Association of serum melatonin with dietary patterns and dietary nutrients in chinese population: a cross-sectional...

Dietary intake plays a pivotal role in sustaining optimal melatonin levels, while the relationship between dietary patterns and circulating melatonin levels remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the associations between dietary patterns, nutrient intake, and serum melatonin levels in the Chinese population.

This cross-sectional study included 6,521 Chinese adults. Three dietary patterns were identified through principal component analysis. Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the associations between dietary patterns and serum melatonin levels. The covariance analysis and partial least squares regression was used to evaluate the association between micronutrient intake and serum melatonin concentrations.

The Dietary pattern 2 (DP2), characterized by high intake of fatty foods and red meat with the lowest Dietary Variety Score (DVS), and DP3 featuring high consumption of red meat, fruits, and vegetables but low intake of white meat and aquatic products with low DVS, were significantly associated with lower serum melatonin levels (DP2: β = - 0.12, P-trend < 0.001; DP3: β = - 0.13, P-trend < 0.001). Insufficient nutrient and quality intake of dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin B2, calcium, and magnesium was found in DP2, whereas DP3 showed inadequate intake of protein, cholesterol, vitamin B2, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, and iron.

Specific dietary patterns, low dietary diversity and nutrient deficiencies are associated to reduced melatonin levels. These findings reveal distinct mechanisms linking overall dietary patterns to serum melatonin concentrations, underscoring the importance of appropriate dietary patterns and nutrients intake in sustaining optimal circulating melatonin homeostasis in humans.