View article

Objective: This trial aimed to evaluate the effects of zinc sulfate in comparison with placebo on markers of insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammation in a sample of obese prepubescent children.

Methods: This triple-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was conducted among 60 obese Iranian children in 2008. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups of equal number; one group received 20 mg of elemental zinc and the other group received placebo on a regular daily basis for 8 weeks. After a 4-week washout period, the groups were crossed over. In addition to anthropometric measures and blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, lipid profile, insulin, apolipoproteins A-1 (ApoA-I) and B, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), leptin, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), and malondialdehyde were determined at all four stages of the study.

Results: Irrespective of …