Zinc is an essential trace mineral that is required for a number of functions in humans and animals. Evidence suggests that zinc has a significant effect in the brain and may be required for normal mental function. Researchers have assessed the role of zinc deficient states on mental health using animal models. In one such study, rats were fed a zinc deficient diet for 2 weeks and this caused serum zinc concentrations to fall to levels half of control rats fed a normal diet. At the same time the zinc deficient rats had significant elevations in corticosterone levels. When the rats were exposed to experimental stress, the zinc deficient rats showed significantly higher levels of anxious behaviour. Therefore a zinc deficient state may cause an increase in anxiety due to increases in levels of stress hormones. The authors also noted that levels of intracellular calcium in the hippocampus increased in the zinc deficient rats suggesting that intracellular signalling may have been altered in the neurones in the brain as a result of the zinc deficiency.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
RdB
