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Summary
Reducing dietary nickel intake is achievable through specific food choices. This study identified high-nickel foods and proposed a diet sheet to help lower nickel consumption, demonstrating practical dietary management.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Nutritional Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Nickel is an essential trace element, but excessive intake can be a concern.
- Understanding nickel content in commonly consumed foods is crucial for dietary assessment.
- Variability in nickel levels across food items necessitates accurate quantification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the nickel content in various food items available in Denmark.
- To develop and evaluate a dietary intervention for reducing nickel ingestion.
- To measure nickel intake in individuals under different dietary conditions.
Main Methods:
- Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used for nickel analysis in food samples.
- A diet instruction sheet was created to guide reduced nickel intake.
- Nickel intake was monitored in volunteers over 24-hour periods using their usual, reduced, and increased nickel diets.
Main Results:
- High nickel concentrations (1-10 mg/kg) were found in foods such as cocoa, licorice, nuts, seeds, beans, oatmeal, and wheat bran.
- Adherence to the proposed diet instruction sheet significantly reduced daily nickel intake.
- Volunteers could consciously increase their nickel intake by selecting specific foods.
Conclusions:
- Dietary nickel content varies significantly across different food items.
- A practical dietary approach can effectively reduce daily nickel ingestion.
- Food analysis and dietary guidance are key to managing nickel intake.