Plasma Fatty Acid Biomarkers of Dairy Consumption Are Associated with Sex-Dependent Effects on Metabolic Syndrome Components in Mexican Adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: During adolescence, dairy product intake has shown conflicting associations with metabolic syndrome (MetS) components, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aims to investigate the association between plasma fatty acids (FAs) C15:0, C17:0, and t-C16:1n-7, as biomarkers of dairy intake, with MetS and its components in Mexican adolescents. METHODS: A sample of 311 participants from the Early Life Exposure in Mexico City to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) cohort was included in this cross-sectional analysis. FA concentrations were measured in plasma as a percentage of total FA. We used quantile regression models stratified by sex to evaluate the association between FA quantiles and MetS components, adjusting for age, socioeconomic status (SES), sedentary behavior, BMI z-score, pubertal status, and energy intake. RESULTS: We found significant associations between dairy biomarkers and the median of MetS variables. In females, t-C16:1n-7 was associated with a decrease of 2.97 cm in WC (Q4 vs. Q1; 95% CI: -5.79, -0.16). In males, C15:0 was associated with an increase of 5.84 mm/Hg in SBP (Q4 vs. Q1; CI: 1.82, 9.85). For HDL-C, we observed opposite associations by sex. C15:0 in males was associated with decreased HDL-C (Q3 vs. Q1: ß = -4.23; 95% CI: -7.98, -0.48), while in females, C15:0 and t-C16:1n-7 were associated with increased HDL-C (Q3 vs. Q1: ß = 4.75; 95% CI: 0.68, 8.82 and Q4 vs. Q1: ß = 6.54; 95% CI: 2.01, 11.07), respectively. Additionally, in both sexes, different levels of C15:0, C17:0, and t-C16:1n-7 were associated with increased triglycerides (TG). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that adolescent dairy intake may be associated in different directions with MetS components and that associations are sex-dependent.

Heavy Metals in Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Foods Consumed by Humans Worldwide: A Scoping Review.

Heavy metals (HM) can be accumulated along the food chain; their presence in food is a global concern for human health because some of them are toxic even at low concentrations. Unprocessed or minimally processed foods are good sources of different nutrients, so their safety and quality composition should be guaranteed in the most natural form that is obtained for human consumption. The objective of this scoping review (ScR) is to summarize the existing evidence about the presence of HM content (arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), methylmercury (MeHg), and aluminum (Al)) in unprocessed or minimally processed foods for human consumption worldwide during the period of 2011-2020. As a second objective, we identified reported HM values in food with respect to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Food Standards for Maximum Limits (MLs) for contaminants in food. This ScR was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR); advance searches were performed in PubMed, ScienceDirect and FAO AGRIS (Agricultural Science and Technology Information) databases by two reviewers who independently performed literature searches with specific eligibility criteria. We classified individual foods in food groups and subgroups according to the Global Individual Information Food Consumption Data Tool (FAO/WHO GIFT). We homologated all the reported HM units to parts per million (ppm) to determine the weighted mean HM concentration per country and food group/subgroup of the articles included. Then, we compared HM concentration findings with FAO/WHO MLs. Finally, we used a Geographic Information System (GIS) to present our findings. Using our search strategy, we included 152 articles. Asia was the continent with the highest number of publications (n = 79, 51.3%), with China being the country with the largest number of studies (n = 34). Fish and shellfish (n = 58), followed by vegetables (n = 39) and cereals (n = 38), were the food groups studied the most. Fish (n = 42), rice (n = 33), and leafy (n = 28) and fruiting vegetables (n = 29) were the most studied food subgroups. With respect to the HM of interest, Cd was the most analyzed, followed by Pb, As, Hg and Al. Finally, we found that many of the HM concentrations reported exceeded the FAO/OMS MLs established for Cd, Pb and As globally in all food groups, mainly in vegetables, followed by the roots and tubers, and cereals food groups. Our study highlights the presence of HM in the most natural forms of food around the world, in concentrations that, in fact, exceed the MLs, which affects food safety and could represent a human health risk. In countries with regulations on these topics, a monitoring system is recommended to evaluate and monitor compliance with national standards. For countries without a regulation system, it is recommended to adopt international guidelines, such as those of FAO, and implement a monitoring system that supervises national compliance. In both cases, the information must be disseminated to the population to create social awareness. This is especially important to protect the population from the consumption of internal production and for the international markets of the globalized world.

Differential fat accumulation in early adulthood according to adolescent-BMI and heavy metal exposure.

INTRODUCTION: Heavy metals such as Lead (Pb) and Mercury (Hg) can affect adipose tissue mass and function. Considering the high prevalence of exposure to heavy metals and obesity in Mexico, we aim to examine if exposure to Pb and Hg in adolescence can modify how fat is accumulated in early adulthood. METHODS: This study included 100 participants from the ELEMENT cohort in Mexico. Adolescent Pb and Hg blood levels were determined at 14-16 years. Age- and sex-specific adolescent BMI Z-scores were calculated. At early adulthood (21-22 years), fat accumulation measurements were performed (abdominal, subcutaneous, visceral, hepatic, and pancreatic fat). Linear regression models with an interaction between adolescent BMI Z-score and Pb or Hg levels were run for each adulthood fat accumulation outcome with normal BMI as reference. RESULTS: In adolescents with obesity compared to normal BMI, as Pb exposure increased, subcutaneous (p-interaction = 0.088) and visceral (p-interaction < 0.0001) fat accumulation increases. Meanwhile, Hg was associated with subcutaneous (p-interaction = 0.027) and abdominal (p-interaction = 0.022) fat deposition among adolescents with obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Heavy metal exposure in adolescence may alter how fat is accumulated in later periods of life.

Exposición a químicos disruptores endócrinos obesogénicos y obesidad en niños y jóvenes de origen latino o hispano en Estados Unidos y Latinoamérica: una perspectiva del curso de la vida.

En el 2019, en seguimiento a un taller dirigido por el Global Health Studies del Fogarty International Center sobre el tema de la prevención de la obesidad infantil y las sinergias de investigación que surgen a través de las colaboraciones transfronterizas, convocamos a un grupo de expertos de Estados Unidos y Latinoamérica para que realizaran una revisión narrativa de la literatura epidemiológica sobre el papel obesogénico de los químicos disruptores endócrinos (EDC, por sus siglas en inglés) en la etiología de la obesidad infantil entre la juventud latina de Estados Unidos y Latinoamérica. Además de resumir y sintetizar los resultados de las investigaciones sobre este tema publicados en la última década, contextualizamos los hallazgos dentro de un marco bioconductual de curso de vida para identificar relaciones exposición-desenlace impulsadas por resultados de investigación, identificar inconsistencias y deficiencias de la literatura actual, y discutir el papel de las regulaciones políticas, todo con el objetivo de identificar posibles vías para la prevención temprana de la obesidad en las poblaciones hispanas/latinas.

Exposure to obesogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals and obesity among youth of Latino or Hispanic origin in the United States and Latin America: A lifecourse perspective.

Following a 2019 workshop led by the Center for Global Health Studies at the Fogarty International Center on the topic of childhood obesity prevention and research synergies transpiring from cross-border collaborations, we convened a group of experts in the United States and Latin America to conduct a narrative review of the epidemiological literature on the role of obesogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the etiology of childhood obesity among Latino youth in the United States and Latin America. In addition to summarizing and synthesizing results from research on this topic published within the last decade, we place the findings within a lifecourse biobehavioral framework to aid in identification of unique exposure-outcome relationships driven by both biological and behavioral research, identify inconsistencies and deficiencies in current literature, and discuss the role of policy regulations, all with the goal of identifying viable avenues for prevention of early life obesity in Latino/Hispanic populations.

Association between cumulative childhood blood lead exposure and hepatic steatosis in young Mexican adults.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to environmental toxicants may play a role in the pathogenesis of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Cumulative exposure to lead (Pb) has chronic and permanent effects on liver function. Pediatric populations are vulnerable to the toxic effects of Pb, even at low exposure levels. The purpose of the study was to estimate the association between cumulative Pb exposure during childhood and hepatic steatosis biomarkers in young Mexican adults. METHODS: A subsample of 93 participants from the ELEMENT cohort were included in this study. Childhood blood samples were collected annually from ages 1-4 years and were used to calculate the Cumulative Childhood Blood Lead Levels (CCBLL). Hepatic steatosis during adulthood was defined as an excessive accumulation of hepatic triglycerides (>5%) determined using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Liver enzymes were also measured at this time, and elevated liver enzyme levels were defined as ALT (≥30 IU/L), AST (≥30 IU/L), and GGT (≥40 IU/L). Adjusted linear regression models were fit to examine the association between CCBLL (quartiles) and the hepatic steatosis in young adulthood. RESULTS: In adulthood, the mean age was 21.4 years, 55% were male. The overall prevalence of hepatic steatosis by MRI was 19%. Elevate levels of the enzymes ALT, AST, and GGT were present in 25%, 15%, and 17% of the sample, respectively. We found a positive association between the highest quartile of CCBLL with the steatosis biomarkers of hepatic triglycerides (Q4 vs. Q1: ß = 6.07, 95% CI: 1.91-10.21), elevated ALT (Q4 vs. Q1: ß = 14.5, 95% CI: 1.39-27.61) and elevated AST (Q4 vs. Q1: ß = 7.23, 95% CI: 0.64-13.82). No significant associations were found with GGT. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic Pb exposure during early childhood is associated with a higher levels of hepatic steatosis biomarkers and hepatocellular injury in young adulthood. More actions should be taken to eliminate sources of Pb during the first years of life.

Greater cumulative exposure to a pro-inflammatory diet is associated with higher metabolic syndrome score and blood pressure in young Mexican adults.

Low-grade inflammation is a suggested mechanism in the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS), and diet could act as a regulator. Therefore, we hypothesized that the cumulative Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) exposure from diet during infancy through adulthood would be positively associated with the MetS and its components in young Mexican adults. One hundred participants from the Early Life Exposures in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants cohort were included in this analysis. The dietary inflammatory potential of the diet (without supplements) was assessed using 27 nutrients obtained from repeated food frequency questionnaires (1-22 years) using the DII, a validated score. The cumulative exposure of DII was constructed using the area under the curve (AUC of DII). The MetS was defined using the International Diabetes Federation criteria, and the Metabolic Syndrome Risk Z-score (MetRisk Z-score) was estimated. Linear regressions were conducted to assess the association between the AUC of DII with MetRisk Z-score and MetS components, adjusting for sex, socioeconomic status, smoking status, physical activity, birth weight, and body mass index. In adulthood, the mean age was 21.5 years, 54% were male, and 17% had MetS. Positive associations were found between AUC of DII with MetRisk Z-score (ß = .12; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03-0.22; P = .009) and systolic (ß = .33; 95% CI: 0.05-0.61; P = .023) and diastolic blood pressure (ß = .24; 95% CI: 0.01-0.47; P = .040). A cumulative proinflammatory diet from infancy through young adulthood is associated with higher MetRisk Z-scores as well as blood pressure. These findings may provide evidence for the implementation of anti-inflammatory diet interventions throughout early life for the prevention of cardiometabolic risk.