Oral Zinc Supplementation: Dosage Effects

Stratification of the sample according to the oral zinc supplementation resulted in the formation of three groups: the control group (CG) received a placebo (10% sorbitol, the same vehicle used in the zinc solution); Group 1 (G1) received 5 mg-Zn/day; and Group 2 (G2) received 10 mg-Zn/day. The supplementation period was three months. Zinc was supplied in the form of zinc sulfate heptahydrate (ZnSO₄·7H₂O; Merck, Darmstadt, Germany). Each drop of the supplement contained 1 mg of the zinc element. zinc sulfate heptahydrate acquisition and the oral zinc solution preparation were performed as described by Brito et al. [19 (link)]. Those responsible for the children were instructed to add the supplement to water, milk or juice at breakfast.