Czy rodzaj stosowanej diety: wegańska i wegetariańska lub tradycyjna, niewykluczająca mięsa, wpływa na zawartość metali ciężkich, dioksyn i polichlorowanych bifenyli w mleku kobiecym? Badanie wstępne
Does diet (vegan, vegetarian or traditional) influence the concentration of heavy metals, dioxins and PCBs in human milk? A pilot study

Summary/Abstract: Introduction: Pollution of the environment with heavy metals, dioxins and PCBs is a serious ecological and health problem; moreover, these toxins are also found in food. Metals and dioxins can bioaccumulate and biomagnify, which theoretically means there is a lower risk of toxicity for vegans, who exclude animal products. Material and methods: In the study the content of arsenic (As), barium (Ba), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls were analyzed in the breast milk of 34 women on different types of diet (vegan, vegetarian or traditional). The level of heavy metals in milk was determined with mass spectrometry and the levels of dioxins and PCBs were analyzed using gas chromatography. Results: The study revealed that in some samples the content of arsenic, barium, chromium, nickel, lead and mercury exceeded the allowable concentrations. Higher concentrations of copper and chromium were found in samples from women on a traditional diet, while in milk obtained from women on a plant diet there was a higher concentration of mercury. Higher concentrations of heavy metals were found in milk samples collected in spring than in samples collected in autumn. The concentration of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls did not exceed the admissible values. Conclusions: Based on the obtained results, it cannot be stated unequivocally whether a vegan and vegetarian diet compared to a traditional diet have a positive or negative influence on the concentration of heavy metals, dioxins and PCBs in human milk

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