When thinking about zinc supplementation I did a little research. Afterall, since the C-o-v-i-d virus has been around, the awareness about zinc has skyrocketed. At least in the circles I run in, which made me curious, what could it do for someone with CF lungs? After all, what we do know is "Children with Cystic Fibrosis have been reported to suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. The are more prone to illnesses caused by zinc deficiencies, such as acrodermatitis, which improve with supplementation. Deficiencies of micronutrients, including zinc, is associated with an increased risk of infection."✼
Studies show an improvement in FEV1, weight for height and energy levels, as well as less infections. The question that appeared to come up in one study that failed to see a difference was how much is enough? And maybe their sample size was too small. This paper went on to cite other studies that did indeed show a positive difference with use of this supplement.
"The primary outcome variable was a reduction in the average days o f systemic antibiotics in the zinc group as compared with placebo. The secondary outcomes were an improvement in FEV1 and a difference in the rate of colonization with Pseudomonas in the zinc and placebo groups." ✼
When considering getting a zinc supplement, you might consider a liquid form as they are absorbed better than a capsule. But either way, just get it in! As far as dosage is concerned, you may want to do some research as it will be quite variable between individuals depending on how well you are absorbing vitamins in general.
The interesting thing about zinc was that there were higher levels of zinc found in CF sputum than controls. What does that tell us? It seems that there may be a transport issue of this ion in people with CF, similar to the concerns over the chloride and salt ions. Therefore, correction of the zinc ion may play a valuable role, at least that is what I gathered from the studies I read. 
You can read them too- and please, comment in the thread below the post, it would be great to hear what your thoughts are and also do you already use this supplement? If so, how much? Does your clinic test for zinc levels?
Thank you as always for reading.
Much love-
Paula
Much love-
Paula
p.s. food images in my blogs typically pertain to foods high in the supplement written about. It is highly recommended by this author to get your nutrients from food as much as possible, however food today is not what it used to be, so supplementation and even hyper-supplementation may be required.
p.p.s. scientific articles:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18446019/
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and I do not prescribe supplements, only report what I have found and at times what I have done with my son to support the body to heal itself.
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