[pronut-hiv] Zn, A cut Malaria Risk in Kids

["George Carter" <fiar@verizon.net>]

I'll bet an inexpensive multi would be even better; one designed for  
kids. Or a fortified food. Then the horrifying dangers/warning mentioned at the end can be avoided.

But then we've known that for years and nothing changes. And millions  
will suffer, starve and die of preventable and treatable diseases.

The genocide marches on so profits may be increased!
George M. Carter

**
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7231096.stm
  BBC NEWS
Supplements 'reduce malaria toll'
Cheap dietary supplements could protect young children from malaria,  
research suggests.

The study, published in Nutrition Journal, found giving children  
vitamin A and zinc cut incidence of illness by a third.

Malaria remains a major killer in many parts of the world - in sub- 
Saharan Africa it is estimated to account for a million child deaths  
a year.

Resistance to drug treatments is an increasing problem.

And efforts to kill the infected mosquitoes that spread the disease  
have been hampered by the use of ineffective insecticides.

Many people living in malaria endemic areas suffer from malnutrition  
so researchers in Burkina Faso experimented with adding vitamin A and  
zinc supplements to the diets of children aged from six months to six  
years.

Half of the children were given a placebo. After six months the  
scientists observed a 34% decrease in incidence of malaria in those  
children taking the supplements.

Among those children who did catch the illness, those taking  
supplements were more resistant to the disease and suffered fewer  
fever episodes.

The researchers, from Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé,  
believe the combined supplements boosted the children's immune  
system, making them more naturally resistant to malaria.

They believe the supplements could be an effective long term strategy  
to reduce the impact of malaria.

Caution required

Dr Ron Behrens, an expert in tropical diseases at the London School  
of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said zinc supplementation had also  
been shown to have a positive impact on respiratory disease and cholera.

However, he said use of supplements might only work in communities  
with specific nutritional deficiencies - and those deficiencies might  
only exist at certain times of year.

For instance, vitamin A deficiency was a problem in West Africa  
during the rainy season, but not when palm oil was in plentiful supply.

Dr Behrens also warned that too much zinc could have a negative  
impact on the body's ability to make use of other minerals, such as  
copper and selenium.

Vitamin A in excess had been shown to be toxic, he said, causing  
brain swelling and other complications.

"Neither of these micro-nutrients is totally safe. They should be  
used like pharmaceuticals, and not seen as cure alls," he said.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7231096.stm

Published: 2008/02/06 17:11:19 GMT

© BBC MMVIII