Cited by 198Trace Elements in HealthNutrition and Health in AgingIron Metabolism and Disorders

Zinc: Dietary intake and impact of supplementation on immune function in elderly

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Mocchegiani, Eugenio, Romeo, Javier, Malavolta, Marco, Costarelli, Laura, Giacconi, Robertina, Diaz, Ligia-Esperanza, Marcos, Ascension·2013·AGE

Abstract

The diet in the elderly does not provide a sufficient level of nutrients needed to maintain an adequate healthy status leading to micronutrient deficiencies and impaired immune response with subsequent development of degenerative diseases. Nutrient "zinc" is a relevant micronutrient involved in maintaining a good integrity of many body homeostatic mechanisms, including immune efficiency, owing to its requirement for the biological activity of many enzymes, proteins and for cellular proliferation and genomic stability. Old people aged 60-65 years and older have zinc intakes below 50% of the recommended daily allowance on a given day. Many causes can be involved: among them, altered intestinal absorption, inadequate mastication, psychosocial factors, drugs interactions, altered subcellular processes (zinc transporters (Zip and ZnT family), metallothioneins, divalent metal transporter-1). Zinc supplementation may remodel the immune alterations in elderly leading to healthy ageing. Several zinc trials have been carried out with contradictory data, perhaps due to incorrect choice of an effective zinc supplementation in old subjects showing subsequent zinc toxic effects on immunity. Old subjects with specific IL-6 polymorphism (GG allele carriers; named C-) are more prone for zinc supplementation than the entire old population, in whom correct dietary habits with foods containing zinc (Mediterranean diet) may be sufficient in restoring zinc deficiency and impaired immune response. We summarise the main causes of low zinc dietary intake in elderly reporting an update on the impact of zinc supplementation upon the immune response also on the basis of individual IL-6 polymorphism.

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Crossref · 10.1007/s11357-011-9377-3

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205 of 205 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • There are some reports that an adequate zinc supply could prevent degenerative age-related diseases including infection and cancer.

    “There are some reports that an adequate zinc supply could prevent degenerative age-related diseases including infection and cancer [122].”

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Authors
Mocchegiani, E., Romeo, J., Malavolta, M., Costarelli, L., Giacconi, R., Diaz, L.-E., & Marcos, A.
Affiliations
  • Istituto Nazionale di Riposo e Cura per Anziani (IT)
  • Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ES)
Corresponding author
Mocchegiani, Eugenio
Venue
AGE
Published
2012-01-06
Volume
35
Issue
3
Pages
839-860
ISSN
  • 0161-9152 (ISSN-L)
  • 1574-4647
OpenAlex
W2161592365
Cited by
198
References
205
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
FWCI
0.70
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • AGE (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DIGITAL.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)) (submittedVersion)
  • Università Politecnica delle Marche (Università Politecnica delle Marche) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Danone
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Trace Elements in Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Iron Metabolism and Disorders
Keywords
zinc, zinc deficiency, zinc supplementation, older adults, immune function, micronutrient deficiency, healthy aging, Mediterranean diet, zinc absorption, metallothionein, zinc transporters, zinc toxicity
MeSH terms
Aged, Aging, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Humans, Immunity, Intestinal Absorption, Zinc, Dietary Supplements

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