Dana Shamshtein¹ and Timur Liwinski² *

¹School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
²University Psychiatric Clinics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

*Corresponding Author: Timur Liwinski, University Psychiatric Clinics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

Received: May 16, 2022; Published: July 11, 2022

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a major public health concern necessitating novel strategies for prevention and treatment. Zinc is an essential trace element involved in a myriad of vital biological processes, including crucial brain processes. Zinc deficiency is a major global health concern. Cross-sectional surveys show that patients with MDD frequently suffer from insufficient zinc supply. Emerging evidence from randomized trials supports the role of zinc in treating MDD. This clinical data is supported by neurobiological evidence generated using animal models linking zinc deficiency with neuronal dysfunction and depressive-like behavior. Importantly, zinc might link inflammation with glutamatergic and serotonergic dysfunction in depression.

This brief review summarizes the most important clinical and basic science evidence for zinc’s role in depression and draws conclusions for the clinical practice.

Keywords: Zinc Deficiency; Major Depressive Disorder; Mental Health

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Citation

Citation: Dana Shamshtein and Timur Liwinski. “Zinc Deficiency in Major Depressive Disorder". Acta Scientific Nutritional Health 6.8 (2022): 47-53.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2022 Dana Shamshtein and Timur Liwinski. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.