Exploring the double burden of malnutrition and environmental toxicants: Mechanisms of interaction and health consequences
Oluwatobi Victoria Obayomi, Lukman Shehu Mustapha, Mina Dokouhaki, Kehinde Shola Obayomi
Abstract
• Toxicants bioaccumulate and biomagnify, posing serious health risks. • Toxicants impair nutrient absorption and cause oxidative stress. • Nutrition and micronutrients reduce toxicant uptake and enhance detox. • Heavy and aflatoxins cause major nutrition-related diseases. • Gut microbiome affects nutrient use and toxicant breakdown, needing integrative care. Environmental toxicants bioaccumulate throughout the food chain, posing significant risks to food safety and nutritional quality, particularly in vulnerable populations. This review explored how environmental contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, and mycotoxins can impair nutrient absorption, disrupt metabolic processes, and trigger oxidative stress, contributing to nutrient deficiencies and increased disease susceptibility. The health impacts of environmental toxicants are evident in conditions such as lead-induced anemia, mercury exposure through fish consumption, and growth impairment linked to aflatoxin ingestion as discussed in this review. Nutritional status plays a critical role in modulating toxicant effects. Adequate levels of micronutrients such as iron, calcium, selenium, and zinc can mitigate toxicity by competing for absorption sites, enhancing detoxification pathways, and reducing oxidative damage. Conversely, poor nutrition or deficiencies can increase toxicant absorption and amplify health risks. The gut microbiome emerges as a key mediator in this nexus, influencing both nutrient metabolism and the biotransformation of toxicants. Disruptions to microbial balance by toxicants may compromise intestinal integrity, nutrient synthesis, and immune regulation. This review highlights the bidirectional relationship between nutrition and environmental toxicology, emphasizing the need for integrated risk assessments, nutritional interventions, and environmental policies. Addressing these interconnections requires a multidisciplinary approach involving nutrition science, toxicology, microbiology, and environmental health to advance sustainable public health strategies.