Selenium-rich food potentially useful to control mercury levels among Afro-Colombians: Towards an intercultural intervention

Abstract

Introduction. Diet-based interventions may be a culturally acceptable option to decrease mercury levels and thus prevent the adverse effects of this metal on population health. Selenium is an element present in Colombian geology that can act as a chelator, decreasing mercury concentrations in the human body. Objective. To identify potentially useful selenium-rich foods to control the effects of mercury exposure among Afro-Colombians. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 320 individuals from five municipalities of Chocó. They were asked about the frequency of consumption of selenium-rich foods, and their association with mercury concentrations in hair was estimated with multiple robust regression. Results. Guava, whole wheat flour, strawberries, cow liver, spinach and yeast extract were the foods with higher consumption. Walnuts, whole wheat flour, and yeast extract were identified in multiple robust regression as foods to consider in future interventions. Conclusion. It is proposed that the banana juice, the pineapple colada, the borojó (Borojoa patinoi) sorbet, the cucas, and the enyucado are basic elements for a culturally acceptable intervention.

Keywords

• mercury
• selenium
• mining
• diet
• ethnicity