ABSTRACT
In the early 1970s our group proposed the use of pharmacological doses of zinc for its antisickling properties in sickle cell anemia. It has been shown that zinc absorption is significantly inhibited by most of the foods present in a normal meal. The pharmacological use of zinc in sickle cell anemia will be further reviewed in Sec. In 1976, Simkin showed that oral zinc therapy was of some benefit in rheumatoid arthritis. However, the extent of this effect in terms of the number of foods which inhibit zinc absorption and the extent to which this inhibition interferes with pharmacological administration of zinc have not been sufficiently appreciated. While the factors influencing zinc absorption have received some study, the exact mechanisms by which zinc absorption is limited in this manner are not understood. A more significant toxicity of zinc when given in pharmacological doses is copper deficiency.
