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Controlled trial of zinc supplementation in anorexia nervosa
C L Birmingham1, E M Goldner, R Bakan
1Eating Disorders Clinic, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The International Journal of Eating Disorders
|April 1, 1994
Abstract:
Zinc supplementation of anorexia nervosa (AN) patients has been reported to increase the weight gain of AN patients in open trials. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial 100 mg of zinc gluconate, or placebo, was given daily to 35 female AN inpatients until they achieved a 10% increase in body mass index (BMI). The rate of increase in BMI of the zinc supplemented group (n = 16) was twice that of the placebo group (n = 19), and this difference was statistically significant (p = .03). The use of zinc supplementation should be considered in the treatment of AN patients.