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Association between depressive symptoms and multiple nutrient intakes in US adults: a cross-sectional study using NHANES 2017-2018
The relationship between nutrition and mental health is gaining attention in the field of nutritional psychiatry. This study specifically aimed to explore how various nutrient intakes correlate with depressive symptoms in a robust cohort of U.S. adults.
Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 2017-2018, this cross-sectional study included 5,068 participants aged 18 years and older, all of whom had complete Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) data. Nutrient intake was evaluated using two-day-averaged 24-hour dietary recalls, employing the Automated Multiple-Pass Method to ensure accuracy. To ensure the reliability of results, multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted, adjusting for key variables such as age, sex, body mass index, smoking habits, and overall energy consumption. A Bonferroni correction was applied (α = 0.00625) for handling multiple comparisons.
The findings indicated that 9.1% of participants exhibited depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥ 10, n = 459). In fully adjusted models, significant inverse associations were observed between depressive symptoms and dietary fiber (β = −0.042), folate (β = −0.0018), magnesium (β = −0.0027), and selenium (β = −0.0054), with all p-values < 0.001. Specifically, for each standard deviation increase in nutrient intake, the odds ratios for lower depression were calculated as follows: folate (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.61-0.85), dietary fiber (OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.66-0.89), magnesium (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.68-0.94), and selenium (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.69-0.96).
In conclusion, the study found that increased consumption of dietary fiber, folate, magnesium, and selenium correlates with lower depressive symptoms among adults in the U.S. Notably, sensitivity analyses that accounted for survey weights reaffirmed the stability of the associations observed for dietary fiber, folate, and magnesium. It is important to note that the primary analytic approach was unweighted, thus the results should be regarded as internal associations within the sample analyzed. These cross-sectional findings contribute significant population-based insights, suggesting the potential influence of specific nutrients on mental health, and underscore the necessity for future longitudinal and interventional research to validate these associations. [NPID: Fiber, magnesium, selenium, folate, depressive symptoms, micronutrients]
Year: 2026
