Dietary Advice on Inuit Traditional Food Use Needs to Balance Benefits and Risks of Mercury, Selenium, and n3 Fatty Acids

Laird, Brian; Goncharov, Alexey B.; Egeland, Grace M.; Chan, Hing Man

doi:10.3945/jn.112.173351

Cited by 73 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Innumerable research questions arise through reviews of Indigenous fisheries including, for example, the interplay between contaminant exposure and nutritional benefits of seafood consumption (e.g., [22,79]); the internal dynamics of larger ethnic groups (including those of the SIDS); the dynamics of commercial (including Indigenous) and non-commercial fisheries; the role of Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge (e.g., [80]); and the impacts of climate change on coastal Indigenous communities through effects on ecosystems and culturally iconic species (e.g., [10]). By explicitly adding quantitative context to Indigenous issues, as done here, these questions can be addressed in an interdisciplinary manner incorporating perspectives from ecology, economics, public health, etc., in addition to qualitative research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, political displacement linking recognition and rights to a defined spatial area limits access to marine resources and can act as a barrier to self-reliance [17]. Furthermore, although there are concerns due to bioaccumulation of pollutants in seafood [18,19], changes to traditional diets have significant implications for Indigenous peoples with predisposition to chronic health issues such as diabetes and heart disease [20–22]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Global Estimate of Seafood Consumption by Coastal Indigenous Peoples

et al. 2016

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Coastal Indigenous peoples rely on ocean resources and are highly vulnerable to ecosystem and economic change. Their challenges have been observed and recognized at local and regional scales, yet there are no global-scale analyses to inform international policies. We compile available data for over 1,900 coastal Indigenous communities around the world representing 27 million people across 87 countries. Based on available data at local and regional levels, we estimate a total global yearly seafood consumption of 2.1 million (1.5 million–2.8 million) metric tonnes by coastal Indigenous peoples, equal to around 2% of global yearly commercial fisheries catch. Results reflect the crucial role of seafood for these communities; on average, consumption per capita is 15 times higher than non-Indigenous country populations. These findings contribute to an urgently needed sense of scale to coastal Indigenous issues, and will hopefully prompt increased recognition and directed research regarding the marine knowledge and resource needs of Indigenous peoples. Marine resources are crucial to the continued existence of coastal Indigenous peoples, and their needs must be explicitly incorporated into management policies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Global Estimate of Seafood Consumption by Coastal Indigenous Peoples

et al. 2016

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“…Since the 1990's, several authors have pointed to marine mammal consumption or different parts of marine mammals as the predominant source of MeHg exposure in different regions of the Arctic (Dewailly et al, 2001a;Fontaine et al, 2008;Laird et al, 2013;Milman et al, 1994;Tian et al, 2011). Nonetheless, considering the evolution of Inuit dietary habits in Nunavik (Blanchet and Rochette, 2008), current sources of exposure need to be assessed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Local country food sources of methylmercury, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids in Nunavik, Northern Quebec

Lemire

Kwan

Laouan-Sidi

et al. 2015

Science of The Total Environment

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Country foods are central to Inuit culture and replete in selenium (Se) and long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA). However, some marine country foods bioaccumulate high concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg). Se and n-3 are associated with several health benefits in Nunavik, Northern Quebec, but, recent studies show that prenatal MeHg exposure is associated with visual, cognitive and behavioral deficit later in childhood. The study objectives are to identify contemporary country food sources of MeHg, Se and long-chain n-3 PUFA in Nunavik, particularly among childbearing-age women, taking into account regional differences in consumption profiles. The contribution of different country foods to daily MeHg, Se, long-chain n-3 PUFA intake (μg/kg body weight/day) was estimated using: (i) country food consumption and blood biomarkers data from the 2004 Nunavik Health Survey (387 women, 315 men), and (ii) data on MeHg, Se, long-chain n-3 PUFA concentrations found in Nunavik wildlife species. In the region where most traditional beluga hunting takes place in Nunavik, the prevalence of at-risk blood Hg (≥ 8 μg/L) in childbearing-age women was 78.4%. While most country foods presently consumed contain low MeHg, beluga meat, not a staple of the Inuit diet, is the most important contributor to MeHg: up to two-thirds of MeHg intake in the beluga-hunting region (0.66 of MeHg intake) and to about one-third in other regions. In contrast, seal liver and beluga mattaaq - beluga skin and blubber - only mildly contributed to MeHg (between 0.06 and 0.15 of MeHg intake), depending on the region. Beluga mattaaq also highly contributed to Se intake (0.30 of Se intake). Arctic char, beluga blubber and mattaaq, and seal blubber contributed to most long-chain n-3 PUFA intake. This study highlights the importance of considering interconnections between local ecosystems and dietary habits to develop recommendations and interventions promoting country foods' benefits, while minimizing the risk of MeHg from beluga meat, especially for childbearing-age women.

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“…Food consumption data were gathered from the International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey (IHS) conducted in three Inuit jurisdictions in northern Canada [Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR), Nunavut, and, Nunatsiavut] in 2007 and 2008 (31). Data were obtained from 24-h dietary recall and semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) over a period of 12 months among 2072 Inuit adults aged ≥18 years from 37 communities in the ISR ( n = 6), Nunavut ( n = 25), and Nunatsiavut ( n = 6).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…669 participants were women aged 18–40 years (childbearing age). Information regarding the consumption of traditional food was collected by applying a cross-sectional face-to-face administered FFQ as described in detail elsewhere (31, 32). Questionnaires were based on the Centre for Indigenous People’s Nutrition and Environment’s Inuit traditional FFQ, which were updated with IHS Steering Committees of ISR, Nunavut, and Nunatsiavut and adapted in that manner to reflect species available in each region.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk–Benefit Assessment of Monomethylmercury and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake for Ringed Seal Consumption with Particular Emphasis on Vulnerable Populations in the Western Canadian Arctic

et al. 2017

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Many northern Inuit communities rely on traditional food as major source of nourishment. An essential part of the traditional Arctic diet is marine mammals such as ringed seals or beluga. Being top predators, these animals are often highly contaminated with various toxins. In contrast, some tissues of marine mammals are also characterized by high amounts of n3-PUFAs (omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids). Here, we try to balance the risks associated with the consumption of different tissue types of ringed seals in terms of the neurotoxin monomethylmercury (MMHg) with the benefits of consumption due to high n3-PUFA concentrations. Fetuses are at the highest risk of neurological impairments because MMHg can easily cross the placental barrier. Therefore, women of childbearing age served as an indicator population for especially susceptible subpopulations. We calculated maximal weekly maternal portions sizes if mutual consumption of muscle and blubber tissue or liver and blubber tissue was assumed. Those weekly portion sizes resulted in an estimated overall IQ point gain of infants of 0, whereas the consumption of liver or muscle tissue without blubber could lead to an IQ loss. In contrast to former studies, our data do not generally prohibit the consumption of liver tissue. Instead, our results suggest that a maximal weekly consumption of 125 g liver tissue together with 1 g of blubber tissue is acceptable and does not lead to neurological damages in the long term. Similarly, the consumption of maximal 172 g muscle tissue can be balanced by the mutual consumption of 1 g blubber tissue.

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Dietary Advice on Inuit Traditional Food Use Needs to Balance Benefits and Risks of Mercury, Selenium, and n3 Fatty Acids

Cited by 73 publications

References 58 publications

A Global Estimate of Seafood Consumption by Coastal Indigenous Peoples

A Global Estimate of Seafood Consumption by Coastal Indigenous Peoples

Local country food sources of methylmercury, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids in Nunavik, Northern Quebec

Risk–Benefit Assessment of Monomethylmercury and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake for Ringed Seal Consumption with Particular Emphasis on Vulnerable Populations in the Western Canadian Arctic

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