Association between dietary zinc intake and herpes simplex virus seropositivity in U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Although recent research has demonstrated an association between serum zinc deficiency and susceptibility to various viral infections, the relationship between dietary zinc intake and herpes simplex virus (HSV) seropositivity remains unclear. METHODS: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2007–2016) provides data on HSV-1 and HSV-2 status and dietary zinc intake. The associations between dietary zinc and HSV-1 and HSV-2 were evaluated via various statistical methods, including multivariate logistic regression, restricted cubic spline analysis, and subgroup analysis. RESULTS: In total, 6,483 individuals were enrolled, with 58.9% (3,817/6,483) testing positive for HSV-1 and 19.3% (1,253/6,483) testing positive for HSV-2. After adjusting for all covariates in the multivariate logistic regression, compared with the lowest zinc intake group (Q1: 15.63 mg/day) had an OR of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.67–1.04, p = 0.114); for HSV-2, Q2 had an OR of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64–1.00, p = 0.050), Q3 had an OR of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.64–1.02, p = 0.069), and Q4 had an OR of 0.75 (95. CONCLUSION: Dietary zinc intake exhibited a U-shaped association with HSV-1 and HSV-2 seropositivity, indicating that moderate zinc intake has a protective effect. CLINICAL TRIAL: Not applicable.