With depression becoming one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S., it is no surprise researchers have been trying to find new ways to treat the symptoms. This research ranges from developing therapies and studying new prescription medications to psychedelic use, and even nutritional supplementation. Over the years, there have been many causes attributed to developing depression such as genetics, hormone imbalances, traumatic experiences, unhealthy belief systems, neurotransmitter irregularities, and nutritional deficiencies. Nutritional supplementation is one area that has been gaining a lot of attention.
If you read my post from last week titled
Your Mood, The Second Brain, and Serotonin, you would have learned how serotonin is largely produced in the gut and helps communicate with the brain via the vagus nerve. Today, I am exploring how certain nutrients and deficiencies can exacerbate or even cause mental health symptoms. I will be looking at 3 heavily studied nutrients in detail.
1) Magnesium
One of the nutrients that has gained popularity in research on depression treatment lately is magnesium. It can be found in a variety of green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Even though it is prevalent in many foods, a 2005 study found that 68% of Americans consume less than the daily recommendation (1). The current recommended intake of magnesium is between 310-420mg a day for adults.
Some examples of recent research on magnesium. A 2016 study on magnesium supplementation for depression in those with a magnesium deficiency found that 500mg of magnesium oxide for 8 weeks did in fact reduce the symptoms of depression (2). A 2013 study even found that magnesium intake decreased the risk of developing depressive symptoms in those without depression. (3) Another study conducted in 2015 measured the impact of a magnesium deficit diet on microbial composition in the gut and subsequent depressive-like behaviors in mice. They found the mice exposed to the magnesium deficient diet had more imbalances in their microbiota as well as depressive-like behaviors than mice not fed a magnesium deficient diet. (4)
Magnesium is a mineral that we need in our daily lives as it is involved in over 300 metabolic reactions that are essential for normal functioning. Some of these reactions influence our energy (ATP) production and others further influence the expression of our DNA. Magnesium has also been found to play a role in other diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, cardiac arrythmia, asthma, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, migraines, and attention deficit disorder (ADD).
Recent research has hypothesized that magnesium works on depression through its impact on three systems in our body.
- The first system it is thought to impact is the central nervous system (CNS) – this system involves our brain and spinal cord. Within the brain exists the brain limbic system which is known to play a large role in depression as it controls emotions and behaviors.
- The second system is the stress axis or HPA axis – the system that intertwines our CNS with our endocrine response system and manages our stress response (i.e. sweating, anxiety, fight/flight, etc.). Magnesium is thought to reduce the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone which is used to elevate our cortisol and stress responses.
- The third system impacted is our oxidative pathways – the pathways our cells use to break nutrients down into energy. Oxidative pathways can create extra stress in the body if not balanced out properly with antioxidants. Magnesium is thought to impact this pathway through its alteration of our gut microbiota where it helps lower inflammatory responses and stress from oxidation.
2) Zinc
Another essential nutrient responsible for a large range of biological and physiological functions is zinc. Zinc serves a catalytic role for enzymes in addition to regulating gene expression. Through these processes, zinc has a large influence on brain growth and function. The food sources highest in zinc include red meats, poultry, fish, and crustaceans. Deficiencies in zinc come in the forms of slow wound healing, impaired taste, alopecia, diarrhea and intestinal inflammation, and slow growth in children. The current recommended intake of zinc is 8-11mg/day for adults.
Some examples of recent research on zinc. A 2018 study examined zinc intake in relationship to depression scores on a depression inventory (the BDI) among adolescent girls. It found that dietary intake of zinc was correlated with lower levels of depression symptoms. (5) A 2014 study found that zinc supplementation in combination with antidepressant drugs reduced depression symptoms more than just antidepressant use alone. (6)
Researchers are still unsure about the relationship between zinc and the pathways involved in depression. It is hypothesized that zinc is related to the regulation of neurotransmitters. This is because when zinc homeostasis is disrupted in areas of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, emotional disturbances like depression can occur (7). It is also thought that zinc helps regulate cortisol and therefore our stress axis/HPA axis similar to magnesium. Another hypothesis is that since zinc helps with inflammation, any inflammation related to depression may be decreased with zinc intake.
3) Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be found in animal liver, fatty fish, egg yolks, and fish oils. It can also be produced on our skin in response to UVB light from the sun. Vitamin D deficiency is very common especially among those who live in northern climates where sun light exposure differs year-round. One main function of vitamin D is to aid the body in absorbing calcium in addition to promoting bone growth. Vitamin D is also used in the immune system to regulate inflammation and aids in nerve messaging throughout the body.
Vitamin D receptors can be found all over the body and in various parts of the brain limbic system. This is one of the reasons vitamin D has been shown to play a part in regulating depressive symptoms. Another reason vitamin D has been linked with depressive symptoms is its role in regulating immunoinflammatory pathways relevant to depression.
A 2018 study measured the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and development of clinical depression which found a strong correlation between the two. (8) Another 2018 study found a high dose of vitamin D supplementation (50,000IU a week for 9 weeks) reduced depression symptoms (9).
Overall, vitamin D is essential in the body and needed to regulate bone health and mood. The current recommended intake for vitamin D is 600IU a day for adults but more may be needed if one lives in a northern climate or is already deficient.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I do not give recommendations about any individual’s health needs. If you suspect you may have a deficiency or would like to start taking supplements, I recommend you talk with your health practitioner, dietitian, holistic doctor, or other health professional about your specific symptoms and treatment needs.
(1) King, D.E.; Mainous, A.G., III; Geesey, M.E.; Woolson, R.F. Dietary magnesium and C-reactive protein levels. J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 2005, 24, 166–171.
(2) Rajizadeh, A., Mozaffari-Khosravi, H., Yassini-Ardakani, M. & Dehghani, A. (2016). Effect of magnesium supplementation on depression status in depressed patients with magnesium deficiency: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Nutrition, 35: 56-60. Doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2016.10.014
(3) Yary, T., Aazami, S., & Soleimannejad, K. (2013). Dietary Intake of Magnesium May Modulate Depression.
Biological Trace Element Research,
151(3), 324–329. Doi: 10.1007/s12011-012-9568-5
(4) Winther, G., Pyndt Jørgensen, B. M., Elfving, B., Nielsen, D. S., Kihl, P., Lund, S., … Wegener, G. (2015). Dietary magnesium deficiency alters gut microbiota and leads to depressive-like behaviour.
Acta Neuropsychiatrica,
27(3), 168–176. Doi: 10.1017/neu.2015.7
(5) Gonoodi, K., Moslem, A., Ahmadnezhad, M., Darroudi, S. et al. (2018). Relationship of dietary and serum zinc with depression score in Iranian adolescent girls. Biological Trace Element Research, 186(1): 91-97. Doi: 10.1007/s12011-018-1301-6
(6) Ranjbar, E., Shams, J., Sabetkasaei, M., et al. (2014) Effects of zinc supplementation on efficacy of antidepressant therapy, inflammatory cytokines, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in patients with major depression. Nutritional Neuroscience, 17(2), 65-71. Doi: 10.1179/1476830513Y.0000000066.
(7) Pfaender, S.; Föhr, K.; Lutz, A.-K.; Putz, S.; Achberger, K.; Linta, L.; Liebau, S.; Boeckers, T.M.; Grabrucker, A.M. Cellular zinc homeostasis contributes to neuronal differentiation in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Neural Plast. 2016, 2016.
(8) Sherchand, O., Sapkota, N., Chaudhari, R. K., Khan, S. A., Baranwal, J. K., Pokhrel, T., … Lamsal, M. (2018). Association between vitamin D deficiency and depression in Nepalese population.
Psychiatry Research,
267. Doi: 266–271. 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.06.018
(9) Bahrami, A., Mazloum, S. R., Maghsoudi, S., Soleimani, D., Khayyatzadeh, S. S., Arekhi, S., … Ghayour-Mobarhan, M. (2018). High Dose Vitamin D Supplementation Is Associated With a Reduction in Depression Score Among Adolescent Girls: A Nine-Week Follow-Up Study.
Journal of Dietary Supplements,
15(2), 173–182. doi: 10.1080/19390211.2017.1334736
(10) Wang, J., Um, P., Dickerman, B., and Liu, J. (2018). Zinc, magnesium, selenium and depression: A review of the evidence, potential mechanisms and implications. Nutrients, 10(584): 1-19. Doi: 10.3390/nu10050584
