Food as medicine: Selenium enriched lentils offer relief against chronic arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh

Environ Res. 2019 Sep:176:108561. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108561. Epub 2019 Jun 28.

Abstract

Chronic arsenic (As) exposure is a major environmental threat to human health affecting >100 million people worldwide. Low blood selenium (Se) increases the risk of As-induced health problems. Our aim was to reduce As toxicity through a naturally Se-rich lentil diet. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-control trial in Bangladesh, 405 participants chronically exposed to As were enrolled. The intervention arm (Se-group) consumed Se-rich lentils (55 μg Se/day); the control arm received lentils of similar nutrient profile except with low Se (1.5 μg Se/day). Anthropometric measurements, blood, urine and stool samples, were taken at baseline, 3 and 6 months; hair at baseline and 6 months after intervention. Morbidity data were collected fortnightly. Measurements included total As in all biological samples, As metabolites in urine, and total Se in blood and urine. Intervention with Se-rich lentils resulted in higher urinary As excretion (p = 0.001); increased body mass index (p ≤ 0.01), and lower incidence of asthma (p = 0.05) and allergy (p = 0.02) compared to the control group. The Se-group demonstrated increased excretion of urinary As metabolite, dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) at 6 months compared to control group (p = 0.008). Consuming Se-rich lentils can increase As excretion and improve the health indicators in the presence of continued As exposure.

Keywords: Arsenic; Arsenic metabolites; Dietary intervention; Morbidity; Selenium; Toxicity.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arsenic Poisoning / epidemiology*
  • Arsenic*
  • Bangladesh / epidemiology
  • Diet / methods*
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Humans
  • Lens Plant / chemistry*
  • Selenium / analysis*

Substances

  • Selenium
  • Arsenic