The role of zinc in the synthesis and metabolism of thyroid hormones

Abstract

About one third of the world’s population is deficient in one or more micronutrients, with the most common deficiencies in iodine, iron, zinc, vitamin A and folate. Deficiency of one or more essential vitamins and minerals is usually the result of poor nutrition and / or insufficient absorption of micronutrients as a result of infectious and inflammatory diseases. It is possible that the deficiency of certain trace elements, in turn, can aggravate iodine deficiency and contribute to dysfunction of the thyroid gland. There are assumptions about the relationship between the content of iodine, selenium, iron, zinc in the human body and the level of thyroid hormones. Zinc is a vital trace element for all living organisms, participating in many biochemical processes in cells, including cell differentiation and division, its growth, cell transport, transcription, protein synthesis, RNA and DNA synthesis, and DNA replication. Its role as an antioxidant and participation in the functioning of both innate (T, NK and NKT cells) and adaptive immunity (anti-inflammatory cytokines) are very important. This review will consider the role of zinc in the synthesis and metabolism of thyroid hormones.