A recent study coauthored by a Wadsworth Center scientist suggests that following U.S. dietary guidelines during pregnancy may reduce exposure to some, but not all, environmental chemicals. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, examined how diet quality relates to chemical exposures among pregnant participants in the National Institutes of Health-funded Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.
Researchers analyzed urine samples from nearly 1,500 pregnant participants for more than 120 environmental chemicals at Dr. Kurunthachalam Kannan’s laboratory in the Wadsworth Center’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences. Chemicals can enter food during farming, processing, packaging, and cooking, making diet an important potential source of exposure. Participants whose diets more closely followed the Dietary Guidelines for Americans – including greater consumption of lean protein – had lower levels of some chemicals commonly associated with food packaging. For example, concentrations of one phthalate, a plasticizer that can migrate from food packaging, were 13% lower among participants with higher-quality diets.
The findings also highlight the complexity of dietary chemical exposures. Participants who ate more fruits and vegetables and less added sugar had higher levels of certain pesticides, which may be present on fresh produce. These results reinforce the importance of a healthy diet in pregnancy while identifying areas where additional guidance may reduce chemical exposures.
The study, “Dietary guidelines adherence and pregnancy exposure to 10 classes of priority chemicals: An observational study in the ECHO Cohort,” underscores the need for further research on practical strategies to reduce exposure through diet.