Selenium as a Factor Moderating Depression and Obesity in Middle-Aged Women

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 15; no. 7; p. 1594
• Main Authors: Schneider-Matyka, Daria, Cybulska, Anna Maria, Szkup, Małgorzata, Pilarczyk, Bogumiła, Panczyk, Mariusz, Lubkowska, Anna, Sadowska, Nikola, Grochans, Elżbieta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.03.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Alcohol; Body fat; Body mass index; Chemical elements; Cytokines; Depression; Diet; Female; Food and nutrition; Genetic analysis; Glucose; Health aspects; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin 6; Major depressive disorder; Mental depression; Metabolic syndrome; Middle age; Middle Aged; Middle aged women; Nutritional aspects; Obesity; Overweight; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors; Polymorphism; Psychological aspects; Questionnaires; Risk factors; Selenium; Trace elements; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Womens health; Poland; cytokines; depression; selenium; middle-aged women; obesity
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu15071594

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of serum selenium on PPAR-γ and the selected proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) in relation to depressive symptoms and obesity in middle-aged women. The research procedure was as follows: a survey was performed using the authors' questionnaire and the BDI, anthropometric measurements, and the analysis of blood for the levels of selenium, cytokines, and genetic analysis of the PPAR-γ polymorphism ( = 443). It was found that the BMI increased along with the concentration of IL-6. No moderating effect of selenium was observed, although the cut-off values for " " were established for IL-β*Se ( = 0.068) and IL-6*Se ( = 0.068), so there was a potential association with these two markers. At high selenium levels, the effect of higher IL-β levels on a decrease in BMI was stronger, as was the effect of an increase in IL-6 levels on an increase in BMI. No effect of selenium on PPAR-γ was found in relation to depressive symptoms and obesity. Higher selenium levels may have a beneficial effect on BMI even at high IL-β concentrations, however, at high IL-6 concentrations, this effect was not observed. Selenium levels had no impact on depressive symptoms.