Zinc supplements can halt growth of cancer cells

Zinc supplements can halt growth of cancer cells

A team of researchers has recently suggested that taking zinc supplements can significantly inhibit the rapid growth of cancer cells in the human body.

The researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington in Texas found that zinc supplements can significantly inhibit the proliferation of esophageal cancer, which affects the tube running from the throat to the stomach.

They explained that zinc impedes overactive calcium signals in cancer cells, a feature absent in normal cells, and thus zinc selectively inhibits cancer cell growth.

Team lead Zui Pan stated that zinc selectively halts the growth of cancer cells but not normal esophageal epithelial cells.

Pan added that this study could provide a pathway for better esophageal cancer prevention and treatment.

Zinc deficiency has been observed in many cancer patients, and both clinical data and animal studies have shown that this mineral is essential for overall body health and cancer prevention, Pan noted.

Zinc is an important element in many proteins and enzymes, and without it, cells cannot function properly, the authors explained.

“It now appears that zinc and calcium can have a cross-talk, meaning that they can be linked.”

An insufficient amount of zinc can lead to the development of cancer and other diseases, Pan said.

“That’s why it is important to maintain a good diet,” she added.

Zinc-enriched foods include spinach, flax seeds, beef, pumpkin seeds, and seafood like shrimp and oysters.

Pan said that in the future, they will study how these two signals interact, how they impact each other, and how researchers can leverage this knowledge. Such steps could guide the development of better prevention and treatment strategies, she concluded.

The research appeared in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology journal.