Impact of dietary magnesium intake on depression risk in American adults: a cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2020

IntroductionDepression is a major global mental health challenge. Previous research suggests a link between magnesium consumption and depression, but the dose–response relationship remains unclear. This study investigates the relationship between dietary magnesium intake and depression risk among Am...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yanping Huang, Su Ruan, Yang Yang, Hui Liang, Su Chen, Qing Chang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Nutrition
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1484344/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832087446387425280
author Yanping Huang
Su Ruan
Yang Yang
Hui Liang
Su Chen
Qing Chang
author_facet Yanping Huang
Su Ruan
Yang Yang
Hui Liang
Su Chen
Qing Chang
author_sort Yanping Huang
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionDepression is a major global mental health challenge. Previous research suggests a link between magnesium consumption and depression, but the dose–response relationship remains unclear. This study investigates the relationship between dietary magnesium intake and depression risk among American adults.MethodsData from the 2005–2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were examined. Depression was measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and dietary magnesium consumption was calculated from two 24-h meal recalls. We used restricted cubic spline models, logistic regression, and sensitivity analyses to assess the connection.ResultsAmong 35,252 participants (mean age: 49.5 ± 17.6 years; 49.9% women), we observed a nonlinearity in the relationship between dietary magnesium intake and depression. Below the inflection point (366.7 mg/day), the odds ratio (OR) was 0.998 (95% CI: 0.997–0.999, p < 0.001). Above this point, the OR was 1.001 (95% CI: 1.000–1.002, p = 0.007). In participants aged ≥60 years, the association was inverse L-shaped, with magnesium intake ≥270.7 mg/day increasing depression incidence by 0.1% per 1 mg/d increase.ConclusionA nonlinear dose–response relationship exists between dietary magnesium intake and depression risk among US adults. Age significantly moderates this association, suggesting dietary recommendations should be tailored to different age groups.
format Article
id doaj-art-fa4c96f1f8f34f68a4c499343d2293d9
institution Kabale University
issn 2296-861X
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Nutrition
spelling doaj-art-fa4c96f1f8f34f68a4c499343d2293d92025-02-06T05:21:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2025-02-011210.3389/fnut.2025.14843441484344Impact of dietary magnesium intake on depression risk in American adults: a cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2020Yanping HuangSu RuanYang YangHui LiangSu ChenQing ChangIntroductionDepression is a major global mental health challenge. Previous research suggests a link between magnesium consumption and depression, but the dose–response relationship remains unclear. This study investigates the relationship between dietary magnesium intake and depression risk among American adults.MethodsData from the 2005–2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were examined. Depression was measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and dietary magnesium consumption was calculated from two 24-h meal recalls. We used restricted cubic spline models, logistic regression, and sensitivity analyses to assess the connection.ResultsAmong 35,252 participants (mean age: 49.5 ± 17.6 years; 49.9% women), we observed a nonlinearity in the relationship between dietary magnesium intake and depression. Below the inflection point (366.7 mg/day), the odds ratio (OR) was 0.998 (95% CI: 0.997–0.999, p < 0.001). Above this point, the OR was 1.001 (95% CI: 1.000–1.002, p = 0.007). In participants aged ≥60 years, the association was inverse L-shaped, with magnesium intake ≥270.7 mg/day increasing depression incidence by 0.1% per 1 mg/d increase.ConclusionA nonlinear dose–response relationship exists between dietary magnesium intake and depression risk among US adults. Age significantly moderates this association, suggesting dietary recommendations should be tailored to different age groups.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1484344/fulldepressionmagnesiummental healthcross-sectional studynonlinear
spellingShingle Yanping Huang
Su Ruan
Yang Yang
Hui Liang
Su Chen
Qing Chang
Impact of dietary magnesium intake on depression risk in American adults: a cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2020
Frontiers in Nutrition
depression
magnesium
mental health
cross-sectional study
nonlinear
title Impact of dietary magnesium intake on depression risk in American adults: a cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2020
title_full Impact of dietary magnesium intake on depression risk in American adults: a cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2020
title_fullStr Impact of dietary magnesium intake on depression risk in American adults: a cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2020
title_full_unstemmed Impact of dietary magnesium intake on depression risk in American adults: a cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2020
title_short Impact of dietary magnesium intake on depression risk in American adults: a cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2020
title_sort impact of dietary magnesium intake on depression risk in american adults a cross sectional study of the national health and nutrition examination survey 2005 2020
topic depression
magnesium
mental health
cross-sectional study
nonlinear
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1484344/full
work_keys_str_mv AT yanpinghuang impactofdietarymagnesiumintakeondepressionriskinamericanadultsacrosssectionalstudyofthenationalhealthandnutritionexaminationsurvey20052020
AT suruan impactofdietarymagnesiumintakeondepressionriskinamericanadultsacrosssectionalstudyofthenationalhealthandnutritionexaminationsurvey20052020
AT yangyang impactofdietarymagnesiumintakeondepressionriskinamericanadultsacrosssectionalstudyofthenationalhealthandnutritionexaminationsurvey20052020
AT huiliang impactofdietarymagnesiumintakeondepressionriskinamericanadultsacrosssectionalstudyofthenationalhealthandnutritionexaminationsurvey20052020
AT suchen impactofdietarymagnesiumintakeondepressionriskinamericanadultsacrosssectionalstudyofthenationalhealthandnutritionexaminationsurvey20052020
AT qingchang impactofdietarymagnesiumintakeondepressionriskinamericanadultsacrosssectionalstudyofthenationalhealthandnutritionexaminationsurvey20052020