Zinc has been found to boost the immune system and help fight off diarrhea and pneumonia, researchers tested supplements to determine their effect on children already in the hospital with severe pneumonia and they say that a simple zinc supplement can help children with severe pneumonia recover quicker .
The study involved 270 children between ages 2 months and 23 months. About half received 20 milligrams of zinc per day while the other half received a placebo supplement for comparison purposes. All the kids received standard antibiotic treatment for their pneumonia. Results showed kids on the zinc supplements recovered about a day sooner than those on the placebo and stayed in the hospital about a day less. The treatment was well tolerated.However researchers say more studies need to be done to confirm the beneficial role of zinc supplements in the treatment of pneumonia .
