ReviewNutrients2018
Zinc, Magnesium, Selenium and Depression: A Review of the Evidence, Potential Mechanisms and Implications.
Review in Nutrients, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 150 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
150 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 321 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adherence to the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet and depression, stress, and anxiety: a systematic review.BMC nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Understanding the research landscape of over-the-counter herbal products, dietary supplements, and medications evaluated for depressive symptoms in adults: a scoping review.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The role of selenium in depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of human observational and interventional studies.Scientific reports · 2022Pooled it
- Associations between dietary intake, diet quality and depressive symptoms in youth: A systematic review of observational studies.Health promotion perspectives · 2022Pooled it
- Augmenting Clinical Interventions in Psychiatric Disorders: Systematic Review and Update on Nutrition.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2021Pooled it
- Beyond the Mind-Serum Trace Element Levels in Schizophrenic Patients: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2020Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Trial
- Investigating the effect of zinc supplementation on probability of relapse and mental health in patients with opioid use disorder undergoing methadone maintenance treatment.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2023Trial
- The role of zinc homeostasis in major depressive disorder: heterogeneous pathological mechanisms and therapeutic implications.Annals of medicine · 2026Review
- Yeast β-glucan selenium nanoparticles enhance meat quality in heat-stressed broilers via SelO-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative myofiber remodeling.Journal of animal science and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Peripartum Magnesium Sulfate and Post-Delivery Depression: A Nationwide Cohort Study With 13-Year Follow-Up.Psychiatry investigation · 2026Article
- The Relationship Between Trace Elements and Depression.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Influence of Magnesium Status on the Association of Tobacco Exposure With Depression in Old Patients With Heart Failure: A Cross-Sectional Study of the NHANES Database.Cardiovascular therapeutics · 2026Article
- Association between diet intake and trace elements concentrations in couples undergoingFrontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Urinary Tryptophan Metabolites, Trace Element Status, and Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Integrated Metabolomics-Elementomics Study in Children.International journal of tryptophan research : IJTR · 2026Article
- Neuroprotective potential of selenium nanoparticles and/or physical and mental activities against social isolation-induced depression in a rat model: inflammatory, oxidative stress, apoptotic, and neurotransmission modulatory pathways.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- Associations of cerebrospinal fluid metal ion profiles with depressive symptoms in active smokers: a cross-sectional network analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
90 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Micronutrient deficiency and depression are major global health problems. Here, we first review recent empirical evidence of the association between several micronutrients—zinc, magnesium, selenium—and depression. We then present potential mechanisms of action and discuss the clinical implications for each micronutrient. Collectively, empirical evidence most strongly supports a positive association between zinc deficiency and the risk of depression and an inverse association between zinc supplementation and depressive symptoms. Less evidence is available regarding the relationship between magnesium and selenium deficiency and depression, and studies have been inconclusive. Potential mechanisms of action involve the HPA axis, glutamate homeostasis and inflammatory pathways. Findings support the importance of adequate consumption of micronutrients in the promotion of mental health, and the most common dietary sources for zinc and other micronutrients are provided. Future research is needed to prospectively investigate the association between micronutrient levels and depression as well as the safety and efficacy of micronutrient supplementation as an adjunct treatment for depression.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.