Zinc supplementation has no effect on circulating levels of peripheral blood leucocytes and lymphocyte subsets in healthy adult men.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc and Copper (Supplement).

The aim was to examine the effects of chronic Zn supplementation on circulating levels of peripheral blood leucocytes and lymphocyte subsets.

Why It Was Studied

A control group (n 19) took placebo supplements for the duration of the trial.

Putative indices of Cu status were also examined.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, men only.

As a result of evidence documenting harmful effects of Zn supplementation on immune function and Cu status, thirty-eight men were recruited onto a Zn supplementation trial.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Blinding on both sides kept the participants and researchers unaware of who received Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group a baseline to be compared against.

Blood samples, taken throughout the trial, were assessed for full blood profiles and flow cytometric analyses of lymphocyte subsets.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Analysis of Variance, Ceruloplasmin, Copper, Dietary Supplements, Flow Cytometry, Leukocyte Count and Lymphocyte Subsets.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc and Copper (Supplement).

The publication is from 2003 (The British journal of nutrition), a journal based in England.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page and the Copper (Supplement) compound page, all human trials.