Patients with dementia often have low levels of zinc. Deficiencies in trace elements such as zinc appear to be a factor in age-related cognitive decline and dementia, according to research conducted by D. Allan Butterfield of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky. However, whether or not low zinc causes dementia remains unclear. Speak to your doctor or health care practitioner about zinc supplementation if you have dementia or if you are at risk of developing dementia.
Zinc & Cognitive Function
Zinc appears to play a role in the treatment and prevention of cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly. In to a 1997 study conducted by Spanish researchers and published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," elderly subjects aged 65 to 90 with a higher intake of zinc in their diet demonstrated a significantly higher rate of cognitive function compared to subjects with lower levels of zinc.
Zinc Deficiency
Pronounced zinc deficiency occurs regularly in patients with dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to recent research. A 2010 study conducted by University of Michigan researchers and published in the "American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias" examined 29 patients with Alzheimer's and found them to have significantly lower levels of zinc in their blood compared to the control subjects.
Aging
According to Stanley J. Birge, M.D., an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the Washington University School of Medicine, aging itself is often a contributing factor in zinc deficiency. Zinc deficiency can occur as a result of the decreased production of hormones such as testosterone, as well as poor nutritional status. Zinc plays an integral function in cellular metabolism, including DNA synthesis and repair, and low zinc may place elderly persons at risk of dementia if they are not ingesting adequate zinc to keep their brain cells healthy as they age.
Sources of Zinc
Good nutritional sources of zinc include oysters, beef, pork, chicken, crab, lobster, yogurt, cheese, milk, flounder and sole. Zinc tends to be more readily absorbed from meat sources than from vegetable sources. Vegetarians can derive zinc from a number of sources however, including baked beans, kidney beans, peas, fortified breakfast cereals, cashews, oatmeal and almonds. Seek medical clearance before you supplement zinc in order to prevent dementia.
References
- Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry: Nutritional Approaches to Combat Oxidative Stress in Alzheimer's Disease; D. Allan Butterfield et al.; April 2002
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Dietary Intake and Cognitive Function in a Group of Elderly People; R.M. Ortega et al.; October 1997
- American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias: Subclinical Zinc Deficiency in Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease; G.J. Brewer et al.; November 2010
- Neurology: Alzheimer's Disease: Practical Strategies for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease; Stanley J. Birge, M.D.
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Zinc; June 2011
