Peer-reviewed article
THE HIDDEN LINK: HOW VITAMIN D AND ZINC INFLUENCE GROWTH AND MENTAL HEALTH IN CHILDREN.
A Kokhreidze, L Saginadze, R Kvanchaxadze, M Gordeladze, Sh Janjgava et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how vitamin D and zinc levels affect growth and mental health in 226 Georgian children aged 3-10 years. Children with deficiencies in both nutrients showed significantly lower height, higher BMI, and lower IQ scores compared to those with normal levels. Strong correlations were found between these micronutrients and physical development, with zinc particularly linked to emotional wellbeing and immune function. The findings suggest that adequate nutrition with sufficient vitamin D and zinc is important for children's physical and mental development.
Key points
- 44.7% of children had both vitamin D and zinc deficiencies, while only 30.5% had normal levels of both
- Children with both deficiencies showed significantly lower height, increased BMI, and lower IQ
- Vitamin D had positive correlation with height (r = 0.148, p < .05) and strong correlation with zinc (r = 0.696, p < 0.001)
- Zinc deficiency was associated with emotional problems, skin issues, and immune problems
- The study is one of the first to examine the combined effect of both deficiencies on child growth and mental development
Limitations
The study is single-center and conducted only in Georgia, limiting generalisability to other populations. The cross-sectional case-controlled design cannot establish causation, only correlations, and seasonality was not considered despite vitamin D varying seasonally.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Vitamin D and zinc are critical micronutrients for growth and neurocognitive development. This Case-controlled, single-center, clinical study evaluates their associations with anthropometric and mental health parameters in Georgian children. The aim of the study was to assess the correlation between vitamin D and zinc levels and children's growth and mental health indicators. METHODS: The study focused on children's growth and mental health. Anthropometric and biochemical data were collected, and growth rates as well as mental/emotional indicators were assessed. Statistical analysis included group comparisons and Pearson correlation. A total of 226 healthy children aged 3 to 10 years (mean age: 7.4 ± 2.2 years) participated in the study, of whom 117 (51.8%) were girls. The participants were randomly selected and divided into four groups: Group I - children with both vitamin D and zinc deficiency, Group II - children with vitamin D deficiency and normal zinc levels, Group III - children with normal vitamin D levels and zinc deficiency, Group IV - children with both vitamin D and zinc levels within the normal range. Among the participants, 82.7% had a socially satisfactory status. The study was conducted over an extended period without considering seasonality, as vitamin D deficiency is common in our population, especially among children. Children with chronic illnesses, a history of premature birth, or nutritional disorders were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Children with vitamin D and zinc deficiency exhibited significantly lower height, increased BMI, and lower IQ. Strong correlations were observed between vitamin D levels and growth (height, BMI), vitamin D had positive correlation with height (r = 0.148, p < .05), positive correlation with Zinc (r = 0.696, p < 0.001) and zinc levels were significantly associated with IQ, mood, physical indicators, and metabolic markers. Children with zinc deficiency were more likely to show emotional, skin, and immune issues. A total of the 226 patients only 30.5%, had normal vitamin D and zinc levels, only 23.5% had only vitamin D deficiency, 1.3% had only zinc deficiency, 44.7% had both deficiencies. CONCLUSION: Although there are studies on the relationship between zinc deficiency growth and mental health, as well as between vitamin D growth and mental health, there is no information on the connection between vitamin D and zinc deficiency and their combined effect on child growth and mental development. The analysis of our conducted study clearly demonstrated that there is a correlational relationship between zinc deficiency, vitamin D deficiency, and child growth and development. The findings highlight the importance of maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D and zinc for optimal physical and mental development in children. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to a child's healthy nutrition and a balanced daily diet in order to provide them with the necessary micro- and macroelements for proper development.