Using nutrition for intervention and prevention against environmental chemical toxicity and associated diseases

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Using nutrition for intervention and prevention against environmental

chemical toxicity and associated diseases.

Environ Health Perspect. 2007 Apr;115(4):493-5. Epub 2007 Jan 16.

Hennig B, Ettinger AS, Jandacek RJ, Koo S, McClain C, Seifried H,

Silverstone A, Watkins B, Suk WA.

Molecular and Cell Nutrition Laboratory, College of Agriculture,

University of Kentucky, 900 S. Limestone, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.

bhennig@...

BACKGROUND: Nutrition and lifestyle are well-defined modulators of

chronic diseases. Poor dietary habits (such as high intake of processed

foods rich in fat and low intake of fruits and vegetables), as well as a

sedentary lifestyle clearly contribute to today's compromised quality of

life in the United States. It is becoming increasingly clear that

nutrition can modulate the toxicity of environmental pollutants.

OBJECTIVES: Our goal in this commentary is to discuss the recommendation

that nutrition should be considered a necessary variable in the study of

human disease associated with exposure to environmental pollutants.

DISCUSSION: Certain diets can contribute to compromised health by being

a source of exposure to environmental toxic pollutants. Many of these

pollutants are fat soluble, and thus fatty foods often contain higher

levels of persistent organics than does vegetable matter. Nutrition can

dictate the lipid milieu, oxidative stress, and antioxidant status

within cells. The modulation of these parameters by an individual's

nutritional status may have profound affects on biological processes,

and in turn influence the effects of environmental pollutants to cause

disease or dysfunction. For example, potential adverse health effects

associated with exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls may increase as a

result of ingestion of certain dietary fats, whereas ingestion of fruits

and vegetables, rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients or

bioactive compounds, may provide protection. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend

that future directions in environmental health research explore this

nutritional paradigm that incorporates a consideration of the

relationships between nutrition and lifestyle, exposure to environmental

toxicants, and disease. Nutritional interventions may provide the most

sensible means to develop primary prevention strategies of diseases

associated with many environmental toxic insults.

PMID: 17450213