Zinc supplements are the most effective of all the available nutritional supplements to help prevent pneumonia, according to a report from the World Health Organisation.

A zinc deficiency is associated with a weakened immune function and an increased rate of serious infectious disease. Both short and long-term supplementation in amounts which exceed the US Recommended Daily Allowance by one to two times appear to have been effective in conducted trials without any adverse side effects.

The newly published study reveals that zinc supplements can reduce the incidence of childhood pneumonia by up to 41 per cent and the prevalence of diarrhoea by up to 25 per cent.

Reviewing ten trials on developing world populations, researchers from the John Hopkins School of Public Health and the World Health Organisation found that supplementation with zinc was more effective than any other intervention in preventing pneumonia.

Zinc deficiency is common in young children in the developing world, and many nutritionists believe that this deficiency is also found in children living in the industrialised countries. However, Dr. Shammin Qazi from the WHO’s division of Child Health does not recommend zinc supplementation as routine as yet in developing countries until the results of larger trials are forthcoming.

The Recommended Nutritional Intake (RNI) of zinc is 10mg for children and 15mg for adults.

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