Arsenic Exposure and the Western Diet: A Recipe for Metabolic Disorders?

Julia R. Barrett, MS, ELS, a Madison, WI–based science writer and editor, is a member of the National Association of Science Writers and the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences. About This Article open Citation: Barrett JR. 2016. Arsenic exposure and the Western diet: a recipe for metabolic disorders? Environ Health Perspect 124:A39; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.124-A39 Published: 1 February 2016 PDF Version (3.5 MB) Related EHP Article Effects of Arsenite Exposure during Fetal Development on Energy Metabolism and Susceptibility to Diet-Induced Fatty Liver Disease in Male Mice Eric J. Ditzel, Thu Nguyen, Patricia Parker, and Todd D. Camenisch Chronic arsenic exposure is common in many areas worldwide owing to naturally occurring contamination of well water.1 Arsenic has been shown to contribute to various cancers, skin lesions, and cardiovascular disease.1 Epidemiological studies on arsenic and metabolic outcomes such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, and diabetes have yielded mixed results, however,2,3,4,5 although regional variations in factors such as diet could explain the discrepancies. A new mouse study in this issue of EHP suggests that prenatal and early-life exposures to low-level arsenic, combined with a Western-style diet, may induce developmental changes that heighten the risk of future metabolic disorders and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.6 A small body of evidence indicates that prenatal and early-life arsenic exp...
Source: EHP Research - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Featured News Science Selection February 2016 Source Type: research