Recent Trends of Zinc in Health and Chronic Disease

Zinc is widely recognized as an essential micronutrient with a catalytic role in over a 100 specific metabolic enzymes in human metabolism. Zinc deficiency was a major etiological factor in the syndrome of adolescent nutritional dwarfism, that had been identified mideastern countries. Zinc is one of the most ubiquitous of all trace elements involved in human metabolism and plays multiple roles in the perpetuation of genetic materials, including transcription of DNA, translation of RNA and ultimately cellular division. It is thus critical to understand the role of zinc in health and disease, especially during the vulnerable periods of growth and development. In severe zinc deficiency the symptoms are slowing growth and development, delayed sexual maturation, chronic and severe diarrhea, impaired wound healing, diminished appetite, impaired taste sensation. Zinc deficiency is an important public health problem, Nutritionists have been concerned that zinc deficiency affects large numbers of women and children in India and worldwide. In recent survey by WHO, zinc deficiency found most of the Indian population and Zinc supplement is used to commonly to enhance wound healing and treatment of pneumonia.