Research
Hormonal
Zinc deficiency is associated with increased body fat and reduced lean mass in children, and may influence leptin secretion, though human intervention studies show mixed results.
Ensure adequate zinc intake, especially if you are a child or adolescent in a region with potential malnutrition. While zinc supports metabolic health, it is not a standalone weight loss solution.
LimitedQualifiesLOW confidence
In animal models, zinc deficiency or zinc supplementation has been associated with increased and decreased adiposity, respectively... Zinc deficiency leads to reduced serum leptin concentrations in rats and humans and reduced leptin secretion by rat adipocytes, while zinc repletion reverses this effect.
Why this rating
Strong animal data, but conflicting human observational and intervention data.
Source
Impact of micronutrient deficiencies on obesity
Olga P. García et al. · Nutrition Reviews · 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2009.00228.x
narrative_reviewCited 370×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Micronutrient deficiencies (specifically antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and Zinc) are consistently associated with increased adiposity and obesity, potentially through mechanisms involving leptin dysregulation, insulin resistance, and altered adipogenesis.Moderate
- Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in obese populations and is associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism and insulin resistance, potentially due to sequestration in adipose tissue.Moderate
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