Low dietary intake of magnesium is associated with increased externalising behaviours in adolescents

Abstract

Objective: Adequate Zn and Mg intakes may be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder. We aimed to investigate the prospective association between dietary intakes of Zn and Mg and internalising and externalising behaviour problems in a population-based cohort of adolescents. Design: Prospective analysis (general linear mixed models) of dietary intakes of Zn and Mg assessed using a validated FFQ and mental health symptoms assessed using the Youth Self-Report (YSR), adjusting for sex, physical activity, family income, supplement status, dietary misreporting, BMI, family functioning and energy intake. Setting: Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Subjects: Adolescents (n 684) at the 14-and 17-year follow-ups. Results: Higher dietary intake of Mg (per SD increase) was significantly associated with reduced externalising behaviours (β = −1·45; 95 % CI −2·40, −0·50; P = 0·003). There was a trend towards reduced externalising behaviours with higher Zn intake (per SD increase; β = −0·73; 95 % CI −1·57, 0·10; P = 0·085). Conclusions: The study shows an association between higher dietary Mg intake and reduced externalising behaviour problems in adolescents. We observed a similar trend, although not statistically significant, for Zn intake. Randomised controlled trials are necessary to determine any benefit of micronutrient supplementation in the prevention and treatment of mental health problems in adolescents. Keywords Magnesium Dietary intake Raine Study Mental healthZn and Mg are essential minerals involved in functioning of the central nervous system. Dietary sources of Zn include red meat, poultry, legumes, nuts and seeds, certain types of seafood (e.g. oysters, crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals and dairy products. Mg is widely distributed in plant foods, particularly green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Zn is a cofactor of many enzymes that play a role in brain function (1) and is present in regions of the brain associated with the pathophysiology of mood disorders, including the amygdala, hippocampus and cerebral cortex (2) . Zn modulates neuronal excitability by inhibiting both the GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors (3) and has shown antidepressant-like activities in animal models (4)(5)(6) . Mg is another potent antagonist of the NMDA receptor complex (7) and Mg deficiency has been related to symptoms such as agitation, anxiety, irritability and hyperexcitability (8) . In rodent models, Mg depletion increases anxiety and depression-like behaviours (9,10) , and mice with low erythrocyte Mg levels have been found to exhibit more aggressive behaviour than those with high Mg levels (11) .Recently, Jacka et al. reported that dietary intakes of Zn and Mg were inversely and cross-sectionally associated with depressive and anxiety scores in a population-based sample of women (n 1046) (12) . Other studies have shown...

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Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Copper and Selenium Status in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

“…A study in Australia showed a statistically significant association between higher dietary Mg intake and reduced externalizing behavior problems in adolescents [ 49 ]. Since a lower intake of magnesium in ADHD has been reported [ 50 , 51 ] many supplementation studies have been carried out to correct the magnesium homeostasis.…”

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