Evidence mapPaperPMID 41617950Full record

SynthesisBiological trace element research2026

Effects of Zinc Supplementation on Anthropometric Indices and Adipokines in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Mahnaz Salmani, Mehdi Karimi, Omid Asbaghi, Reza Bagheri, Mahlagha Nikbaf-Shandiz, Fatemeh Bakhtiary, Kian Goudarzi, Kimia Kazemi, Zahra Shouhani, Leila Setayesh and 2 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-AnalysisReview
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In one paragraph

Synthesis in Biological trace element research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Mahnaz SalmaniDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mehdi KarimiFaculty of Medicine, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine. karimi9010@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-4388-0214
Omid AsbaghiCancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Reza BagheriDepartment of Exercise Physiology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
Mahlagha Nikbaf-ShandizDepartment of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Fatemeh BakhtiaryDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Kian GoudarziFaculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Kimia KazemiDepartment of Food Science and Technology, Islamic Azad University - Ayatollah Amoli Branch, Amol, Iran.
Zahra ShouhaniFaculty of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.
Leila SetayeshDepartment of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
Neda HaghighatIran Laparoscopy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Damoon Ashtary-LarkyNutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. damoon_ashtary@yahoo.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7968-6110

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Previous literature has demonstrated that zinc supplementation has beneficial effects on a wide range of health conditions. Nevertheless, some research suggests that zinc supplementation may promote weight gain and alter adipokine levels, though the findings are inconclusive. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the potential effects of zinc supplementation on anthropometric indices, body composition, and adipokines. A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted from their inception to October 2025to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Relevant data were extracted from the selected studies and subsequently meta-analyzed. Pooled effect estimates were calculated using a random-effects model and expressed as weighted mean differences (WMDs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A meta-analysis of 41 RCTs (44 effect sizes) indicated that zinc supplementation had no significant overall effect on body mass index (BMI) (WMD: 0.02 kg/m²; p = 0.889), fat mass (FM) (WMD: −0.08 kg; p = 0.794), fat-free mass (FFM) (WMD: 0.41 kg; p = 0.669), adiponectin (WMD: 1.27 µg/mL; p = 0.184), or leptin (WMD: 1.82 ng/mL; p = 0.165). However, zinc supplementation was associated with a significant increase in body weight (BW) (WMD: 0.68 kg; 95% CI: 0.33 to 1.03; p < 0.001) and a reduction in waist circumference (WC) (WMD: −1.03 cm; 95% CI: −1.92 to − 0.13; p = 0.025). According to the GRADE assessment, the certainty of evidence was rated as very high for BW and WC, high for FM, moderate for FFM, and low for BMI, adiponectin, and leptin. This meta-analysis suggests that zinc supplementation has a small effect on BW and WC, but no effect on BMI, FM, FFM, or adipokine levels in the general population. It should be noted that the observed effects of zinc supplementation on body composition were small and not clinically significant. While the certainty of evidence ranged from low to very high across outcomes, the strongest evidence corresponded to minor changes, limiting the clinical relevance of the findings.

Indexed as

AdipokinesAnthropometryDietary SupplementsZincAdultBody CompositionBody Mass IndexHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAdipokinesZincAdipokines, meta-analysisBody compositionBody massSupplementationZinc

Identifiers

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.