4. Discussion
Obesity, obesity, obese, overweight, depression, weight loss
OBESITY, OBESITY, OBESE, INSULIN RESISTANCE
Our study demonstrated that a 12-week period of zinc supplementation in overweight or obese adult women led to improved cognitive performance, as indicated by the results obtained from the MMSE and Stroop test. However, this intervention did not produce any significant changes in body weight.Our findings of cognitive improvement are corroborated by previous studies that have shown neuroprotective properties, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of Zn [The protective effect exerted by zinc could be related to its role in various neurobiological processes, including the modulation of neurogenesis, neuronal migration, differentiation, and synaptic transmission, which are directly related to cognitive health [Consistently, a clinical intervention study spanning 12 weeks and involving overweight or obese subjects demonstrated a significant increase in serum BDNF levels in the group receiving Zn supplementation compared to the placebo group. Additionally, the Beck depression inventory (BDI) score exhibited a significant reduction in the number of participants receiving zinc supplementation. Interestingly, this same study unveiled an inverse correlation between BDNF levels and the severity of depression across all participants [Obesity is a prevalent and recurring pathological condition, with alarming prevalence rates worldwide, affecting individuals across the age spectrum, encompassing children, adolescents, and adults [Moreover, in the present study, while Zn supplementation did not yield a statistically significant effect on weight loss when comparing the Zn and placebo groups, an intragroup analysis showed a noteworthy reduction in weight within the Zn supplementation group itself. The lack of significance in the intergroup analysis could be attributed to several factors, including the relatively small sample size in the placebo group and the duration of the intervention, which was shorter in comparison to the timelines documented in other studies [Although, to the best of our knowledge, there are no clinical studies evaluating the effect of zinc supplementation on inflammatory and cognitive parameters in overweight or obese women, a previous study demonstrated that zinc supplementation combined with a calorie-restricted diet was able to reduce body weight, inflammatory markers, and insulin resistance in obese individuals after a 15-week intervention. This finding suggests that Zn supplementation combined with dietary modifications may hold promise in the context of obesity therapy [We observed a slight yet significant increase in IL-1β levels in the Zn supplementation group. Previous research has indicated that Zn has a substantial impact on inflammasome regulation and IL-1β production in both innate and adaptive immune cells [On the other hand, preclinical studies conducted in animal models have consistently yielded evidence regarding the advantages of Zn supplementation in ameliorating metabolic outcomes associated with obesity [