Obesity, Zinc supplement and cognitive function

In a recent study, researchers were concerned about the impact of obesity on cognitive health, Even knowing that obesity is linked to cognitive decline and problems with the brain, they investigated if giving overweight or obese women a zinc supplement could help.

In the study participated 42 women aged 40 to 60 and were splitted into two groups. One group received a zinc supplement (30 mg per day), while the other received placebo, for 12 weeks. Information about these women, like age, weight, diet, and physical activity was collected.

To measure cognitive function and mood, various tests and questionnaires were used. They also checked certain substances in women's saliva to understand what was happening in their bodies.

The results showed that the women who took the zinc supplement had better scores in cognitive tests, even though they didn't lose weight.

This suggests that taking zinc might help overweight or obese women maintain better cognitive function, regardless of weight loss. However, it's important to mention that the study had a relatively small number of participants, so we need more research with more people to be more confident in these results.

In summary, obesity can harm your brain, but this study hints that zinc supplements might protect cognitive health in overweight women, even without weight loss. Further research is needed, but these findings are promising.

Source: de Vargas LDS, Jantsch J, Fontoura JR, Dorneles GP, Peres A, Guedes RP. Effects of Zinc Supplementation on Inflammatory and Cognitive Parameters in Middle-Aged Women with Overweight or Obesity. Nutrients. 2023 Oct 17;15(20):4396.

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/20/4396

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