Akhtar Saeed
Department of Food Science and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.
J Health Popul Nutr. 2013 Jun;31(2):139-49. doi: 10.3329/jhpn.v31i2.16378.
This article attempts to highlight the prevalence of zinc deficiency and its health and economic consequences in South Asian developing countries and to shed light on possible approaches to combating zinc deficiency. A computer-based search was performed on PubMed, Google, and ScienceDirect.com to retrieve relevant scientific literature published between 2000 and 2012. The search yielded 194 articles, of which 71 were culled. Studies were further screened on the basis of population groups, age and sex, pregnancy, and lactation. The most relevant articles were included in the review. Cutoffs for serum zinc concentration defined for zinc deficiency were 65 microg/dL for males and females aged < 10 years, 66 microg/dL for non-pregnant females, and 70 microg/dL for males aged > or = 10 years. Population segments from rural and urban areas of South Asian developing countries were included in the analysis. They comprised pregnant and lactating women, preschool and school children. The analysis reveals that zinc deficiency is high among children, pregnant and lactating women in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Diarrhoea has been established as a leading cause to intensify zinc deficiency in Bangladesh. Little has been done in Sri Lanka and Nepal to estimate the prevalence of zinc deficiency precisely. A substantial population segment of the South Asian developing countries is predisposed to zinc deficiency which is further provoked by increased requirements for zinc under certain physiological conditions. Supplementation, fortification, and dietary diversification are the most viable strategies to enhancing zinc status among various population groups.
本文旨在强调南亚发展中国家锌缺乏症的普遍性及其对健康和经济的影响，并阐明应对锌缺乏症的可能方法。通过在PubMed、谷歌和ScienceDirect.com上进行基于计算机的搜索，检索2000年至2012年期间发表的相关科学文献。搜索共得到194篇文章，其中71篇被筛选掉。根据人群、年龄和性别、怀孕和哺乳期对研究进行进一步筛选。最相关的文章被纳入综述。锌缺乏症定义的血清锌浓度临界值为：10岁以下男性和女性为65微克/分升，非孕妇女性为66微克/分升，10岁及以上男性为70微克/分升。分析纳入了南亚发展中国家农村和城市地区的人群。他们包括孕妇和哺乳期妇女、学龄前儿童和学龄儿童。分析表明，印度、巴基斯坦、孟加拉国、斯里兰卡和尼泊尔的儿童、孕妇和哺乳期妇女中锌缺乏症发生率很高。腹泻已被确定为孟加拉国锌缺乏症加剧的主要原因。斯里兰卡和尼泊尔在准确估计锌缺乏症患病率方面做得很少。南亚发展中国家的很大一部分人口易患锌缺乏症，在某些生理条件下对锌需求的增加会进一步加剧这种情况。补充锌、强化锌和饮食多样化是提高不同人群锌水平最可行的策略。
