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Dietary Intake of Zinc was Inversely Associated with Depression

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Abstract

Depression is an important cause of morbidity, and World Health Organization has predicted that it will be the second leading contributor to the global burden of disease by 2020. Postgraduate students are at high risk for depression caused by the stress of examinations, the academic environment, and relationship problems with peers, lecturers, and family members. Physical inactivity, advancing age, unmarried status, and many other factors contribute to the development of depression in humans. Associations between symptoms of depression and the intake of nutrients such as magnesium have been investigated; however, the relationship between zinc intake and depression has not received as much attention. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between dietary intake of zinc and depression in postgraduate students. This study was conducted on 402 participants with a mean age of 32.54 ± 6.22 years, including 173 (43%) women and 229 (57%) men. In this study, we found an inverse relationship between dietary intake of zinc and depression. The results persisted even after we controlled for several potential confounding variables related to depression symptoms, including age, sex, years of education, smoking status (current and past), and physical activity. The results of this study show that long-term intake of zinc may modulate symptoms of depression.

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to all Iranian students in Malaysia, especially the students who participated in this study. We wish to thank Azad University and the Scientific Counselor and Director of Iranian Students Affairs in South East Asia in Malaysia, particularly Professor Azizallah Memariani, for the encouragement and support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Food Sciences and Engineering (FFSE), Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University (SRBIAU), Hesarak, Tehran, I.R.Iran

    Teymoor Yary & Sanaz Aazami

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  1. Teymoor Yary
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  2. Sanaz Aazami
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Correspondence to Teymoor Yary.

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Yary, T., Aazami, S. Dietary Intake of Zinc was Inversely Associated with Depression. Biol Trace Elem Res 145, 286–290 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9202-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9202-y

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