Oregon: Zinc, an important mineral in human health, appears to affect how the
immune system responds to stimulation, especially inflammation, new
research from Oregon State University shows. Zinc deficiency could play a role in chronic diseases such as
cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes that involve inflammation.
Such diseases often show up in older adults, who are more at risk for
zinc deficiency.
“When you take away zinc, the cells that control inflammation appear
to activate and respond differently; this causes the cells to promote
more inflammation,” said Emily Ho,
a professor and director of the Moore Family Center for Whole Grain
Foods, Nutrition and Preventive Health in the OSU College of Public
Health and Human Sciences, and lead author of the study.
Zinc is an essential micronutrient required for many biological
processes, including growth and development, neurological function and
immunity. It is naturally found in protein-rich foods such as meat and
shellfish, with oysters among the highest in zinc content.
Approximately 12 percent of people in the U.S. do not consume enough
zinc in their diets. Of those 65 and older, closer to 40 percent do not
consume enough zinc, Ho said. Older adults tend to eat fewer zinc-rich
foods and their bodies do not appear to use or absorb zinc as well,
making them highly susceptible to zinc deficiency.
“It’s a double-whammy for older individuals,” said Ho, who also is a principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute.
In the study, researchers set out to better understand the
relationship between zinc deficiency and inflammation. They conducted
experiments that indicated zinc deficiency induced an increase in
inflammatory response in cells. The researchers were able to show, for
the first time, that reducing zinc caused improper immune cell
activation and dysregulation of a cytokine IL-6, a protein that affects
inflammation in the cell, Ho said.
Researchers also compared zinc levels in living mice, young and old.
The older mice had low zinc levels that corresponded with increased
chronic inflammation and decreased IL-6 methylation, which is an
epigenetic mechanism that cells use to control gene expression.
Decreased IL-6 methylation also was found in human immune cells from
elderly people, Ho said.
Together, the studies suggest a potential link between zinc
deficiency and increased inflammation that can occur with age, she said.
The findings were published recently in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
Co-authors are Carmen P. Wong and Nicole A. Rinaldi of the College of
Public Health and Human Sciences. The research was supported by the
Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station, Bayer Consumer Care AG of
Switzerland, and OSU.
Understanding the role of zinc in the body is important to
determining whether dietary guidelines for zinc need to be adjusted. The
recommended daily intake of zinc for adults is 8 milligrams for women
and 11 milligrams for men, regardless of age. The guidelines may need to
be adjusted for older adults to ensure they are getting enough zinc, Ho
said.
There is no good clinical biomarker test to determine if people are
getting enough zinc, so identifying zinc deficiency can be difficult. In
addition, the body does not have much ability to store zinc, so regular
intake is important, Ho said. Getting too much zinc can cause other
problems, including interfering with other minerals. The current upper
limit for zinc is 40 milligrams per day.
“We think zinc deficiency is probably a bigger problem than most
people realize,” she said. “Preventing that deficiency is important.”
Understanding why older adults do not take in zinc as well is an
important area for future research, Ho said. Additional research also is
needed to better understand how zinc works in the body, she said.