Effect of zinc on sugar control among diabetes

INTERVENTION: The diabetic patients will be chosen from patients attending the medical clinics of the Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya 1. Diabetes patients will be stratified by sex, age and duration of treatment and randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups 2. Group A will be supplemented with oral zinc sulfate (22mg of elemental zinc/day) and multivitamin/mineral preparation (vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, magnesium, manganese, copper and selenium) 3. Group B will be supplemented with same preparation but without zinc 4. Group C will be supplemented with placebo and designed as a control group 5.Depending upon the treatment groups, each subject will receive one tablet per day for a period of 4 months 6. A questionnaire on social demography will be administered and 24 hour dietary intake will be recorded 7. Their anthropometry and blood pressure will be recorded 8. Following investigations will be done at the study entry and at the end of the follow‐up Fasting blood sugar a.Post prandial blood sugar b.HbA1c c.Serum creatinine d.Serum zinc e.Urinary zinc f.Urinary creatinine CONDITION: Diabetes Mellitus PRIMARY OUTCOME: Improvement in glycaemic control by multi mineral/vitamin supplementation; SECONDARY OUTCOME: •Improving awareness on proper blood sugar control among diabetes patients ; •Improving awareness on general nutritional status of the diabetes patients INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. not taking vitamin and/or mineral supplements, thyroid hormones, estrogen or progesterone 2. having no history of a recent surgery or acute infection 3. women, not being pregnant or lactating