The effects of zinc supplementation on serum zinc, alkaline phosphatase activity and fracture healing of bones.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in this randomized controlled trial publication.

To determine the effect of zinc supplementation on callus formation, serum zinc and alkaline phosphatase activity in humans.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 60 patients taking part.

The age groups tagged for this paper are adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

This randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial was conducted on 60 patients with traumatic bone fracture referred to Shohada Hospital of Tabriz, Iran from August to December 2007.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Neither the patients nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc could be set against what happens without it.

Individual and clinical information was determined by a questionnaire: nutritional intake by 3 days food records at the beginning and the end of trial.

Serum zinc and alkaline phosphatase was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and by enzymatic method.

Callus formation during fracture healing was evaluated by radiography of the bone.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Alkaline Phosphatase, Dietary Supplements, Fracture Healing, Zinc and Zinc Sulfate.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 60 patients.

Results are reported in around 4 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2008 (Saudi medical journal), a journal based in Saudi Arabia.

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