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[Meat from the nutritional medicine viewpoint].

As in all forms of food, contaminants can also be present in meat. Because of the growing awareness of ecological and health issue, more tests with sophisticated equipment are now being implemented, thus reducing the risk of consuming contaminated meat. Meat has become the most heavily inspected form of food. In contrast to vegetable matter, animals can discharge many contaminants. Meat, with the exception of the liver and kidneys, is therefore less likely to be contaminated than vegetables. Facts show that meat is a highly nutritious food which, if consumed moderately, can contribute to our well-being. Meat contains the right combination of amino acids for protein synthesis in the human body, and especially it contains plenty of essential amino acids. Above all, meat contains many vitamins, trace elements, and iron. Large amounts of these substances are particularly necessary for growing children and people who are doing hard physical work. A reduction of meat consumption is only necessary in the case of a few illnesses. Some other illnesses actually require an increase in protein, and thus an increase in meat in the diet.

Dietary Fats↗

Mechanism of action of food-associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogens.

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogens are formed in the inefficient combustion of organic matter and contaminate foods through direct deposition from the atmosphere or during cooking or smoking of foods. These potent carcinogens and mutagens require metabolism to dihydrodiol epoxide metabolites in order to express their biological activities. In vitro studies show that these reactive metabolites can react with the bases in DNA with different specificities depending upon the hydrocarbon from which they are derived. Thus, the more potent carcinogens react more extensively with adenine residues in DNA than do the less potent carcinogens, with the result that mutation at A . T base pairs is enhanced for the more potent carcinogens. In the past few years, considerable clarification of the mechanism of metabolic activation have been achieved and the focus for the immediate future is expected to be on how the reactive metabolites actually bring about biological responses.

Animals↗

Ochratoxin A levels in human plasma and foods in Lebanon.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a widespread mycotoxin which contaminates food such as cereals, beer, coffee, wine and products of animal origin. OTA is known for its nephrotoxic, immunotoxic and carcinogenic properties. The prevalence of OTA in human blood and foodstuffs has been investigated in many countries. In this study, exposure of the Lebanese population to OTA was evaluated and the contamination of the most commonly consumed foods in Lebanon by OTA was assessed. Plasma samples from healthy individuals and also cereals and beer samples obtained from markets were collected from the different regions of Lebanon. OTA was detectable in 33% of tested plasma samples (n =250) with a concentration ranging from 0.1 to 0.87 ng/mL and a mean of 0.17+/-0.01ng/mL. No sex and age differences were found. The frequency of OTA-positive plasma samples obtained in the South of Lebanon and in the Bekaa valley (50 and 47%, respectively) was significantly higher compared to plasma samples obtained in the Beirut/Mount Lebanon region (19%). Food analyses showed that wheat, burghul and beer were contaminated with a mean value of 0.15+/-0.03 microg/kg, 0.21+/-0.04 microg/kg and 0.19+/-0.12 ng/mL, respectively. These data suggest that the Lebanese population is exposed to OTA through food ingestion at concentrations lower than the tolerable daily intake.

Adolescent↗