Migraine and zinc deficiency: data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

  • Zinc is an essential trace element with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, that may be used to lower the risk of migraine.
  • In comparison to the lowest dose of zinc intake (Q1, ≤5.9 mg/day), higher dose intake (Q2 [6.0–8.4 mg/day], Q3 [8.5–11.2 mg/day], Q4 [11.3–15.7 mg/day], Q5 [≥15.8 mg/day]) had decreasing adjusted odds ratios for migraine (0.73, 0.71, 0.71, 0.70; all Ps<0.05), respectively. In contrast, compared to the lowest total zinc intake (Q1, 0.5–9.6 mg/day), zinc supplementation at Q3 (19.3–24.3 mg/day) and Q4 (24.4–32.5 mg/day) had increasing odds ratios for migraine (0.62, 0.67; both Ps<0.05), respectively.
  • According to the authors, an inverse relationship between zinc intake and migraine in an American cohort (n=11,088 total participants; 20.2% reported migraine) was established.