Study links increased dietary zinc intake to reduced risk of Crohn’s

WASHINGTON — Though zinc intake did not affect risk of ulcerative colitis, dietary intake of zinc was linked to reduced risk of Crohn’s disease, according to data presented at Digestive Disease Week 2015. “Higher intake of dietary zinc was associated with reduced risk of Crohn’s disease,” Ashwin N. Ananthakrishnan, MBBS, MPH, from Massachusetts General Hospital, said during his presentation. “Considerable mechanistic plausibility supports this association, including the effect of zinc on autophagy and microbial clearance, innate immune response and maintenance of the epithelial barrier integrity.”