Eating more fibers could help reduce the amount of chemicals forever in your blood, study results

Research estimates The 200 million people in the United States count on tap water contaminated by PFAs or forever chemicals. This class of chemicals includes more than 9,000 potentially dangerous synthetic compounds linked to cancer and endocrine disturbances – and they have become omnipresent, hidden in everything, non -stick pans with plastic food containers and even beer.

The PFAs have won the nickname forever chemicals because of their resistance to rupture – both in the environment and the human body. With greater exposure, these organic chemicals, leading to higher concentrations in our body, our soil and our water. Although there are not many interventions to reduce APF in the body, Canada scientists may have discovered a potential breakthrough.

A small March study published in the journal Environmental health revealed that people who consumed a supplement of fibers had reduced the concentrations of specific types of PFAS chemicals. To study exposure to PFAS, researchers used blood serum samples – liquid in the blood of remains after eliminating blood cells and coagulation factors – from 72 adult men with high cholesterol that were collected in 2019 to 2020 as part of a clinical trial studying fiber food to reduce blood cholesterol.

The researchers have chosen to look at those who have high cholesterol because it is well sustained that exposure to PFAs can increase the total and LDL cholesterol (bad). They found that all participants had at least six different types of PFAS chemicals present in their blood.

Participants were divided into two groups: a placebo group and one that has taken fiber supplements for four weeks in the form of a beta glucane derived from oats – a type of soluble fiber found in foods such as oats, barley and mushrooms – which has taken three times a day.

After four weeks, all the participants had lower levels of PFAS, but the researchers noticed that for those who took the supplement of fibers, there were specific PFAS chemicals which were considerably reduced after the intervention.

These chemicals (PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUND, PFHX, PFOS and MEFOSSA) are considered to be long chain, which are more persistent in the environment and our body, which makes it important that fiber intervention could reduce their concentrations.

How could fiber reduce PFAS chemicals?

Several studies have already established a link between the consumption of fruits, vegetables and Fiber -rich diet and lower PFAS concentrations in both adults And children. But what kind of role plays the fibers?

In the recent study, researchers explain that dietary fibers could hinder the absorption or reabsorption of PFAs by forming a gel that lines the intestine and traps substances like bile acid – which has a chemical structure similar to PFA. These fibers forming gels are commonly found in foods such as oats and barley.

Study limitations

The researchers warn that there are limits to this study: the size of the sample was quite low and the time of the intervention was only four weeks.

“Many long-chain PFASs have half-lives on the order of 2 to 7 years, so an intervention of one month can be insufficient to strongly influence the concentrations of serum PFAS with continuous exposure,” wrote the authors.

In addition, the samples used were initially levied as part of a study intended to observe changes in cholesterol, not of PFAS. “No information has been collected on potential sources of exposure to APFs before or during the study and no attempt to control differences in the current exhibitions between intervention and control groups,” the researchers explained.

Study authors have also stressed that future studies should test if higher concentrations of the fiber supplement could cause a greater reduction in PFAS levels. But despite the limits, the authors hope – eating more fibers could have a practical and feasible means of reducing the amount of chemicals forever in our body and the toll they weigh.

To find out more about chemicals and public health:

• The truth about American drinking water: the report shows a general presence of dangerous chemicals
• The “plastic spoon” of microplastics in your brain could come from these foods that destroy your health, say researchers
• How much mercury is too much? Here is what experts want you to know
• Children's skin care products may contain a hidden danger, discovers the study

This story was initially presented on Fortune.com