The Possible Effects of Zinc Supplementation on Postpartum Depression and Anemia

Dietary zinc supplements: beneficial health effects and application in food, medicine and animals

Zinc, a crucial trace element is vital for the growth and development of humans. It is frequently described as 'the flower of life' and 'the source of intelligence'. Zinc supplements play a pivotal role in addressing zinc deficiency by serving as a vital source of this essential micronutrients, effectively replenishing depleted zinc levels in the body. In this paper, we first described the biological behavior of zinc in the human body and briefly described the physiological phenomena associated with zinc levels. The benefits and drawbacks of various zinc supplement forms are then discussed, with emphasis on the most recent zinc supplement formulations. Finally, the application of zinc supplements in food, medicine, and animal husbandry is further summarized. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Prenatal metal exposures and childhood gut microbial signatures are associated with depression score in late childhood

BACKGROUND

Childhood depression is a major public health issue worldwide. Previous studies have linked both prenatal metal exposures and the gut microbiome to depression in children. However, few, if any, have studied their interacting effect in specific subgroups of children.

OBJECTIVES

Using an interpretable machine-learning method, this study investigates whether children with specific combinations of prenatal metals and childhood microbial signatures (cliques or groups of metals and microbes) were more likely to have higher depression scores at 9-11 years of age.

METHODS

We leveraged data from a well-characterized pediatric longitudinal birth cohort in Mexico City and its microbiome substudy (n = 112). Eleven metal exposures were measured in maternal whole blood samples in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. The gut microbial abundances were measured at 9-11-year-olds using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Child Depression Index (CDI) t-scores at 9-11 years of age. We used Microbial and Chemical Exposure Analysis (MiCxA), which combines interpretable machine-learning into a regression framework to identify and estimate joint associations of metal-microbial cliques in specific subgroups. Analyses were adjusted for relevant covariates.

RESULTS

We identified a subgroup of children (11.6 % of the sample) characterized by a four-component metal-microbial clique that had a significantly high depression score (15.4 % higher than the rest) in late childhood. This metal-microbial clique consisted of high Zinc in the second trimester, low Cobalt in the third trimester, a high abundance of Bacteroides fragilis, a high abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. All combinations of cliques (two-, three-, and four-components) were significantly associated with increased log-transformed t-scored CDI (β = 0.14, 95%CI = [0.05,0.23], P < 0.01 for the four-component clique).

SIGNIFICANCE

This study offers a new approach to chemical-microbial analysis and a novel demonstration that children with specific gut microbiome cliques and metal exposures during pregnancy may have a higher likelihood of elevated depression scores.

Mitochondrial might: powering the peripartum for risk and resilience

The peripartum period, characterized by dynamic hormonal shifts and physiological adaptations, has been recognized as a potentially vulnerable period for the development of mood disorders such as postpartum depression (PPD). Stress is a well-established risk factor for developing PPD and is known to modulate mitochondrial function. While primarily known for their role in energy production, mitochondria also influence processes such as stress regulation, steroid hormone synthesis, glucocorticoid response, GABA metabolism, and immune modulation - all of which are crucial for healthy pregnancy and relevant to PPD pathology. While mitochondrial function has been implicated in other psychiatric illnesses, its role in peripartum stress and mental health remains largely unexplored, especially in relation to the brain. In this review, we first provide an overview of mitochondrial involvement in processes implicated in peripartum mood disorders, underscoring their potential role in mediating pathology. We then discuss clinical and preclinical studies of mitochondria in the context of peripartum stress and mental health, emphasizing the need for better understanding of this relationship. Finally, we propose mitochondria as biological mediators of resilience to peripartum mood disorders.

Biomarkers of Postpartum Depression: A Narrative Review

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a disorder that impairs the formation of the relationship between mother and child, and reduces the quality of life for affected women to a functionally significant degree. Studying markers associated with PPD can help in early detection, prevention, or monitoring treatment. The purpose of this paper is to review biomarkers linked to PPD and to present selected theories on the pathogenesis of the disease based on data from biomarker studies. The complex etiology of the disorder reduces the specificity and sensitivity of markers, but they remain a valuable source of information to help clinicians. The biggest challenge of the future will be to translate high-tech methods for detecting markers associated with postpartum depression into more readily available and less costly ones. Population-based studies are needed to test the utility of potential PPD markers.

Postpartum depression: aetiology, pathogenesis and the role of nutrients and dietary supplements in prevention and management

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a challenging psychological disorder faced by 10-30% of mothers across the globe. In India, it occurs among 22% of mothers. Its aetiology and pathophysiology aren't fully understood as of today but multiple theories on the interplay of hormones, neurotransmitters, genetics, epigenetics, nutrients, socio-environmental factors, etc. exist. Nutrients are not only essential for the synthesis of neurotransmitters, but they may also indirectly influence genomic pathways that methylate DNA, and there is evidence for molecular associations between nutritional quality and psychological well-being. Increased behavioural disorders have been attributed to macro- and micronutrient deficiencies, and dietary supplementation has been effective in treating several neuropsychiatric illnesses. Nutritional deficiencies occur frequently in women, especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive literature review of evidence-based research in order to identify, gather and summarize existing knowledge on PPD's aetiology, pathophysiology, and the role of nutrients in its prevention as well as management. The possible mechanisms of action of nutrients are also presented here. Study findings show that the risk of depression increases when omega-3 fatty acid levels are low. Both fish oil and folic acid supplements have been used to effectively treat depression. Antidepressant efficacy is lowered by folate insufficiency. Folate, vitamin B12, iron, etc. deficiencies are more prevalent in depressed people than in non-depressed people. Serum cholesterol levels and plasma tryptophan levels are found to be inversely correlated with PPD. Serum vitamin D levels were associated inversely with perinatal depression. These findings highlight the importance of adequate nutrition in the antepartum period. Given that nutritional therapies can be affordable, safe, simple to use, and are typically well-accepted by patients, more focus should be placed on dietary variables in PPD.

Zinc and Central Nervous System Disorders

Zinc (Zn²⁺) is the second most abundant necessary trace element in the human body, exerting a critical role in many physiological processes such as cellular proliferation, transcription, apoptosis, growth, immunity, and wound healing. It is an essential catalyst ion for many enzymes and transcription factors. The maintenance of Zn²⁺ homeostasis is essential for the central nervous system, in which Zn²⁺ is abundantly distributed and accumulates in presynaptic vesicles. Synaptic Zn²⁺ is necessary for neural transmission, playing a pivotal role in neurogenesis, cognition, memory, and learning. Emerging data suggest that disruption of Zn²⁺ homeostasis is associated with several central nervous system disorders including Alzheimer's disease, depression, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury. Here, we reviewed the correlation between Zn²⁺ and these central nervous system disorders. The potential mechanisms were also included. We hope that this review can provide new clues for the prevention and treatment of nervous system disorders.

The relation between dietary zinc and immune status in saudi adults

Although there is an increased interest in zinc intake and its role in boosting immunity, to our knowledge, no studies have investigated the relationship between dietary zinc intake and immunity in Saudi adults. This cross-sectional study aimed to measure the extent to which the dietary zinc impacted the immune health of 252 Saudi adults aged 18 years and above. Immune health was assessed using the Immune Status Questionnaire (ISQ), and dietary zinc intake was estimated using an adapted zinc-specific version of the Saudi Food Frequency Questionnaire (SFFQ). Three scores were calculated for use in the statistical analyses (zinc intake score, immune status score, and health status score). A linear regression analysis was used to investigate the association between the dietary zinc intake and immune and health status scores. The means of dietary zinc intake, ISQ, and health status scores were 46.94, 7.10, and 7.84, respectively. We found that a high zinc intake score was directly associated with immune status score (p = 0.006) but was not associated with the health status score. The association remained significant after controlling for socio-demographic factors. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Zinc status in public health: exploring emerging research trends through bibliometric analysis of the historical context from 1978 to 2022

The current study aims to provide a roadmap for future research by analyzing the research structures and trends in scholarly publications related to the status of zinc in public health. Only journal articles published between 1978 and 2022 are included in the refined bibliographical outputs retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database. The first section announces findings based on WoS categories, such as discipline heterogeneity, times cited and publications over time, and citation reports. The second section then employs VoSViewer software for bibliometric analysis, which includes a thorough examination of co-authorship among researchers, organizations, and countries and a count of all bibliographic databases among documents. The final section discusses the research's weaknesses and strengths in zinc status, public health, and potential future directions; 7158 authors contributed to 1730 papers (including 339 with publications, more than three times). "Keen, C.L." is a researcher with the most publications and a better understanding of zinc status in public health. Meanwhile, the USA has been the epicenter of research on the status of zinc in public health due to the highest percentage of publications with the most citations and collaboration with the rest of the world, with the top institution being the University of California, Davis. Future research can be organized collaboratively based on hot topics from co-occurrence network mapping and bibliographic couplings to improve zinc status and protect public health.

Exploring the Relationship between Anemia and Postpartum Depression: Evidence from Malawi

PURPOSE

Study findings suggest association between anemia and postpartum depression, but available evidence is scant and inconsistent. We investigate whether anemia is related to postpartum depression among women who have recently given birth in Malawi, where anemia prevalence is high.

METHODS

We use cross-sectional data from 829 women who were 18-36 years old, married, lived in Lilongwe, Malawi, and gave birth between August 2017 and February 2019. The primary outcome is postpartum depression in the year after birth, defined by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Anemia status was assessed using hemoglobin levels that were measured at the time of the interview. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the relationship between postpartum depression and anemia status.

RESULTS

Our analysis sample consists of 565 women who completed the PHQ-9, tested for anemia, and had no missing values for covariates. Of these women, 37.5% had anemia (hemoglobin levels ≤ 110 g/L), and 2.7% were classified as showing symptoms of a major depressive disorder (MDD). After adjusting for potential confounders, anemia was significantly associated with increased risk of MDD (OR: 3.48, 95% CI: 1.15-10.57, p-value: 0.03). No significant associations were found between other covariates and postpartum depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest a potential association between anemia and postpartum depression among women in Malawi. Policies that aim to improve nutrition and health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women could generate a "double benefit" by both preventing anemia and reducing the risk of postpartum depression.

Associations of serum concentrations of metal nutrients with postpartum anemia among pregnant Chinese women: A large retrospective cohort study

Background and Aims

The association between serum concentrations of metal nutrients in pregnancy and postpartum anemia has not been widely studied. This study aimed to determine this association in a large retrospective cohort study.

Methods

We included 14,829 Chinese women with singleton pregnancies. Serum concentrations of metals before 28 weeks of gestation, the occurrence of postpartum anemia and other potential covariates were obtained from their laboratory or medical records. Cox regression and restricted cubic spline regression models were used to explore the relationship between serum concentrations of metal nutrients in pregnancy and postpartum anemia.

Results

After adjustment for covariates, higher concentrations of iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) and lower concentrations of copper (Cu) were associated with a lower risk of postpartum anemia. Compared with those whose serum concentrations of metal nutrients were in the bottom quintile (Q1), the hazard ratios (HRs) of those whose serum concentrations of metal nutrients were in the top quintile (Q5) were 0.57 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.50, 0.64) for Fe, 0.67 (95% CI: 0.60, 0.76) for Mg, 0.82 (95% CI: 0.73, 0.93) for Zn, and 1.44 (95% CI: 1.28, 1.63) for Cu. L-shaped curve relationships were found between increasing concentrations of Fe, Mg, and Zn and incidence of postpartum anemia. Higher serum concentrations of Cu were associated with an increased risk of postpartum anemia. Serum concentrations of Fe in Q5 were associated with a lower risk of postpartum anemia when they coincided with serum concentrations of Mg in Q5, Zn in Q5, or Cu in Q1.

Conclusion

Higher serum concentrations of Fe, Mg, and Zn, and lower serum concentrations of Cu were associated with a lower risk of postpartum anemia among pregnant women.