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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition, Psychology and Brain Health
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1500107
This article is part of the Research Topic Nutrition and Mood Disorders View all articles

Association between Serum β-Carotene and Suicidal Ideation in Adults: A Crosssectional Study

Provisionally accepted
Jihua Lv Jihua Lv 1*Tong Xu Tong Xu 2Shuyue Lou Shuyue Lou 3Zhenxiang Zhan Zhenxiang Zhan 3Zicheng Cheng Zicheng Cheng 2Fangwang Fu Fangwang Fu 2
  • 1 The Second People’s Hospital of Yongkang, Yongkang, China
  • 2 Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
  • 3 Jinhua Central Hospital, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The aim was to ascertain whether serum carotenoid levels are linked to suicidal ideation, along with how depression influences the association.: This research was conducted using a cross-sectional design and encompassed 7335 adults from the United States. The levels of serum carotenoids, encompassing α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, and lutein/zeaxanthin, were ascertained by employing high-performance liquid chromatography. Item nine of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire was used to evaluate suicidal ideation. The study used multivariable-adjusted logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models to ascertain the link between serum carotenoid levels and suicidal ideation. Mediation and stratified analyses were used to ascertain the impact of depressed symptoms on the association between serum carotenoid levels and suicidal ideation. Results: Out of the total participants, 245 individuals (3.3%) reported having suicidal ideation. Participants who had suicidal ideation showed lower levels of serum αcarotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and lutein/zeaxanthin compared to those who did not have suicidal ideation. After controlling potential confounding factors, serum β-carotene level was still associated with risk of suicidal ideation (per 1-standard deviation (SD) increment, odds ratio [OR]: 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55-0.98). The mediation analysis revealed that 36.3% of this association was mediated by the severity of depressive symptoms. Stratified analysis manifested that the association remained in depressed people but was attenuated in people without depression. Conclusions: Increased serum β-carotene level may decrease the susceptibility to suicidal ideation, especially in depressed people. Further intervention studies are needed to validate whether β-carotene consumption contributes to preventing suicidal ideation.

    Keywords: β-Carotene, carotenoid, Depression, NHANES, Suicidal Ideation

    Received: 22 Sep 2024; Accepted: 29 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Lv, Xu, Lou, Zhan, Cheng and Fu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jihua Lv, The Second People’s Hospital of Yongkang, Yongkang, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.