Increasing Potassium Intake Up to 2300mg is Associated with Decreased Depressive Symptoms in United States Adults: Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2020

Abstract Depression affects over 4% of the global population and new nutritional recommendations are needed to combat this increasing public health concern. The objective of this study was to examine the association between diet and depressive symptoms. We used data from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES 2017-2020). A total of 8,091 adults (≥18 years old) who answered the PHQ-9 and daily nutritional values questionnaires were selected for this study. Depressive symptoms were assessed through the validated 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Per literature, patients with PHQ-9 scores ≥10 were considered as having clinically relevant depression. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the effect of Potassium on clinical depression as ascertained by PHQ-9. After controlling for potential confounders (age, race, education, sex, and income), we observed that increased potassium (up until 2,300 mg per day) was associated with decreased rates of depression (with each extra gram of potassium associated with 3% decreased odds of depression (OR: 0.97, CI: 0.96-0.98, p<0.01). Additional intake above 2,300 mg per day did not change the odds of depression (OR:1.01, CI: 0.999-1.012, p=0.06) To conclude, increased potassium intake (up to 2,300 mg per day) is associated with decreased depressive symptoms. Further prospective studies are required to ascertain whether increased potassium can protect against depressive symptoms.