Zinc Deficiency

Signs of zinc deficiency include white spots on the nails, skin lesions, diarrhea, and wasting of body tissues. A lack of zinc can contribute to acne.  Eyesight, taste, smell and memory are also connected with zinc. A deficiency in zinc can cause malfunctions of these organs and functions. Congenital abnormalities causing zinc deficiency may lead to a disease called acrodermatitis enteropathica.

Zinc deficiency contributes to an increased incidence and severity of diarrhea and pneumonia. Studies have shown that zinc treatment results in a 25 percent reduction in duration of acute diarrhea and a 40 percent reduction in treatment failure or death in persistent diarrhea. The studies determined that a ten-day therapy of zinc treatment can considerably reduce the duration and severity of diarrheal episodes, decrease stool output, and lessen the need for hospitalization. Zinc may also prevent future diarrhea episodes for up to three months. The current World Health Organization recommendation for diarrhea control includes the use of 20 mg per day of zinc supplementation for 10 to 14 days (10 mg per day for infants under the age of six months). A zinc taste test may have potential for diagnosing deficiency.

The influence of zinc on hunger is complex and likely depends upon the status of other nutrients, the developmental stage of the animal, and percentage body fat. Some research groups have argued for a role of zinc deficiency decreasing appetite, while others have shown zinc ingestion can reduce feelings of hunger by increasing leptin levels. There is evidence that the way zinc influences hunger depends on the sodium/osmotic status of the organism, with low sodium/low zinc levels increasing hunger and high sodium/low zinc levels decreasing it. An organism with a low level of zinc has an increased susceptibility to hypoosmotic stress and cell rupture. Thus if the osmotic pressure is too low the organism may be inclined to eat to raise osmolality and prevent osmotic shock. It should be noted that zinc is known to affect osmolality by increasing sodium retention.