WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study revealed that taking a fiber supplement made from oats before meals may help remove harmful 'forever chemicals', also called PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), from the body.
These chemicals are used in many everyday items like non-stick pans, cosmetics, stain-resistant clothes, food packaging, and waterproof gear. They are known as 'forever chemicals' because they don't break down easily and can stay in the body for a long time, leading to life-threatening diseases. Scientists have been looking for safe ways to get rid of PFAS from both the body and the environment.
'Despite the growing concerns about the toxicity of PFAS, specific interventions to reduce PFAS levels in the body are limited,' the authors noted. 'Current clinical treatments to reduce PFAS body burden are minimal.'
In this new study, published in Environmental Health, researchers found that a fiber called beta-glucan, found in oats, might help. They gave 72 Canadian men aged 18 to 65 with PFAS in their blood either an oat-based fiber supplement or a fake pill, made of rice, before each meal.
After four weeks, participants who took the oat fiber showed about a 10 percent drop in two of the most harmful PFAS types-PFOA and PFOS. These two chemicals are often found in drinking water, cosmetics, and food packaging, and they can build up in the body.
Even though the reduction was small, scientists say it's a good starting point for developing a diet-based method to reduce PFAS in the body.
'Results from this pilot analysis suggest a potentially practical and feasible intervention that may reduce human body burdens for some PFASs,' the authors concluded.
'However, studies utilizing a larger sample with a broader range of serum concentrations, longer intervention period and clinically relevant fiber intakes are needed to determine the efficacy of using gel-forming dietary fibres to increase PFAS excretion.'
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