Since this deficiency is more the rule than the exception, and
hard to measure, nutrition scientists at the Linus Pauling
Institute recommend that all older adults take zinc. A new study
has described for the first time a biological mechanism by which
zinc deficiency can develop with age, leading to: • A decline of
the immune system, • And the increased inflammation associated
with many health problems, including cancer, heart disease,
autoimmune disease and diabetes. The research - done at Oregon
State University’s Linus Pauling Institute and College of Public
Health & Human Sciences - suggests it is especially important
for older people to get adequate dietary intake of zinc, since
they may need more of this essential element as their ability to
absorb it declines. Though zinc is often underappreciated, it is
very important for health, and second only to iron in
concentration in the body. About 40% of older Americans and as
many as two billion people around the world have diets that are
deficient in this es