Researchers from Indian University, in collaboration with colleagues from the USA and Uganda, conducted clinical trials that demonstrated the effectiveness of daily intake of a dietary supplement containing 20 milligrams of zinc. It was found that such intake is capable of reducing the frequency of infectious diseases in children suffering from sickle cell anemia by almost 40 percent.
One hundred Ugandan children participated in the phase 2–3 double-blind randomized controlled trials. These children were aged between one and four and a half years and weighed at least five kilograms; the average age of the participants was 36 months, and 45 percent of them were girls. All participants had a diagnosis of sickle cell anemia and did not suffer from other serious chronic illnesses.
At the initial stage of the study, 45 percent of the children received hydroxyurea treatment, but after the start of the trials, all participants began receiving this therapy. The children were divided into two groups: one half took zinc sulfate for six months, and the other half received a placebo. The results of this study were officially published in the journal JAMA.