Consuming more fiber may help remove carcinogenic chemicals known to be "always present in the body," a study suggests.
Researchers in Boston compared men who took a fiber supplement three times a day with those who took a rice-based supplement for four weeks.
Blood tests showed that those who took beta-glucan fiber, found in mushrooms and oats, before every meal for four weeks had an eight percent reduction in levels of "ever-present cancer-causing chemicals."
Known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), these toxic chemicals do not naturally break down in the environment.
Instead, they leach from plastic dishes and non-stick cookware into food, accumulating in vital organs, which increases the risk of organ failure, infertility, and some types of cancer.
Researchers believe that fiber helps filter excess bile from the digestive tract, which binds to PFAS to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
While there are mountains of studies that have shown the deadly effects of chemicals "always present" in the body, this new study is one of the first to offer a scientifically proven way to remove these toxins, which were previously thought to remain in the body forever.
But this comes at a time when nine out of ten Americans do not consume enough fiber, increasing the risk of developing other diseases such as colon cancer.
Researchers from Boston University write: “Despite major concerns about the toxicity of PFAS, specific interventions to reduce PFAS levels in the body are limited.”
The study, published in the journal Environmental Health in March, analyzed 72 adult males aged 18 to 65 with measurable levels of PFAS in their blood.
Of these, 42 consumed a one-gram supplement of oat beta-glucan, a type of fiber found naturally in oats, mushrooms and seeds, three times a day, about 10 minutes before meals.
The other 30 participants consumed a rice-based control supplement.
The researchers took blood samples from each participant before and after the four-week experiment. Each test checked for 17 forms of PFAS.
At baseline, 70 percent of participants had 11 of the 17 forms of PFAS in their blood, and five forms were found in the blood of all participants.
The study found that men who took the fiber supplement had an eight percent reduction in perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), which are considered two of the most dangerous forms of PFAS.
PFOA and PFOS are synthetic chemicals used in fire-fighting foam, non-stick cookware, and stain repellents to make them water and stain resistant.
PFOA is considered a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), meaning it causes cancer in animals. PFOS, meanwhile, is a Group 2 carcinogen, suggesting it may cause cancer in animals.
Both chemicals are also thought to be endocrine disruptors, meaning they mimic the body's hormones and inhibit the production and response to natural hormones like estrogen and testosterone.
This increases the risk of developing hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast and ovarian cancer.
Researchers believe that dietary fiber forms a gel that prevents intestinal mucosal cells from absorbing PFAS. This is because the gel prevents bile acids, which help break down fats, from being reabsorbed into the bloodstream.
Instead, that excess bile is excreted through feces.
It is thought that PFAS binds to bile and passes through the intestines, so fiber can help remove these chemicals from the body before they cause permanent damage.
The researchers cautioned that not all types of fiber can remove PFAS, and more research is needed to determine whether other types have the same effect.
In addition to removing PFAS from the body, fiber is also known to increase stool bulk and ease its passage, reducing the risk of constipation and promoting regular bowel movements.
Softer stools stay in the colon for less time, reducing the risk of harmful pollutants causing inflammation and promoting uncontrolled cell growth. This reduces the chance of developing colon cancer.
However, 90 percent of Americans do not consume the recommended amount of 22 to 34 grams of fiber each day.
There are several limitations to this new study, the main one being that PFAS can stay in the body for two to seven years, so a four-week experiment is not enough to fully assess the relationship.
The team also noted that consuming higher levels of fiber may be necessary to reduce PFAS levels in the long term. /Express newspaper/
edition
t7 live
