High-Dietary Fiber Diet Reduces Arsenic Oral Bioavailability and Health Risk from Soils by Regulating Gut Microbiota...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Toxicology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Dietary regulation of arsenic (As) oral bioavailability offers a sustainable alternative to conventional soil remediation.
• Understanding how different diets affect As bioavailability is crucial for assessing exposure and health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of four distinct dietary structures (high-fat, high-protein, high-carbohydrate, high-dietary fiber) on arsenic relative bioavailability (RBA) in mice.
• To elucidate the mechanisms underlying diet-mediated changes in As RBA and associated health risks.

Main Methods:

• A mouse bioassay was employed to assess As RBA in two different soil types.
• Mice were fed one of four specific diets: high-fat, high-protein, high-carbohydrate, or high-dietary fiber.
• Gut microbiota composition, intestinal permeability, and epithelial cell apoptosis were analyzed.

Main Results:

• High-dietary fiber diets decreased As-RBA by 9.49-13.2% and lowered health risks, outperforming high-protein and high-carbohydrate diets.
• A high-fat diet increased As-RBA by 8.72-11.9% and elevated health risks.
• Dietary fiber intake correlated with reduced intestinal permeability, increased beneficial gut bacteria (Roseburia, Lachnospiraceae), and decreased intestinal cell apoptosis.

Conclusions:

• High-dietary fiber diets mitigate arsenic exposure and health risks through positive modulation of gut microbiota and intestinal barrier function.
• High-fat diets exacerbate arsenic exposure and health risks, linked to detrimental shifts in gut microbial populations.
• Dietary interventions represent a promising strategy for managing arsenic-related environmental health risks.