Urinary cadmium concentrations and intake of nutrients, food groups and dietary patterns in women from Northern Mexico

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal found in some foods. There is limited evidence about the relationship of Cd exposure with nutrient and food groups consumption, and almost no information regarding dietary patterns. The objective was to evaluate the association between diet and urinary Cd, and to explore whether metal concentrations vary according to the intake of some nutrients. Urinary Cd concentrations of 891 female residents of northern Mexico were determined by tandem mass spectrometry. We obtained food consumption through a food frequency questionnaire and we used previously defined food groups and estimated dietary patterns by factor analysis. We found positive associations between Cd and daily consumption of non-starchy vegetables (ß = 0.067, 95% CI 0.030, 0.1023), legumes (ß = 0.139, 95% CI 0.065, 0.213) and processed meats (ß = 0.163, 95% CI 0.035.0.291), as well as the Western (ß = 0.083, 95% CI: 0.027.0.139) and Prudent dietary patterns (ß = 0.035, 95% CI: −0.020, 0.091). In contrast, we observed a negative association with the vegetable oil group (ß = −0.070, 95% CI −0.125, −0.014). In addition, we found higher concentrations of Cd in women under 50 years of age with a lower iron intake than recommended. Food is a source of exposure to this metal and at the same time provides nutrients that modulate its metabolism. It is important to generate dietary guidelines to reduce the health effects of Cd exposure.

Keywords:

• Cadmium/urine
• diet
• dietary patterns
• Mexico

Acknowledgments

We are deeply grateful to the women that participated in the study and: Verónica López for coordination of the fieldwork; Reina Collado for administrative support; Rosa María García Hernández for laboratory technical assistance, as well as the participating hospitals: in Nuevo León, UMAE H. de Especialidades No. 25 and 23 from IMSS, H. Regional ‘Monterrey’ from ISSSTE, Centro Universitario contra el Cáncer, H. Universitario ‘Dr. José E. González’; in Coahuila, H. de la Mujer and H. General de Torreón from SSA, and UMAE H. de Especialidades 71 from IMSS; in Chihuahua, H. General ‘Ciudad Juárez’ and H. General ‘Presidente Lázaro Cárdenas’ from ISSSTE, and Centro Estatal de Cancerología de Chihuahua from SSA; in Sonora, H. General ‘Dr. Fernando Ocaranza’ from ISSSTE, H. Integral de la Mujer del Estado de Sonora and H. Oncológico del Estado de Sonora from SSA, and UMAE Hospital de Especialidades No. 2 from IMSS; in Durango, Clínica H. ‘Gómez Palacio’ and H General ‘Dr. Santiago Ramón y Cajal’ from ISSSTE, and Centro Estatal de Cancerología de Durango from SSA. In addition, we thank Dr. Graciela Caire-Juvera and Dr. Luisa Torres-Sánchez for their comments that enriched this report.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are not publicly available due to participant privacy or consent concerns but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT)-Fondo Sectorial de Investigación en Salud y Seguridad Social (FOSISS) [SALUD-2005-C02-14373, SALUD-2009-01-111384, SALUD-2010-C01-140962, SALUD-2016-1-272632]; Fondo Sectorial de Investigación para la Educación [2008-79912 SEP-CONACYT]; Proyectos de desarrollo científico para atender problemas nacionales [PDCPN2013-01-215464]; Fondo Institucional para el Desarrollo Científico, Tecnológico y de Innovación [FORDECYT-PRONACES/137732/2020] and the Mount Sinai International Exchange Program for Minority Students funded by the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities [T37 MD001452] and the Fogarty International Center [Fogarty International Center D43 TW011403].