Comprehensive effects of zinc on women’s reproductive health: A systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37800/RM.1.2026.667Keywords:
Zinc, women, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), pregnancy, fertility, zinc supplementationAbstract
Relevance: Zinc is an important trace mineral that helps protect against free radicals, regulate metabolism, support the immune system, and maintain hormonal balance. All of these things are very important for women’s reproductive health. Nonetheless, research about the extent and uniformity of zinc’s effects across several reproductive stages remains inconsistent.
This systematic review aimed to assess the impact of zinc supplementation on biochemical, oxidative, metabolic, and reproductive parameters in women.
Materials and Methods: A PRISMA-compliant search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science revealed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating oral zinc monotherapy in women. Thirteen RCTs involving approximately 980 individuals were included. Using random-effects models, we computed pooled effect sizes and conducted subgroup, sensitivity, and publication bias analyses.
Results: Zinc supplementation markedly enhanced overall health status (pooled Hedges g = 0.61), with more pronounced effects noted at dosages ≤30 mg/day and periods beyond 8 weeks. The biggest changes were in antioxidant and inflammatory indicators, although there were also improvements for metabolic and psychological outcomes.
Conclusions: Zinc supplementation provides a moderate, sustained, and clinically significant benefit to women’s reproductive and metabolic health, affirming its position as a safe, evidence-based intervention throughout the female lifespan.
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