Food additives (e.g. artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, dyes, etc.) are ingested by billions of individuals daily. Some concerning results, mainly derived from animal and/or cell-based experimental ...studies, have recently emerged suggesting potential detrimental effects of several widely consumed additives. Profiles of additive exposure as well as the potential long-term impact of multiple exposure on human health are poorly documented. This work aimed to estimate the usual intake of food additives among participants of the French NutriNet-Santé cohort and to identify and describe profiles of exposure (single substances and mixtures). Overall, 106,489 adults from the French NutriNet-Santé cohort study (2009-ongoing) were included. Consumption of 90 main food additives was evaluated using repeated 24 h dietary records including information on brands of commercial products. Qualitative information (as presence/absence) of each additive in food products was determined using 3 large-scale composition databases (OQALI, Open Food Facts, GNPD), accounting for the date of consumption of the product. Quantitative ingested doses were estimated using a combination of laboratory assays on food matrixes (n = 2677) and data from EFSA and JECFA. Exposure was estimated in mg per kg of body weight per day. Profiles of exposure to food additive mixtures were extracted using Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) followed by k-means clustering as well as Graphical Lasso. Sociodemographic and dietary comparison of clusters of participants was performed by Chi-square tests or linear regressions. Data were weighted according to the national census. Forty-eight additives were consumed by more than 10% of the participants, with modified starches and citric acid consumed by more than 90%. The top 50 also included several food additives for which potential adverse health effects have been suggested by recent experimental studies: lecithins (86.6% consumers), mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (78.1%), carrageenan (77.5%), sodium nitrite (73.9%), di-, tri- and polyphosphates (70.1%), potassium sorbate (65.8%), potassium metabisulphite (44.8%), acesulfame K (34.0%), cochineal (33.9%), potassium nitrate (31.6%), sulfite ammonia caramel (28.8%), bixin (19.5%), monosodium glutamate (15.1%) and sucralose (13.5%). We identified and described five clusters of participants more specifically exposed to five distinct additive mixtures and one additional cluster gathering participants with overall low additive exposure. Food additives, including several for which health concerns are currently debated, were widely consumed in this population-based study. Furthermore, main mixtures of additives were identified. Their health impact and potential cocktail effects should be explored in future epidemiological and experimental studies.
Abstract
Background
Research on the effect of pesticide exposure on health has been largely focused on occupational settings. Few reviews have synthesized the associations between dietary pesticide ...exposure and health outcomes in non-occupationally exposed adults.
Objective
We aim to summarize the evidence regarding dietary pesticide exposure and non-communicable diseases (NCD) in adults, using a systematic review of prospective studies.
Methods
Electronic and manual searches were performed until July 2023. The inclusion criteria were the following: 1) adults aged ≥ 18years, 2) (non)-randomized trials, prospective cohort studies, 3) dietary exposure to pesticides. A bias analysis was carried out using the Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review guidelines based on the Cochrane ROBINS-I.
Results
A total of 52 studies were retrieved and 6 studies that met the above criteria were included. Studies were conducted either in France or in the United States. The studies investigated the risk of cancer (
n
= 3), diabetes (
n
= 1), cardiovascular diseases (
n
= 1), and mortality (
n
= 1). The quality of the studies varied with overall grades derived from the bias analysis ranging from low to moderate bias. The level of evidence was estimated as low for the risk of cancer while the grading was not assignable for other outcomes, as only one study per outcome was available.
Conclusions
Although further research is warranted to examine more in depth the relationships between low-dose chronic exposure to pesticides through diet and NCD outcomes in non-occupationally-exposed adults, studies suggest a possible role of exposure to dietary pesticide on health. Standardized methodological guidelines should also be proposed to allow for comparison across studies.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
•Little is known about dietary pesticide exposure profiles and BW change.•The lower dietary exposure to synthetic pesticides the lower weight gain in women.•The lower weight gain is observed in ...premenopausal women only.•The higher dietary exposure to a pesticide mixture the higher weight loss in men.
Pesticides cause a wide range of deleterious health effects, including metabolic disorders. Little is known about the effects of dietary pesticide exposure on body weight (BW) change in the general population.
We aimed to investigate the role of dietary pesticide exposure in BW change among NutriNet-Santé participants, focusing on potential sexual dimorphism.
Participants completed a Food Frequency Questionnaire (2014), assessing conventional and organic food consumption. Dietary exposure from plant foods of 25 commonly used pesticides was estimated using a residue database, accounting for agricultural practices (conventional and organic).
Exposure profiles based on dietary patterns were computed using Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF). Mixed models were used to estimate the associations between BW change and exposure to pesticide mixtures, overall and after stratification by sex and menopausal status.
The final sample included 32,062 participants (8,211 men, 10,637 premenopausal, and 13,214 postmenopausal women). The median (IQR) follow-up was 7.0 (4.4; 8.0) years. Four pesticides profiles were inferred.
Overall, men and postmenopausal women lost BW during follow-up, whereas premenopausal women gained BW.
Higher exposure to NMF3, reflecting a lower exposure to synthetic pesticides, was associated with a lower BW gain, especially in premenopausal women (β(95 %CI) = -0.04 (-0.07; 0) kg/year, p = 0.04).
Higher exposure to NMF2, highly positively correlated with a mixture of synthetic pesticides (azoxystrobin, boscalid, chlorpropham, cyprodinil, difenoconazole, fenhexamid, iprodione, tebuconazole, and lamda-cyhalothrin), was associated with a higher BW loss in men (β(95 %CI) = -0.05 (-0.08; −0.03) kg/year, p < 0.0001). No associations were observed for NMF1 and 4.
This study suggests a role of pesticide exposure, inferred from dietary patterns, on BW change, with sexually dimorphic actions, including a potential role of a lower exposure to synthetic pesticides on BW change in women. In men, exposure to a specific pesticide mixture was associated with higher BW loss. The underlying mechanisms need further elucidation.
Organic food (OF) consumption has substantially increased in high income countries, mostly driven by environmental concerns and health beliefs. Lower exposure to synthetic pesticides has been ...systematically documented among consumers of organic products compared to non-consumers. While experimental studies suggest that pesticides currently used in food production may be associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), no well-conducted prospective studies have investigated the potential association between consumption of organic products and the risk of T2D, controlling for potential confounding factors. The objective of this prospective study was to estimate the association between OF consumption and the risk of T2D.
A total of 33,256 participants (76% women, mean (SD) age: 53 years (14)) of the French NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort study who completed the organic food frequency questionnaire were included (2014-2019). The proportion of OF in the diet (as weight without drinking water) was computed. The associations between the proportion of OF in the diet (as 5% increment and as quintiles) and the risk of T2D were estimated using multivariable Hazard Ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) derived from proportional hazards models adjusted for confounders (sociodemographic, anthropometric, lifestyle, medical and nutritional factors).
During follow-up (mean = 4.05 y, SD = 1.03 y, 134,990 person-years), 293 incident cases of T2D were identified. After adjustment for confounders including lifestyle (physical activity, smoking status, alcohol consumption) and nutritional quality of the diet assessed by the adherence to the French food-based dietary guidelines, OF consumption was associated with a lower risk of T2D. Participants with the highest quintile of OF consumption, compared with those with the lowest quintile, had 35% lower risk of T2D (95% CI = 0.43-0.97). Each increment of 5% in the proportion of OF in the diet was associated with 3% lower risk of T2D (HR 0.97, 95% CI = 0.95-0.99).
In this large prospective cohort study, OF consumption was inversely associated with the risk of T2D. Further experimental and prospective studies should be conducted to confirm these observations.
The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03335644 ).
Purpose
This study, conducted in participants of the NutriNet-Santé cohort, aims to identify dietary pesticide exposure profiles (derived from Non-negative Matrix Factorization) from conventional and ...organic foods among a large sample of general population French adults.
Methods
Organic and conventional dietary intakes were assessed using a self-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Exposure to 25 commonly used pesticides was evaluated using food contamination data from Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt Stuttgart accounting for farming system (organic or conventional). Dietary pesticide exposure profiles were identified using Non-Negative Matrix factorization (NMF), especially adapted for non-negative data with excess zeros. The NMF scores were introduced in a hierarchical clustering process.
Results
Overall, the identified clusters (
N
= 34,193) seemed to be exposed to the same compounds with gradual intensity. Cluster 1 displayed the lowest energy intake and estimated dietary pesticide exposure, high organic food (OF) consumption (23.3%) and a higher proportion of male participants than other groups. Clusters 2 and 5 presented intermediate energy intake, lower OF consumption and intermediate estimated pesticide exposure. Cluster 3 showed high conventional fruits and vegetable (FV) intake, high estimated pesticide exposure, and fewer smokers. Cluster 4 estimated pesticide exposure varied more across compounds than for other clusters, with highest estimated exposures for acetamiprid, azadirachtin, cypermethrin, pyrethrins, spinosad. OF proportion in the diet was the highest (31.5%).
Conclusion
Estimated dietary pesticide exposures appeared to vary across the clusters and to be related to OF proportion in the diet.
Trial registration
Clinical Trial Registry: NCT03335644.
Abstract
Diets rich in plant-based foods are encouraged for human health and to preserve resources and the environment but the nutritional quality and safety of such diets is debated. This study ...aimed to model nutritionally adequate diets with increasing plant food content and to characterise the derived diets using a multicriteria approach including, nutrients intake, environmental pressures and exposure to pesticides. Using data of the NutriNet-Santé cohort (N = 29,413), we implemented stepwise optimization models to identified maximum plant-food content under nutritional constraints. Environmental indicators at the production level were derived from the DIALECTE database, and exposure to pesticide residues from plant food consumption was estimated using a contamination database. Plant-based foods contributed to 64.3% (SD = 10.6%) of energy intake in observed diets and may reach up to 95% in modelled diets without jeopardizing nutritional status. Compared to the observed situation, an increase in plant-based foods in the diets led to increases in soy-based products (+ 480%), dried fruits (+ 370%), legumes (+ 317%), whole grains (+ 251%), oils (+ 144%) and vegetables (+ 93%). Animal products decreased progressively until total eviction, except for beef (− 98%). Dietary quality (estimated using the Diet Quality Index Based on the Probability of Adequate Nutrient Intake) was improved (up to 17%) as well as GHGe (up to − 65%), energy demand (up to − 48%), and land occupation (− 56%) for production. Exposures to pesticides from plant-based foods were increased by 100% conventional production and to a much lesser extent by 100% organic production. This study shows that shifting to nutritionally-adequate plant-based diets requires an in-depth rearrangement of food groups’ consumption but allows a drastic reduction environmental impact. Increase exposure to pesticide residues and related risks can be mitigated by consuming foods produced with low pesticide input.
Studies focusing on dietary pesticides in population-based samples are scarce and little is known about potential mixture effects. We aimed to assess associations between dietary pesticide exposure ...profiles and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) among NutriNet-Santé cohort participants.
Participants completed a Food Frequency Questionnaire at baseline, assessing conventional and organic food consumption. Exposures to 25 active substances used in European Union pesticides were estimated using the Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt Stuttgart residue database accounting for farming practices. T2D were identified through several sources. Exposure profiles were established using Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (NMF), adapted for sparse data. Cox models adjusted for known confounders were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI), for the associations between four NMF components, divided into quintiles (Q) and T2D risk.
The sample comprised 33,013 participants aged 53 years old on average, including 76% of women. During follow-up (median: 5.95 years), 340 incident T2D cases were diagnosed. Positive associations were detected between NMF component 1 (reflecting highest exposure to several synthetic pesticides) and T2D risk on the whole sample: HR
= 1.47, 95% CI (1.00, 2.18). NMF Component 3 (reflecting low exposure to several synthetic pesticides) was associated with a decrease in T2D risk, among those with high dietary quality only (high adherence to French dietary guidelines, including high plant foods consumption): HR
= 0.31, 95% CI (0.10, 0.94).
These findings suggest a role of dietary pesticide exposure in T2D risk, with different effects depending on which types of pesticide mixture participants are exposed to. These associations need to be confirmed in other types of studies and settings, and could have important implications for developing prevention strategies (regulation, dietary guidelines).
This study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03335644 ).
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
To examine dietary exposure to 25 pesticide residues in several diet groups including omnivores, pesco-vegetarians, vegetarians and vegans while accounting for the farming system (organic or ...conventional) of plant-based foods consumed.
Organic and conventional consumption data in combination with data on pesticide residues in plant-based foods were used to derive estimated dietary exposure to pesticide residues. Pesticide residue exposure was estimated based on observed data, and using two scenarios simulated for 100%-conventional and 100%-organic diets in 33,018 omnivores, 555 pesco-vegetarians, 501 vegetarians and 368 vegans from the NutriNet-Santé study. Pesticide residue exposure across groups was compared using Kruskal-Wallis tests.
Exposure levels varied across diet groups depending on the pesticide studied. The highest exposure was observed for imazalil in all groups. Vegetarians appeared to be less exposed to the studied pesticides overall. Compared to omnivores – apart from pesticides authorised in organic farming – vegetarians had lowest exposure. The 100%-conventional scenario led to a sharp increase in exposure to pesticide residues, except for pesticides allowed in organic farming and conversely for the 100%-organic scenario.
Despite their high plant-based product consumption, vegetarians were less exposed to synthetic pesticides than omnivores, due to their greater propensity to consume organic.
•Dietary pesticide residue exposure from foods of plant origin was estimated among French omnivores, pesco-vegetarians, vegetarians and vegans.•Organic food consumption (containing less pesticide residues) was accounted for in the pesticide exposure estimation.•Exposure levels varied across diet groups depending on the pesticide studied.•Organic food consumption seemed to lower dietary exposure to synthetic pesticides in vegetarians and vegans.
Abstract
Background
Some pesticides, used in large quantities in current agricultural practices all over Europe, are suspected of adverse effects on human reproductive health (breast and prostate ...cancers), through mechanisms of endocrine disruption and possible carcinogenic properties, as observed in agricultural settings. However, evidence on dietary pesticide exposure and breast cancer (BC) is lacking for the general population. We aimed to assess the associations between dietary exposure to pesticides and BC risk among postmenopausal women of the NutriNet-Santé cohort.
Methods
In 2014, participants completed a self-administered semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire distinguishing conventional and organic foods. Exposures to 25 active substances used in EU plant-protection products were estimated using a pesticide-residue database accounting for farming practices, from Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt Stuttgart, Germany. Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), adapted for data with excess zeros, was used to establish exposure profiles. The four extracted NMF components’ quintiles were introduced into Cox models estimating hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI), adjusted for known confounding factors.
Results
A total of 13 149 postmenopausal women were included in the analysis (169 BC cases, median follow-up = 4.83 years). Negative associations between Component 3, reflecting low exposure to synthetic pesticides, and postmenopausal BC risk were found HRQ5 = 0.57; 95% CI (0.34; 0.93), p-trend = 0.006. Positive association between Component 1 score (highly correlated to chlorpyrifos, imazalil, malathion, thiabendazole) and postmenopausal BC risk was found specifically among overweight and obese women HRQ5 = 4.13; 95% CI (1.50; 11.44), p-trend = 0.006. No associations were detected for the other components.
Conclusion
These associations suggest a potential role of dietary pesticide exposure on BC risk. Further research is needed to investigate the mechanisms and confirm these results in other populations.