<p> The importance of investigating relationships between depression and mineral intake is necessary due to concerns over the mental health and nutrition status of the growing older adult population in America. Due to lack of research in this area, the development of nutrition therapies for depressed older adults with special consideration for minerals is hindered. This study explored whether mean depression scores significantly differed between quartile intake groups of selenium, magnesium, zinc, and copper in a nationally representative sample of older adults (<i>n</i> = 901) from the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). For all four minerals, those within the highest quartile of intake had significantly lower depression scores than those within the lowest quartile. Nutrition and mental health care professionals should be aware of a possible association between mineral intake and depression and emphasize healthy eating patterns and nutrient-dense diets to maintain optimal mental and physical functioning.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10105270 |
| Date | 25 May 2016 |
| Creators | Mei, Jenny J. |
| Publisher | California State University, Long Beach |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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