Risk-Benefit Analysis of Contaminants in First Nations Communities Drawing from Off‑The-Land Sources

This project was undertaken to determine if promoting an off-the-land diet could help reduce certain diseases within First Nations communities in Canada. The objectives of this study were to assess contaminant exposure in the Kasabonika and Wapekeka First Nations in Ontario, and examine possible side effects of this exposure. A further goal was to establish relationships between levels of wild food consumption, environmental contaminants, and diseases such as Type II diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Finally, the team wished to determine if the promotion of a wild food diet could reduce the incidence of disease.

The project team interviewed members of the Kasabonika Lake and Wapekeka First Nations about their dietary patterns and their consumption of country foods. Researchers collected blood and hair samples from the participants and analysed them for PCBs and mercury, respectively. The team analyzed the levels of contaminants in blood and hair samples to identify any links between these levels and obesity, type 2 diabetes, and inflammation.

Mercury and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were found in both “high wild food eaters”, who primarily ate wild country foods, and “low wild food eaters”, who primarily ate store-bought foods. Levels of these contaminants were generally higher in the high wild food group and in people above 40 years of age and higher for both groups than in the rest of Canada. The level of obesity in the two groups was almost double the level of non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.

The team concluded the high obesity level and greater waist circumference were most likely responsible for the high rates of Type II diabetes they observed. However, the levels of obesity, type 2 diabetes and inflammation were no different in either group. Therefore, the study team concluded primarily eating a traditional food diet did not reduce the occurrence of certain diseases but the benefits did outweigh the risks.