Wednesday June 25, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study conducted in Sari, Iran suggests that taking zinc supplements may help fight asthma in children who are treated with inhaled steroids.

In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial that lasted over 8 weeks, 284 children on inhaled steroids were assigned to receive zinc supplements in a dose of 50 mg zinc per day or placebo.

At baseline, both the study group and the control group had a similar serum zinc concentration, which is 61 ug per dL.  After the treatment, the study group had zinc levels increased to 129 ug/dL while the control group did not increase the plasma zinc concentration significantly, (to 63 ug /dL).

Researchers reported that the study group that took zinc supplements "showed significant improvements in clinical symptoms such as cough, wheezing and dyspnoea and in all spirometry parameters (FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC)." (David Liu PHD)

Ghaffari J, Khalilian A, Salehifar E, Khorasani E, Rezaii MS.   Effect of zinc supplementation in children with asthma: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in northern Islamic Republic of Iran.  East Mediterr Health J. 2014 Jun 18;20(6):391-396.