Dietary zinc intake in relation to migraine among adults: a cross sectional study of NHANES 1999–2004

ABSTRACT

Background

Previous studies have revealed that an antioxidant diet is a protective factor against migraine. However, the association between zinc, an important antioxidant obtained from the diet, and migraine has received little attention. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between zinc intake with migraine.

Methods

The present study used cross-sectional data from individuals who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2004. Logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline models were performed to explore the association between zinc intake and migraine.

Results

A total of 9849 adults aged 20 years or older were included in this study. Zinc intake was negatively associated with migraine. Compared to participants in the lowest group of dietary zinc intake Q1 (≤5.93 mg/day), the adjusted ORs for migraine in Q2 (5.94–8.38 mg/day), Q3 (8.39–11.26 mg/day), Q4 (11.27–15.75 mg/day), and Q5 (≥15.76 mg/day) were 0.73 (95% CI: 0.60–0.89, p = 0.004), 0.72 (95% CI: 0.55–0.95, p = 0.02), 0.76 (95% CI: 0.58–0.99, p = 0.04) and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.50–1.05, p = 0.08), respectively. Our findings also suggested an interaction between zinc intake and age (P for interaction = 0.007). Additionally, the relationship between zinc intake and migraine in adults with 20–50 years was non-linear.

Conclusions

A higher zinc intake is significantly associated with a decreased prevalence of migraine, and age can modify the association between them.

KEYWORDS:

• Dietary zinc intake
• migraine
• age
• NHANES
• cross-sectional study
• interaction effect
• restricted cubic spline
• severe headache

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the National Center for Health Statistics for providing the publicly available data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Availability of data and materials

The data used for the analysis in this study are publicly available at the NHANES website.

Ethics approval

All NHANES protocols were approved by the Research Ethics Review Committee of the National Center for Health Statistics.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant numbers: 82160227), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (Grant numbers: 20224BAB206036), and Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education Science and Technology Program Project (Grant numbers: GJJ210125).

Notes on contributors

Heqing Zheng

Heqing Zheng is a MD student at the Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University.

Sheng Tian

Sheng Tian is a MD student at the Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University.

Lanxiang Wu

Lanxiang Wu is a MD student at the Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University.

Xianhui Zhong

Xianhui Zhong is a master candidate of the Department of Neurology at Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University.

Mingxu Liu

Mingxu Liu is a master candidate of the Department of Neurology at Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University.

Xinping Yu

Xinping Yu is a master candidate of the Department of Neurology at Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University.

Yonggang Xie

Yonggang Xie is a master candidate of the Department of Neurology at Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University.

Wei Wu

Wei Wu, PhD is a professor at the Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.