Effect of a four-week vitamin and mineral supplementation on the nutritional status and urinary excretion of arsenic in adolescents

Abstract

Introduction: adequate nutrition in adolescence is important for growth and development. There are environmental factors that cannot be avoided, such as exposure to heavy metals through natural sources such as water. Arsenic is a metalloid that can cause damage to health (alterations in nutritional status, diabetes, cancer) and it has been found in concentrations higher than those allowed in drinking water. Objective: to measure the effect of vitamin and mineral supplementation on the nutritional status and urinary excretion of arsenic in adolescents exposed to this metal through drinking water. Material and methods: an observational, follow-up study of a cohort was conducted to assess the efficacy of vitamin and mineral supplementation on supplementation in 45 adolescents exposed to arsenic in drinking water, who were given a daily multivitamin supplement for four weeks. Weekly nutritional status and arsenic levels in urine and drinking water were evaluated. Results: the basal nutritional intake was low for proteins, fiber, folic acid, vitamin B2, B6, B12, E, C, selenium and iron, increasing their consumption through the supplement during the intervention and with an increase of approximately 1 g/dl of hemoglobin in all participants. At the end of the intervention, there was an increase in fat-free mass and a decrease in the percentage of body fat. In relation to the urinary excretion of arsenic, the biggest elimination of this metalloid was observed from the first week of intervention (35.91 μg/g Cr [IC 95% = 23.2-74.8 μg/g Cr]), which was statistically significant compared to basal levels of urinary arsenic (43.2 μg/g Cr [IC 95% = 30.8-117.6 μg/g Cr]) (p < 0.05), with an average water consumption with As of 96.2 ± 7.5 μg/l. Conclusion: four weeks of supplementation with vitamins and minerals in the adolescent population studied improved nutritional status and increased metalloid excretion significantly in the first and second week after intervention.