INFLUENCE OF SHORT-TERM DIETARY MEASURES ON DIOXIN CONCENTRATIONS IN HUMAN-MILK

Breast-feeding may expose infants to high levels of toxic chlorinated dioxins. To diminish intake of these lipophilic compounds by the baby, two diets were tested for their ability to reduce concentrations of d ioxins in human milk. The diets were a low-fat/high-carbohydrate/low-d ioxin diet (about 20% of energy intake derived from fat) and a high-fa t/low-carbohydrate/low-dioxin diet. These diets were rested in 16 and 18 breast-feeding women, respectively. The test diets were followed fo r 5 consecutive days in the fourth week after delivery. Milk was sampl ed before at the end of the dietary regimen, and dioxin concentrations and fatty acid concentrations were determined. Despite significant in fluences of these diets on the fatty acid profiles, no significant inf luence on the dioxin concentrations in breast milk could be found. We conclude that short-term dietary measures will not reduce dioxin conce ntrations in human milk.