Zinc and Suicide: The Overlooked Link in Depression Treatment

What comes to mind when you think of ‘zinc’?

Materials engineering? Sunscreen? Immune-health-boosting?

All of these are good answers!

Zinc is a linchpin of industrial engineering, being crucial to iron and steel galvanization, the production of brass, rubber manufacturing, battery manufacturing, and more (USGS.gov, 2025).  Zinc IS also a key ingredient in many sunscreens, prized for its ability to block solar radiation (US FDA, 2018). And zinc IS an essential nutrient, famous for its ability to fight infections and strengthen immunity (Wessels, 2017).

Yet zinc’s familiar uses fall short, in terms of importance, when compared to zinc’s least well-known use, which is that of a potentially powerful tool in the therapeutic toolkit for suicide prevention.

The Status Quo of Suicide

It’s difficult to be objective about current trends in suicide, in light of the trends themselves. There’s just no way around it: the current status quo is grim.

Suicide rates in the U.S. have jumped nearly 36% in the last two decades, with rates among American men and pre-teens (of any gender) displaying especially sharp increases in recent years (National Vital Statistics System; CDC suicide; CDC WONDER; Ruch, 2024). Suicide is now the 2nd leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 25-34, and in 2023 was responsible for more fatalities than car accidents (CDC WONDER).

By themselves, the numbers paint an alarming picture. But they’re not the whole picture which makes things even more ominous. The fact of the matter is that suicide rates have been increasing despite the existence (and expansion!) of national suicide prevention initiatives.

Since the opening of its first suicide prevention center in 1958, the U.S. has poured billions into the development of a national strategy to prevent suicide and treat individuals suffering from suicidality (suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors) (HHS, Appendix C, 2012). Just one year ago, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention celebrated the release of the 2024 National Strategy, a sweeping, decade-long plan outlining various actions to be taken at the community, health network, and government levels (AFSP, 2024; HHS 2024).

That so many individuals are passionate about addressing suicide is both admirable and inspiring. But the facts cannot be ignored: strategies similar to or just like the 2024 National Strategy have been implemented in the USA for over half a century—and suicide statistics continue to rise.

What’s going on?

Suicide Prevention in the 21st Century

Suicide prevention efforts in the U.S. focus on identifying individuals considered “at risk” for suicide and treating them with the best that mental healthcare has to offer. Mainstream mental healthcare, as it has for the last 100 years, focuses on addressing suicidality through a two-pronged approach: medications, and psychotherapy.

The assumptions behind this model are fairly simple*:

• Medications like antidepressants will suppress depression symptoms, leading to a reduction in suicidal thoughts/behaviors
• Psychotherapy can help individuals sort through stress, past traumas, internal conflicts, etc. that may be contributing to depression symptoms.

*You’ll note, here, that depression is largely considered to be the driving force behind suicide, a premise that research does support. It’s estimated that depression accounts for ~ 40,000 cases of suicide each year in the USA (Zhang, 2025; Chand, 2025). You’ll note, too, that this model focuses almost entirely on symptoms. People suffering from suicidal thoughts or behaviors are treated with interventions designed to suppress symptoms of depression.

One key question: Where are these symptoms coming from?

Beyond psychological factors such as trauma, the mainstream model does not spend much time – if any – exploring what factors might be causing or contributing to depression and suicidality. In fact, depression and suicidality are more or less regarded as symptoms in and of themselves, symptoms that must be controlled with therapy or pharmaceuticals.

What’s the problem? some might ask. Isn’t reducing depression and suicidality the end-game, here? 

The problem is that there are two major problems with this approach.

• Problem #1: As the statistics demonstrate in no uncertain terms, this model does not work. Not well enough, and not on a large scale. If it did work, U.S. suicide rates should have dropped with the launch of national suicide prevention efforts, and continued to drop with each expansion of the “medications + therapy” treatment model. Sadly, this has not happened.
• Problem #2: As broad in scope as the first, and as far-reaching in terms of consequence, it is also, arguably, more tragic, as it represents a massive opportunity to change the direction of current suicide trends; an opportunity that is being wasted.

To understand the significance of this problem, and its implications for suicide prevention, let’s take a closer look at zinc, a mineral that presents enormous opportunity for the treatment of many psychiatric illnesses, yet is routinely overlooked by mainstream medicine.

Zinc & Mental Health

Sitting in position #30 on the Periodic Table, zinc is an element, a metal, a mineral. It is also an essential nutrient, in that the human body requires it for optimal function, but cannot manufacture it, making consistent intake through food vital.

Zinc’s necessity comes into focus when we consider its functions in the body – which are many. Beyond its more familiar actions as a promoter of bone health, a booster of immunity, and a facilitator of digestion, zinc is involved in a vast array of biochemical processes (Wessels, 2017; Brandao-Neto, 1995; Moonga, 1995; Read 2019; Xiao, 2013; McCall, 2000).

It’s estimated that over 3,000 proteins throughout the body require zinc, either as a cofactor or an “architectural stabilizer” (Andreini, 2006; King, 2014). Zinc-stabilized proteins are involved in the regulation of gene expression, cell-cell signaling, hormone release, and the relay of neural impulses, while zinc-dependent enzymes perform diverse chemical reactions that drive the machinery of metabolism (Linus Paling; King, 2014; Takada, 2018; Vallee, 1993).

Many endocrine functions are also dependent upon zinc, which regulates the production and secretion of growth hormone (GH, vital for tissue growth and repair), growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (Tendilla-Beltrán, 2024).

Zinc is also heavily involved in neurotransmission (the processes governing neuron → neuron and neuron → cell communication via chemical messengers called neurotransmitters) as a modulator of neurotransmitter receptor function (Menzikov, 2023). By themselves, floating around in the fluid surrounding cells, neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine do…well, nothing. It’s only when they trigger a response in cells that they spark any activity. And they cannot accomplish this without receptors.

Receptors are proteins embedded in cell membranes that bind to specific types of molecules, such as hormones or neurotransmitters. The act of binding triggers changes in a cell’s activity – put more simply, the binding of a molecule (the “signal”) to a receptor triggers the cell’s “response” to that signal.

It seems a simple process, but the consequences are anything but. Without receptors, the “messages” relayed by neurotransmitters cannot be “delivered,” potentially disrupting entire networks of communication within the brain…and between brain and body.

Here, zinc’s importance for mental health comes into sharp focus. Studies have demonstrated that zinc regulates the activity of a wide range of neurotransmitter receptors – including receptors for dopamine, glutamate, GABA, and acetylcholine: all neurotransmitters implicated in depression and/or suicide (Pannu, 2025; Li, 2024; Mamelak, 2024; Menzikov, 2023; Jahuar, 2023; Duman, 2019; Satala, 2018; Fitzgerald, 2017; Zhao J, 2016; Grace, 2016; Mlyniec, 2015; Ohmura, 2012; Pifl, 2009; Vázquez-Gómez, 2009; Scholze, 2002;).

In light of this information, shouldn’t we expect to find research confirming links between zinc, depression, and suicide?

The answer to this question is straightforward: Yes, we should.

Zinc & Depression

Connections between zinc and depression have been explored since the early 1980s, and with each passing decade the volume of research has increased. This research has confirmed that:

• Zinc deficiency is strongly associated with depression. Individuals with depression tend to have significantly lower blood levels of zinc than non-depressed individuals (Meng, 2024; Wang, 2018; Mlyniec, 2021; Swardfager, 2013).
• Zinc deficiency is associated with an increased risk of depression. A 2014 study looking at zinc intake showed that adults who consumed the least zinc through food had a 30-50% higher risk of developing depression, compared with adults who consumed the most (Vashum, 2014).
• Zinc deficiency appears to induce “resistance” to antidepressants, while zinc supplementation can enhance the therapeutic effects of antidepressants. Multiple studies have documented greater therapeutic improvements in depressed individuals who take zinc along with antidepressants, as compared to antidepressants alone (Doing, 2022; Ranjbar, 2014; Siwek, 2009; Nowak, 2003).
• Zinc supplementation can improve depression symptoms. A 2023 report, examining data from a whopping 52 different studies on micronutrient supplementation, found that zinc was associated with significant – and significantly positive – therapeutic effects on depression (Wang, 2023).

Findings such as these have encouraged some scientists to take a closer look at links between zinc and suicide, and what they’ve discovered thus far should grab the attention of every mental health clinician today.

Zinc & Suicide

In early 2023, the Journal of Affective Disorders published a trailblazing report on zinc and suicide. The report described a study in which data from 4,561 adult participants of the National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey (an ongoing national research program) was analyzed to evaluate participants’ zinc levels in relation to suicidality (Huang, 2023).

The results were stunning. Not only were blood zinc levels significantly lower in participants reporting suicidal thoughts, but the researchers also determined that low zinc was associated with a substantially higher risk of future suicidal thoughts. Just over a year later, another benchmark paper hit the medical press: a study out of Mexico in which the pituitary glands of suicide completers and non-suicide cases were analyzed (Tendilla-Beltran, 2024).

Now the pituitary gland, for its tiny size, is a big deal. Situated at the base of the brain and no larger than a kidney bean, the pituitary is a component of the HPA Axis – a vast hormone response system involving interactions between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands (Androulakis, 2021). Often referred to as the “master gland,” (thanks to its ability to produce multiple hormones) the pituitary, alongside other elements of the HPA Axis, has been repeatedly implicated in depression (Kumar, 2025; Jiang, 2025; Hantsoo, 2023; Kennis, 2020; Kessing, 2011).

As it happens, zinc plays a key role in synthesizing, storing, and releasing hormones within the pituitary, which brings us back to the 2024 Mexican study (Tendilla-Beltrán, 2024). The researchers in this study collected tissue samples from the pituitary glands of 14 individuals who had died by suicide and compared them to samples collected from 9 non-suicide cases.

Analysis confirmed that 35% of the suicide victims had pituitary microadenomas – non-cancerous growths in the pituitary that can disrupt hormone levels and are a known risk factor for suicide (Furgal-Borzych, 2007). Furthermore, it was determined that levels of compartmentalized zinc (zinc stored within cells, as opposed to free-circulating outside cells) were significantly lower in suicide victims than the non-suicide group. What these groundbreaking findings suggest is that microadenomas somehow alter zinc dynamics within the pituitary itself, and that such changes in zinc levels contribute to – or directly cause – disruptions in pituitary hormone activity (Tendilla-Beltrán, 2024).

Together, these studies add to the already overwhelming body of evidence that zinc deficiency is a risk factor for depression and suicide, and highlight additional mechanisms through which low zinc may amplify risk. They also bring into focus Problem #2 from above, i.e., the second of the two major issues with mainstream suicide prevention approaches.

Is zinc established as a risk factor for depression and suicide? Yes. 

Are zinc levels routinely screened in patients with (or at risk for) depression and/or suicidality? No. 

Upending the Status Quo: Opportunities for Change

Zinc’s absence from present-day suicide prevention approaches is a microcosm of a system made weak through incompletion. Mainstream suicide prevention models address psychological factors, the intangibles of the mind such as stress, trauma, and more that can play a role in depression and suicidality.

Mainstream models also increasingly account for environmental factors – things like seasons, geographic location, and water/air quality alongside socioeconomic status, cultural influences, and social networks as influencing the dynamic of risk (Tachikawa, 2025; Choi, 2023; Canetto, 2021; Plöderl, 2021; Cornelius, 2021; Chang, 2018).

And that, more often than not, is it—which leaves a gaping chasm where biological factors should be, but aren’t.

The factor of the matter is: research has proven that biological factors can and do play a role in the emergence of depression and suicidality. Not guessed, not theorized. Proven.

We know for a fact that people with depression and/or suicidality are significantly more likely to (Yu, 2025; Li, 2025; Ji, 2024; Zhang C, 2024; Liu L, 2024; Donnegan, 2023; Vasupanrajit, 2021; Beurel, 2020; Bransfield, 2017; Bouchard, 2009; Potera, 2007):

• Have high levels of inflammation (particularly in the brain)
• Suffer from immune system dysfunction
• Have a history of bacterial or viral infections
• Suffer from toxins such as mold or heavy metals
• Have imbalances in levels of different gut microbes (dysbiosis)
• Suffer from deficiencies of essential nutrients like Vitamin D, magnesium, Omega-3s, and ZINC.

We also know that correcting these biological factors can effectively alleviate depression and prevent suicide (Gao, 2024; Nikolova, 2023; Lavigne, 2023; Moabedi, 2023; Beurel, 2014). We also know that the tools to identify and correct these biological factors are well within reach – simple, effective tools, tools like blood tests and nutritional supplementation, that are available to most licensed clinicians around the world. Yet most depression patients never receive any lab testing, are never physically evaluated, and are never treated for biological imbalances that could potentially be difference-makers in the balance of life or death.

In the great puzzle that is mainstream suicide prevention, one piece is missing: biology. It is a gap that potentially costs unknown numbers of lives. It is also a gap that we could fill today, if we wanted to.

The Way It Could Be: A Functional Medicine Approach to Suicide Prevention

Functional Medicine is an integrated systems biology approach that seeks to evaluate, identify, and correct all factors that may be contributing to illness, whether biological, environmental, and/or psychological. It honors the profound connections linking mind and body, and upholds a model of personalized treatment based on the concept of biochemical individuality.

When applied in mental health contexts, Functional Medicine = Functional Psychiatry. 

Although integrative in scope, Functional Psychiatry is based firmly upon objective, empirical science. Treatments are designed on the basis of biochemical analysis (lab testing) along with physical and psychiatric examinations. No evidence-based interventions are necessarily discounted in Functional Psychiatry, e.g., it would not be unusual for a Functional clinician to recommend medication or psychotherapy alongside daily exercise, meditation, and nutritional supplements for a patient struggling with depression.

Functional Psychiatry offers clear, accessible, and actionable clinical solutions by addressing the underlying biochemical, genetic, and nutritional imbalances that contribute to poor mental health. Unlike mainstream psychiatry, which implements standardized, one-size-fits-all interventions (often on the basis of a “best guess” diagnosis that may or may not have anything to do with root cause), it utilizes information derived from lab testing to develop scientific, individualized treatment plans that target root causes.

In other words, it distills psychiatric treatment into clear, scientifically-informed, and targeted step-by-step approaches that often produce improvement where traditional, symptom-based treatments have failed.

Zinc in Mental Health Treatment

Let’s say a new patient comes to you with complaints of depression, depression that has worsened despite multiple rounds of psychotherapy and trials of antidepressants. Knowing that targeted treatments can only be developed from empirical data, you apply the first step in the Functional Psychiatry approach, i.e., testing and evaluation.

You interview the patient, asking her about her mood, how things are going at home and work. She shares that she can’t shake her gloomy thoughts, that her anxiety is overwhelming, and that she often has trouble sleeping.  You ask if she ever experiences suicidal ideations (thoughts); she replies, “sometimes.”

You ask her about her diet. She describes her strict vegan lifestyle (which triggers an alarm, as animal products are the richest sources of dietary zinc), and mentions she struggles with indigestion after meals (another red flag, as zinc is required to activate many of the digestive enzymes responsible for the proper breakdown of food) (King, 2014; Xiao, 2013; McCall, 2000).

Then you conduct a thorough physical examination, noting the patient’s thinning hair and brittle nails (both signs of low zinc) (Maxfield, 2023). Finally, you order a battery of lab tests, to generate scientific data against which you can compare findings from the patient’s interview and physical. Results show that the patient’s serum zinc levels are “low-normal.”

While mainstream medicine would likely have you ignore such a finding, you know from your Functional Medicine training on interpreting test results that different individuals may have vastly different maintenance requirements for zinc, thanks to unique variations in genetics and biochemistry.

You also know that “normal” ≠ “optimal,” and that zinc levels < 0.75μg/mL may have clinical relevance.

You also know that zinc impacts multiple biological processes relevant to depression, processes like neurotransmission, HPA Axis regulation, the regulation of inflammation, and the expression of BDNF (a protein that supports neuron growth/development as well as neuroplasticity) (Xie, 2020; Huang YZ, 2008).

So, in consideration of your patient’s psychiatric symptoms, physical indicators of zinc deficiency, and test results, you move to the next step in the Functional Psychiatry protocol: intervention.

You instruct your patient to take zinc picolinate (an easily absorbed form of zinc) at a dose of 30mg, twice a day, with meals. She is to take zinc while continuing her current antidepressant.

You also advise her to: 

1. Eat more zinc-rich foods (in addition to meat and shellfish, zinc is found in pumpkin seeds, legumes, oats, and fortified cereals);
2. Prioritize regular physical exercise and good sleep hygiene;
3. Practice a simple, daily mindfulness meditation; and
4. Initiate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a licensed therapist for additional support.

All these are strategies proven effective in combating depression (NIH ODS Zn ; Noetel, 2024; Sharma, 2023; Cladder-Micus, 2018; Lepping, 2017; Song, 2015).

Finally, you arrange for a follow-up visit in 6-8 weeks, at which time you will:

1. Re-evaluate the patient, assessing any changes to her symptoms of depression and suicidality as well as her physical status
2. Have new labs drawn to monitor her zinc levels (too much zinc can deplete levels of copper, another essential nutrient), and
3. Make adjustments to her therapeutic regimen as needed / based on lab results (Maxfield, 2023).

6-8 weeks later, your patient returns for her follow-up, with a new light in her eyes. She shares that she’s been sleeping better, that her indigestion is gone, and that she has not experienced any suicidal ideation in several weeks.  Her daily mindfulness and exercise have increased her energy and boosted her mood, and she now looks forward to each day’s self-care routine. She also shares that now – for the first time in as long as she can remember – she feels hopeful, and empowered by a protocol that addresses all aspects of her depression AND places her in the drivers’ seat of her own healing.

Conclusion

This is the power of zinc – a critical yet critically-overlooked nutrient, a missing piece not only in modern-day suicide prevention, but also in the treatment of depression, Anorexia Nervosa, and more.

This is the promise of Functional Psychiatry, the most comprehensive paradigm available to today’s mental health clinicians. Joining the best of traditional psychiatry with cutting-edge science, biomedical analysis, and personalized medicine, it is the leading frontier of 21st century mental healthcare, and a powerful rebuttal to the status quo of suicide prevention.

When it comes to suicide, we must do better. The good news is that we can.