Does daily zinc supplementation for 4 months affect the incidence and severity of diarrheal morbidity in children aged 6 months to less than 5 years old?
Zinc Picolinate, a randomized controlled trial in 70 children (Glob Pediatr Health 2022, PMID 35747897) — the mean age of participants was 25.26 ± 15.7 months, and the mean baseline serum zinc was 51.08 μg/dL, with 70% of children having low baseline serum zinc. Scope: 70 children, over 4 months, and the abstract states no limitations.
Source: Glob Pediatr Health 2022, PMID 35747897 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: medium
Glob Pediatr Health · 2022 · PMID 35747897 · DOI 10.1177/2333794X221099266
Daily zinc supplementation for four months reduced the occurrence and severity of diarrhea in young children.
The question
Does daily zinc supplementation for 4 months affect the incidence and severity of diarrheal morbidity in children aged 6 months to less than 5 years old?
What they tested
The study aims to assess the effect of daily zinc supplements on the incidence and severity of diarrheal morbidity in children.
How they did it
A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 140 apparently healthy children aged 6 months to less than 5 years old. Children were randomly assigned to either a zinc supplementation group (70 children) or a placebo group (70 children) for 4 months. Serum zinc levels were measured at baseline, and a questionnaire was used during follow-up to record the occurrence of diarrhea.
What they found
The mean age of participants was 25.26 ± 15.7 months, and the mean baseline serum zinc was 51.08 μg/dL, with 70% of children having low baseline serum zinc. The cumulative incidence of diarrhea, the number of diarrhea episodes per child, and the frequency of stools per day significantly decreased in the zinc group. The risk ratio for diarrhea was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.64 to 0.97).
| Low Baseline Serum Zinc | 70 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Baseline Serum Zinc | 30 |
Percentage of children with low versus normal baseline serum zinc levels.
What it means
Daily zinc supplementation for 4 months reduced the incidence and severity of diarrhea in children.
Limitations
The abstract does not explicitly state any limitations of the study.
Where the published abstract does not list limitations, we say so rather than inventing them. Read the full paper on PubMed before drawing conclusions.
The paper at a glance
| Title | Effect of Zinc Supplementation in Children on Diarrhea Attacks: A Randomized Controlled Trial |
|---|---|
| Journal | Glob Pediatr Health |
| Year | 2022 |
| PMID | 35747897 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1177/2333794X221099266 ↗ |
| Topic | Nutrition, micronutrients & whole foods |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
Where Magellan uses this paper
This citation sits behind the evidence grade on the pages below. Grades are set from the research and are independent of affiliate commissions.
Zinc Picolinate
Multiple meta-analyses of randomized trials indicate that oral zinc, started soon after symptom onset, can modestly shorten the duration of common-cold symptoms, although a 2024 Cochrane update rated the certainty of this evidence low and the effect remains genuinely contested.
Zinc picolinate is a chelated form of the essential trace mineral zinc, in which zinc is bound to…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Does daily zinc supplementation for 4 months affect the incidence and severity of diarrheal morbidity in children aged 6 months to less than 5 years old? [Plain-English summary of Glob Pediatr Health 2022, PMID 35747897, DOI 10.1177/2333794X221099266]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d35747897.html@misc{magellan_d35747897,
title = {Does daily zinc supplementation for 4 months affect the incidence and severity of diarrheal morbidity in children aged 6 months to less than 5 years old?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d35747897.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 35747897; DOI 10.1177/2333794X221099266; Glob Pediatr Health 2022. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
}https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d35747897.htmlRelated studies in the Magellan library
- The Effect of a Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement on Immune Function in Healthy Older AdultsNutrients · 2020 · PMID 32823974
- Is zinc effective in reducing the incidence, severity, and duration of common cold symptoms…Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2013 · PMID 23775705
- Does menaquinone-7 (MK-7) supplementation, combined with vitamin D, reduce the progression…Circulation · 2022 · PMID 35465686
- Ergothioneine: an underrecognised dietary micronutrient required for healthy ageing?Br J Nutr · 2023 · PMID 38018890
- Efficacy of vitamin D supplementation on cancer mortalityAgeing Res Rev · 2023 · PMID 37004841
- Effect of green tea consumption on body weight and body compositionNutr Hosp · 2014 · PMID 24558988
All 7 Magellan summaries on nutrition, micronutrients & whole foods →
Prefer the interactive version? Open this summary in the Magellan app → · Browse all 314 study summaries →