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Dietary intake of zinc, magnesium, B-group vitamins, vitamin D, and vitamin C is associated with better mental health, memory function, and sleep quality in medical university students.

In a cross-sectional study of 985 medical university students, network analyses identified zinc, magnesium, B-group vitamins, vitamin D, and vitamin C as central micronutrients associated with mental health, memory function, and sleep quality. The study found high prevalence of depression (49.2%), anxiety (49.7%), stress (62.9%), and sleep disturbances (54.3%) among participants.

Last updated: Aug 26, 2026•0 RCTs•📖 Read as article →

Evidence Score

Evidence Score32/100
Human RCT☆☆☆☆☆
Meta-analysis☆☆☆☆☆
Mechanism★★★★★
Safety★★★★☆
Confidencelow

Study Evidence

Study 1. Dietary Micronutrient Intake and Its Associations with Memory Function, Mental Health, and Sleep Quality among Medical University Students: A Network Analysis.

observational

Dehesh T, Pournamdari S, Ahmad F, Dabaghzadeh F · Iranian journal of psychiatry (2026)

Participants: N/A
Duration: N/A
Intervention: Dietary micronutrient intake (assessed via Food Frequency Questionnaire)
Outcome: Memory function (Prospective & Retrospective Memory Questionnaire), mental health (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory)
Effect Size: N/A
Population: Medical university students (mean age 22.44 years, 50.76% female)

Result:

PubMed: 42605394DOI: 10.18502/ijps.v21i2.21223

Mechanism Graph

Micronutrients such as zinc, magnesium, and B vitamins are involved in neurotransmitter synthesis and regulation.
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Vitamin D and magnesium modulate neuroinflammation and stress response.
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These micronutrients influence neural pathways related to mood, memory, and sleep regulation.
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Adequate intake may improve mental health, memory, and sleep quality.

Limitations

  • ⚠Cross-sectional design cannot establish causality.
  • ⚠Dietary intake assessed via self-reported Food Frequency Questionnaire, which may be subject to recall bias.
  • ⚠Network analysis is exploratory and does not provide effect sizes or clinical thresholds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which micronutrients were most strongly associated with sleep quality in this study?▼

The study identified zinc, magnesium, B-group vitamins, vitamin D, and vitamin C as central nodes related to sleep quality, among other outcomes.

What was the prevalence of sleep disturbances among the students?▼

Approximately 54.3% of the 985 students experienced sleep disturbances based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory cut-off.

Can improving micronutrient intake improve memory and mental health?▼

This cross-sectional study suggests associations, but causality cannot be inferred. The authors propose these micronutrients as targets for future clinical studies.

What study design was used?▼

It was a cross-sectional study using network analysis (EBICglasso and Bayesian networks) to explore associations among dietary intake, memory, mental health, and sleep quality.

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References

  1. 1.Dehesh T, Pournamdari S, Ahmad F, Dabaghzadeh F. "Dietary Micronutrient Intake and Its Associations with Memory Function, Mental Health, and Sleep Quality among Medical University Students: A Network Analysis.." Iranian journal of psychiatry, 2026. PMID: 42605394 DOI: 10.18502/ijps.v21i2.21223
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Evidence scores reflect the quality and quantity of available research, not clinical recommendations. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement or intervention.