(P14-095-23) Adherence to Healthy Dietary Patterns and Plasma Concentrations of Environmental Chemicals: An Environmental Paradox of Healthful Dietary Patterns?

Objectives: Healthy dietary patterns such as alternate Mediterranean diet (aMED), alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) are considered to benefit cardiometabolic health, yet their associations with exogenous environmental chemicals including endocrine disruptors are understudied. We investigated associations of these dietary patterns with plasma concentrations of chemicals in early pregnancy and whether the associations, if any, were modified by race/ethnicity.

Methods: Among 1627 pregnant women from the NICHD Fetal Growth Study, aMED, aHEI, and DASH scores were calculated based on dietary information during periconception and early pregnancy collected by food frequency questionnaire. Plasma levels of 97 chemicals were measured using blood collected at 8-13 gestational weeks, including OCPs, PBDEs, PCBs, PFASs and metals. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine associations of each dietary pattern with each chemical, adjusting for major confounders. Beta coefficients were converted into percent difference of chemical concentrations (change%) using the following formula: (e^β − 1) × 100.

Results: Greater aMED and aHEI scores were associated with higher concentrations of PCBs and PFASs (e.g., PFUnDA). For instance, per score increase in aMED and aHEI was related to a significant increment in total PCBs [3.8% (95% CI: 1.8, 5.8) for aMED; 1.0% (0.6, 1.4) for aHEI], and PFUnDA [6.5% (3.6, 9.4) for aMED; 2.2% (1.6, 9.7) for aHEI], respectively. Such associations were stronger among Asian & Pacific Islander. aHEI and DASH scores were positively related to OCPs as well, in particular P_P_DDE and P_P_DDT.

Conclusions: Greater adherence to AMED and AHEI were related to higher plasma concentrations of several chemicals, in particular PCBs and PFASs known as endocrine disruptors with adverse health effects. Future studies on health implications of such dietary patterns may consider their associations with these chemicals.

Funding Sources: NICHD intramural funding