Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and other chronic blood conditions often cause persistent anemia, in which the body struggles to produce enough healthy red blood cells. While iron deficiency is widely recognized as the primary nutritional cause of anemia, other vitamins and minerals also help form healthy red blood cells.
A 2023 study, published in the journal Blood, looked at whether daily zinc supplementation improved hemoglobin (HGB) levels in people with chronic anemia and low zinc levels.
What is zinc?
Zinc is an essential mineral. It acts as a structural building block in many of the body's vital metabolic processes. In red blood cell production, zinc helps produce heme, the molecule that carries oxygen in blood. It is also a building block of key proteins, like GATA-1, that guide how young blood cells mature.
Zinc is found naturally in foods like shellfish, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, and whole grains. It can also be taken as an oral supplement.
Important safety note: Always talk to your healthcare team before starting any new supplement or making significant changes to your diet. High doses of mineral supplements can interfere with other medications or alter nutrient absorption in the body.
How can zinc help treat anemia?
Researchers believe zinc helps improve anemia through several biological pathways:
Boosting heme production: Zinc acts as a helper for an enzyme the body needs to make heme, a key part of healthy hemoglobin.
Zinc is part of vital proteins that help immature bone marrow cells grow into mature red blood cells.
Zinc interacts with growth hormone pathways to increase erythropoietin (EPO) production, the hormone that signals the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.
Zinc as a supplement for anemia treatment
In this retrospective study, researchers evaluated 93 adult patients with chronic anemia. For women, chronic anemia is hemoglobin under 12 g/dL for over three months. For men, anemia is under 13 g/dL. The participants also had confirmed low zinc levels. They had plasma zinc under 65 µg/dL. None of the patients had started new anemia or cancer treatments in the 3 months leading up to or during the study.
Patients were prescribed zinc sulfate by mouth every day (220 mg of zinc sulfate, which contains 50 mg of zinc). Their hemoglobin levels were tracked over a 12-month period:
Overall, 42% of patients (39 out of 93) saw their anemia completely resolve over the 12-month period.
The rise in average hemoglobin was statistically significant at every check-in, starting as early as the first month of supplementation.
The percentage of patients achieving a hemoglobin increase of at least 1.0 g/dL grew steadily over time:
Timeframe | People in the study to reach an increase of ≥1.0 g/dL | Average hemoglobin level |
1 Month | 31% | 10.46 g/dL (rose from 9.83 g/dL) |
3 Months | 36% | 10.75 g/dL |
6 Months | 58% | 11.34 g/dL |
12 Months | 68% | 11.48 g/dL |
Vitamins and supplements must be taken only under medical recommendation
This study highlights the importance of addressing nutritional deficiencies, especially when anemia is diagnosed. While standard therapies like erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) or blood transfusions remain central to managing anemia, identifying and correcting underlying micronutrient gaps, such as zinc deficiency, may offer an accessible boost to blood health.
As researchers conduct more studies on the best zinc dose, how to monitor it, and its safety, staying informed about supportive care options helps patients and families work with their care teams toward better health outcomes.
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Source: Hemoglobin Response to Zinc Supplementation in Patients with Zinc Deficiency and Chronic Anemia
