Protective Effects of Micronutrients in Traditional Inuit Food: Research from Laval University

2023-11-17 20:05:32

This content is produced by Laval University.

Professor Ayotte and two members of his team, Ariane Barrette and Marc Lebordais, took advantage of the Sentinel North 2023 Scientific Meeting to present the results of their recent work on the issue. This meeting, which took place on November 15 and 16 at the Quebec City Convention Center, brought together nearly 300 people, including representatives of northern communities and public and private partner organizations.

In general, researchers who study the presence of contaminants in traditional Inuit food are the bearers of bad news. The research carried out over the past few years by Professor Ayotte’s team on two micronutrients – selenoneine and ergothioneine – constitutes a happy exception to this rule. These two very similar compounds (the selenium atom present in the first is replaced by a sulfur atom in the second) would have protective effects for the nervous system and they would counteract the manifestations of diseases linked to aging.

“They are produced by marine and terrestrial microorganisms, and they are found, by a route that we do not yet know, in all the tissues and organs of certain animals traditionally consumed by the Inuit. Our work shows that beluga skin is an important source of selenoneine and ergothioneine while caribou meat is an important source of ergothioneine,” summarizes Professor Ayotte.

Mattaaq is made from the skin and subcutaneous fat of the beluga. This food popular in Nunavik is rich in selenoneine and ergothioneine. (Martin Fortier)

Using blood samples taken from 1,326 people aged 16 and over living in Nunavik, researchers discovered that the concentrations of selenoneine and ergothioneine were respectively 34 times and 5 times higher than those measured in people living in southern Quebec. “Our analyzes show that the greater the consumption of traditional foods, the higher the blood concentrations of the two compounds,” underlines Professor Ayotte.

The protective effects of these two compounds, in particular the detoxifying effect of selenioneine on methylmercury, force a re-examination of the level of exposure to certain pollutants that would be attributable to the traditional Inuit diet. “It is possible that, for a given consumption of traditional foods, the risk of methylmercury contamination is lower than previously believed. It is also possible that Inuit might consume more traditional foods without increasing health risks, if they ensure a sufficient intake of selenoneine and ergothioneine. Before drawing clear conclusions in this direction, however, we must accumulate more evidence,” concludes Professor Ayotte cautiously.

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