Zinc in the management of Major Depressive Disorder: Evidence for supplementation and dietary strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31989/afbc.v2i6.1660Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental health disorder that affects almost 1 in 10 Americans. Characterized by lower moods, this disorder can impede a patient’s ability to complete everyday tasks like working, sleeping, and more. Antidepressants, the current standard treatment for depression, increase the levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in a patient's system. However, there are several known issues surrounding the effectiveness of antidepressants, prompting researchers to explore alternative supplementation through minerals. One such mineral, zinc, has been associated with improving depression symptoms in patients. Many studies have shown a correlation between depression symptoms in patients and low levels of zinc. Recently, more research focusing on the supplementation of zinc with antidepressants for depression patient has been conducted, where it has shown an increased efficacy in lowering depression symptoms. This review establishes zinc as a potential therapeutic supplement for patients with major depressive disorder.
Novelty: This review examines the potential for zinc as a supplement for patients with depression, an area that has received limited attention in the scientific field. By reviewing the fallbacks of antidepressants, the potential for agricultural changes to decrease zinc deficiency, and the effect of excessive zinc on human health, this review extensively addresses all aspects of zinc deficiency and its connection to depression.
Keywords: major depressive disorder (MDD), zinc, depression, NMDA, serotonin, supplementation, antioxidant, zinc deficiency, trace minerals
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 AFBC/Food Bioactive Compounds
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Any manuscripts or substantial parts of it, submitted to the journal must not be under consideration by or previously published in any other journal or citable form. Authors are required to ensure that no material submitted as part of a manuscript infringes existing copyrights or the rights of a third party. In submitting one's article in any form, the author has assigned the FFC publishing rights and has agreed to an automatic transfer of the copyright to the publisher. This is so that the FFC may create print option journals, for example, at the FFC’s discretion. If the author wishes to distribute their works by means outside of the FFC, for example within their community, they will have to place a request.
Correspondence concerning articles published in Functional Foods in Health and Disease is encouraged. While derivative works (adaptations, extensions on the current work, etc.) are allowed, distribution of the modified material is not allowed without permission from the FFC.