Maintaining balanced intake of multiple minerals may improve symptoms of Depression
Depression is a mental health problem and dominates global disability. There is a link between diet and Depression. With an increased dietary mineral mixture, depressive symptom scores reduce, and a significant role is attributed to Selenium and potassium. Calcium and iron deficiency have an association with depressive symptoms. In the case of female patients, Copper had a more significant effect on the mood than male patients.
These dietary findings are from a recent Preventive Medicine study that emphasised the importance of consuming a balanced intake of multiple minerals to improve depressive symptoms.
Dr. Chen and colleagues researched the study "Association of dietary mineral mixture with depressive symptoms: A combination of Bayesian approaches."
According to WHO 2023, Depression significantly influences the global disease burden and dominates global disability. In 2019, 280 million individuals worldwide suffered from Depression. There needs to be more investigations on influencing factors of Depression is critical.
Diet is a crucial factor associated with mental disorders. This association was further elaborated and researched in the present study of 20,342 participants using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), general linear regression, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), and Bayesian semiparametric regression models. They calculated posterior inclusion probabilities (PIPs).
Researchers in this study determined the relationship between the mixture of nine dietary minerals. These were Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, Copper, sodium, potassium, and Selenium. Twenty-thousand-three hundred forty-two participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2018 were screened.
The key findings of the study are:
- 9.26% reportedly had depressive symptoms and were primarily female, obese, middle-aged, and lived alone.
- These had lower incomes, lower education, physically inactive, and a history of smoking and alcohol. The medical history included hypertension, diabetes, and stroke.
- There was a negative association between the dietary mineral mixture and PHQ-9 scores.
- Selenium had the largest PIP at 1.0000, followed by potassium (0.7784).
- Potential interactions existed between Ca and Fe, Se and Fe, and K and Mg.
- The interaction of Calcium and iron had the largest PIP of 0.986.
- Females had more pronounced effects than males.
- Coppers PIP (0.8376) was higher in females.
The study formed the basis for formulating nutritional intervention programs for Depression in the future.
They said, "In our study, we found that Nine dietary minerals were negatively associated with PHQ-9 scores.
Reference:
Chen, S., Liu, J., Xiao, K., Cui, K., & Zhang, D. (2023). Association of dietary mineral mixture with depressive symptoms: A combination of Bayesian approaches. Preventive Medicine, 175, 107661. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107661
