Zinc deficiency in man. The Shiraz experiment.

Shiraz, /ran Zinc deficiency associated with nutritional dwarfism was reported from Egypt in 1963. The conclusions drawn from that study were based on biochemical changes in zinc metabolism plus zinc supplementation studies. The dwarfs were of varying ages and were affected in varying degrees of severity. This syndrome, which is common in the Middle East, has been extensively investigated in Iran where its clinical features were reported in detail in 1961. Our study was designed prospectively to give oral zinc supplementation under controlled conditions. A major factor in the etiology of this syndrome is the village diet which consists largely, and sometimes exclusively, of whole meal wheat bread. This contains a high level of phytate which binds zinc and makes it unavailable. Geophagia, which was present in all subjects, may be a factor in the pathogenesis.