Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:

The effect of a high-selenium lentil diet on cardiovascular risk markers in an arsenic-exposed population

Abstract

Chronic arsenic exposure is associated with a number of systemic diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Selenium has been shown to promote arsenic excretion from the body. We investigated if a high-selenium lentil diet has an effect on blood pressure and plasma lipid levels in an arsenic-exposed population by conducting a 6-month randomized controlled dietary intervention trial with 405 participants.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Within group differences in cholesterol levels in the low- and high-Se groups throughout the intervention trial.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Navas-Acien A, Sanchez TR, Mann K, Jones MR. Arsenic exposure and cardiovascular disease: evidence needed to inform the dose-response at low levels. Curr Epidemiol Rep. 2019;6:81–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Levander OA. Metabolic interrelationships between arsenic and selenium. Environ Health Perspect. 1977;19:159–64.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Zhang X, Liu C, Guo J, Song Y. Selenium status and cardiovascular diseases: meta-analysis of prospective observational studies and randomized controlled trials. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2016;70:162+.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Smits JE, Krohn RM, Akhtar E, Hore SK, Yunus M, Vandenberg A, et al. Food as medicine: selenium enriched lentils offer relief against chronic arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh. Environ Res. 2019;176:108561.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Krohn RM, Raqib R, Akhtar E, Vandenberg A, Smits JEG. A high-selenium lentil dietary intervention in Bangladesh to counteract arsenic toxicity: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2016;17:218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Krohn RM, Lemaire M, Negro Silva LF, Lemarie C, Bolt A, Mann KK, et al. High-selenium lentil diet protects against arsenic-induced atherosclerosis in a mouse model. J Nutr Biochem. 2016;27:9–15.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Fernandez ML, Webb D. The LDL to HDL cholesterol ratio as a valuable tool to evaluate coronary heart disease risk. J Am Coll Nutr. 2008;27:1–5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Soran H, Schofield JD, Durrington PN. Antioxidant properties of HDL. Front Pharmacol. 2015;6:1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Anderson JW, Major AW. Pulses and lipaemia, short- and long-term effect: potential in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Br J Nutr. 2002;88:S263–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Karim MR, Rahman M, Islam K, Mamun AA, Hossain S, Hossain E, et al. Increases in Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein and Other Inflammatory and Adhesion Molecules With a Concomitant Decrease in High-Density Lipoprotein in the Individuals Exposed to Arsenic in Bangladesh. Toxicological Sci. 2013;135:17–25.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

The authors conceived (JS) and contributed to study design and implementation (RK, EA, RR, JS) laboratory analyses (RK, EA), interpretation of results and writing of the manuscript (RK, EA, RR, JS). GK performed statistical analyses and aided in drafting the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Regina M. Krohn.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Krohn, R.M., Akhtar, E., Kwong, G.P.S. et al. The effect of a high-selenium lentil diet on cardiovascular risk markers in an arsenic-exposed population. Eur J Clin Nutr 76, 772–774 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-021-01029-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-021-01029-7

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links