Zinc May Ease Female Anger and Depression
Lee Swanson Research Update
A daily supplement of 7 mg of zinc as zinc gluconate was associated with significant decreases in measures of anger-hostility and depression-dejection, scientists from Daigaku Junior College and Seitoku University reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
On the other hand, multivitamin supplements did not affect the mood state of women who participated in the study.
"Although our findings are preliminary and should be interpreted with caution, they may prompt further investigations to evaluate the relationship between zinc nutriture and mood states in women," wrote the researchers.
Zinc deficiency affects 30% of the world’s population, and mood swings are reportedly common symptoms of mild zinc deficiency. In order to test if zinc supplements could affect mood, the Japanese researchers recruited 30 young women and randomly assigned them to receive either multivitamins, or multivitamins, plus zinc, for 10 weeks.
The multivitamins were given to all to avoid vitamin deficiencies, and the supplement provided 50% of the Japanese recommended dietary allowances of vitamins A, D, B-1, B-2, B-12, niacin and folic acid.
At the end of the study, only women who received the additional zinc supplements showed significant increases in blood levels of zinc and reductions in scores of depression and anger.
Similar studies in lab animals showed that only females experienced increases in aggression levels when zinc-deficient, and the new data appears to support this anger-reducing effect in women following zinc supplementation, said the researchers.
"Our results suggest that zinc supplementation may be effective in reducing anger and depression," they concluded.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 64(3):331-333, 2010
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April, 2010