What Is Zinc Sulphate Used For?

Zinc plays an important role in many of the body's physiologic processes. Some of the most essential body functions that require zinc include immune system activity, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA production and cell division and replication. As mentioned by the Office of the Dietary Supplements, zinc also serves as a supportive mineral for the normal growth and development of children and adolescents. Zinc sulfate, one of the most common forms of zinc supplement, contains twenty-three percent elemental zinc.

Muscle Cramps in Liver Cirrhosis

A study conducted in the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, University of Kentucky and published in the 2000 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" suggests that zinc sulfate supplementation may decrease the frequency and severity of muscle cramp attacks in patients with liver cirrhosis, a chronic, deteriorating liver condition. Muscle cramps occur in most patients with liver cirrhosis and this may be due to the relative zinc deficiency related to their health condition. With zinc supplementation, muscle cramps in liver cirrhotic patients become milder and less frequent, thus improving their quality of life.

Psoriasis

According to a study published in the 2007 issue of "The Internet Journal of Dermatology," patients with psoriasis, a recurring, sometimes distressing skin problem, may greatly improve with the treatment of zinc sulfate cream. When used alone, zinc sulfate caused an approximately 53 percent remission in patients using this treatment. However, when used in combination with clobetasol propionate, a well known synthetic steroid anti-inflammatory topical medication, the remission rate increased to over 80 percent.

Zinc Deficiency

The World Health Organization uses zinc sulfate supplements for the correction of zinc deficiency, a common trace mineral deficiency that afflicts approximately twenty-one percent of the global population, according to the Child and Adolescent Health Division of the World Health Organization. Zinc deficiency plays one of the most significant risk factors that may put a child in danger of developing diarrhea, lower respiratory tract infection and malaria. In fact, ten percent of patients with diarrhea, six percent of patients with lower respiratory tract infection and eighteen percent of malarial morbidities have zinc deficiency, according to this source.

Diarrhea

As mentioned by the Child and Adolescent Health Division of the World Health Organization, zinc sulfate supplementation may serve as an effective treatment for pediatric patients with acute and persistent diarrhea. In fact, this organization encourages the use of zinc supplements to reduce the duration and severity of diarrhea episodes in the pediatric age group. Furthermore, this supplementation, if given for ten to fourteen days, may decrease the chances of repeated attack within four to six months after this said treatment.