Benefits, Risks and Viability of an Ecosystem Food and Health Model in Wapekeka and Kasabonika First Nations

Wapekeka First Nation and Kasabonika First Nation have been concerned about the levels of contaminants in wild foods and the potential adverse health effects resulting from their consumption.

Phase I of study established relationships between the rates of wild food consumption, the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury in blood and hair samples respectively, and the incidence/prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The objectives of Phase II of the project were to: 1) measure the concentrations of environmental contaminants in local food resources; 2) examine the effects of these contaminants on human adipose tissue metabolism; 3) assess the benefits of country foods on blood fatty acid profiles; and 4) describe current food harvesting, food preparation, and food consumption practices. The study was conducted during the periods of highest traditional food consumption and highest traditional food harvesting activity (spring and fall).

The concentrations of mercury in certain fish species, such as northern pike and walleye, were found to exceed the US Environmental Protection Agency’s advisory guidelines. PCBs in traditional foods were lower than mercury and less likely than mercury to exceed EPA guidelines However, to minimize exposure to mercury and PCBs, it was recommended that walleye and northern pike should be consumed in lower quantities, and preferably substituted with increased consumption of whitefish and/or sucker. The results also demonstrated that some organic contaminants were able to increase the number and replication capacity of human preadipocytes, which could favour the development of fat. While past studies have suggested that PCB77 inhibits the gene expression of adiponectin in mouse adipose cell-lines, a protein known for its anti-diabetic properties, the results of the current study found that PCB77 and PCB153 stimulated the secretion of adiponectin in human preadipocytes. The reason for the discrepancy in findings is unclear. Differences in dietary practices between “high wild food eaters”, who primarily consumed country foods, and “low wild food eaters”, who primarily ate store-bought food, led to variations in the fatty acid profile of circulating phospholipids, with “high wild food eaters” showing a tendency for having longer chain fatty acids and more unsaturated fatty acids within phospholipids. However, based on the results from Phase I, these small changes in fatty acid composition were insufficient to reduce the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity.