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Health News Archive 184 - Alzheimer's Disease
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Memory and Problem Solving Enhanced with Adequate Zinc

In the study, 209 seventh graders - 111 girls and 98 boys - consumed four ounces of fruit juice containing 0, 10, or 20 mg of zinc each school day for 10-12 weeks.  Students, their parents and teachers did not know who was receiving which, if any, zinc supplementation until the study was completed.  At the beginning and the end of the study, students performed a battery of tasks designed to measure mental and motor skills, like attention, memory, problem-solving and hand-eye coordination.

Adolescents who drank orange juice packed with 20 mg of zinc performed better on memory and attention exercises compared to those whose diet was not supplemented and youngsters who received the minimum daily recommended 10 mg per day.  Researchers noted zinc deficiency is not uncommon, even in the U.S.  The risk could be particularly high in adolescents because they are undergoing rapid growth and often have poor eating habits.

How profound that the minimum daily recommended dose of 10 mg of zinc keeps an adolescent from dying or disease directly attributable to zinc deficiency.  However it is only adequate to help your children become mediocre competitors when it comes to mental performance.

Reference:

Experimental Biology Conference (FASEB), April 2005