Nutritional Interventions for Miners Exposed to Heavy Metals

Abstract

Miners face chronic exposure to toxic heavy metals, yet nutritional strategies for mitigating this hazard remain underutilized in occupational health practice. Evidence suggests that adequate intake of zinc, vitamin D, calcium, and antioxidants may reduce metal absorption and toxicity through competitive transport inhibition and oxidative stress modulation. While compounds like green tea polyphenols and pectin show promise in experimental models, human evidence in occupational settings is scarce. Baseline nutritional status significantly influences susceptibility, supporting the inclusion of nutritional assessments in routine health examinations for miners. However, most current evidence relies on mechanistic and animal studies, highlighting an urgent need for well-designed randomized controlled trials in mining populations. Such studies should account for local dietary habits to develop culturally adapted, evidence-based nutritional protocols for integration into occupational health systems.