immune function. According to various studies, supplementation with…
Summary According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan, USA, zinc supplementation may decrease the infection rate in older people. 50 healthy participants aged between 55 and 87 years were involved in the study and divided into two groups: One group (25 participants) received a zinc supplement, and participants in the other group…
Summary This study, conducted by several American, Tanzanian, and Canadian research institutes, aimed to investigate whether daily oral supplementation with vitamin A and/or zinc can reduce the risk of placental malaria and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Placental malaria is a life-threatening illness caused primarily by infection with a malaria-causing parasite. 2500 pregnant women were divided into…
Summary This review, conducted by several Canadian and British research institutes, gives an overview of the beneficial effects of vitamin D on the regulation of immune function. Vitamin D showed, among others, a beneficial interaction with multiple processes executed by the immune system and several effects on immune cells. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency at a…
Summary A study from Nigeria investigated the effects of high-dose vitamin A supplementation on malaria in infants. 152 pregnant women were involved who were at least 6 months pregnant. The participants were divided into two groups with 76 participants each: a supplementation group that received a vitamin A supplement 3 times a week and a…
Summary Infectious diseases are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates in children in developing countries. A study conducted by several Bengali and American researchers investigated the effects of a weekly zinc supplementation on the incidence of pneumonia and diarrhea in children in Bangladesh. The study participants – children aged between 60 days and 12…
Summary This Turkish study aimed to determine the efficacy of prophylactic zinc sulfate treatment in reducing the common cold in children and evaluating the effectiveness of zinc sulfate in reducing the duration and severity of cold symptoms. 200 healthy children received a prophylactic oral zinc sulfate product (100 children) or placebo product (100 children) once…
Summary According to an Indian study, supplementation with zinc and vitamin A combined with other micronutrients could be efficient in treating children with acute diarrhea. The study examined the effects of different micronutrient combinations in children aged between 6 and 24 months with diarrhea and moderate dehydration. The study results were compared to the outcomes…
Summary According to a study conducted by several Colombian research institutes, zinc supplementation can have beneficial effects in preventing upper respiratory tract infections and diarrheal infectious diseases in children. 355 children were involved in this study. During 12 months, the test group, including 174 healthy children aged between 6 and 12 months, received a daily…
Summary The present study investigated the effect of vitamin A supplementation in pregnant Malaria-infected women in Nigeria. 152 Malaria-infected pregnant women were involved; 76 received a vitamin A supplement 3 times a week (once daily), and 76 participants received a placebo without active ingredients. The pregnant women were followed up until the delivery of their…
Summary This study, conducted by researchers from Burkina Faso, the USA, and Austria, investigated the effects of a combined vitamin A and zinc supplementation on Malaria morbidity in children aged between 6 and 72 months in Burkina Faso. Children were divided into two groups of each 74 participants. One group received the micronutrient supplement, and…
Summary This study, conducted by scientists from several research institutes in Ghana, Austria, and the USA, investigated the impact of vitamin A alone compared to a combination of vitamin A and zinc on the incidence of malaria. 200 children aged between 6 and 24 months were divided into two groups. Participants in the intervention group…
Summary This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of zinc in children with acute lower respiratory infections. The children, aged less than 5 years, received either a zinc supplement or a placebo product for 60 days. Zinc supplementation led to a significantly lower number of cases of acute lower respiratory infections (20.8% vs. 45.8%)…
Summary In this Indian study, a zinc supplement was tested as a preventative measure against acute respiratory infections in infants. A group of 272 children, aged between 6 and 11 months, was involved in this study. 141 children received the zinc supplement, and 131 children received a placebo product for 2 weeks. Zinc supplementation was…
Summary Zinc deficiency is widely recognized as a risk factor for morbidity and mortality, especially among young children. Acute and persistent diarrhea, a common cause of death in young children, can be induced by zinc deficiencies. Supplementation of zinc can be beneficial to reduce the duration of acute and persistent diarrhea. More details can be…
Summary This review gives an overview of several studies on the impact of zinc supplementation on morbidity and mortality in children suffering from infectious diseases. In children older than 12 months, zinc supplementation reduced the incidence of diarrhea by 20%. Additionally, the relative risk of diarrhea was decreased by 27%. Zinc supplementation also reduced the…
Summary According to a Swiss study, micronutrient deficiency is a limiting factor in children’s health. Studies from several countries show that vitamin C and zinc deficiencies are increasing. Optimal micronutrient levels are essential for a well-functioning immune system and to combat infections. Deficiencies can induce an impaired immune defense. Vitamin C and zinc, for example,…
Summary Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient contributing to a well-functioning immune system. This is because it affects several immune processes in the human body and protects against environmental oxidative stress. Vitamin C deficiency results in impaired immunity and a higher susceptibility to infections. In turn, infections can also influence vitamin C levels due to…
Summary Early signs of vitamin C deficiency often go unrecognized and may manifest as a reduced desire to be physically active. Moreover, it is often associated with increased cold duration and severity. A study conducted by several American institutes investigated the effects of vitamin C supplementation on physical activity and respiratory tract infections during the…