Boy, you know the old saying “Get the lead out”? Well, unfortunately these days that needs to be what people are telling food companies and the organizations that are supposed to be watching out for our safety! It seems like daily I am coming across some new findings or research that exposes how contaminated some food products are, even when they are organic. Today’s article about the prominence of lead in certain foods is especially important for parents of young children to be aware of.
I don’t make a point of posting information and articles like the one today to scare people. Living in a state of fear serves no one. But I do think it behooves us to know about things happening with the food supply so we can make conscious, informed decisions about which brands we support with our dollars, as well as start making some noise about the current situation so that government and other regulating agencies will realize things need to change and quickly…..
(Jonathan Landsman for NaturalHealth365) Lead, a highly toxic heavy metal, has been found in thousands of commonly used food items throughout the world. Millions of unsuspecting food consumers are buying poor quality products that reduce I.Q.; cause learning disabilities; organ failure; reproductive problems and cancer.
Our food money can change the world. As health conscious food consumers, we must ask questions and see documentation, when appropriate, about the safety of our food. Keep in mind, especially with superfood nutrition companies, many food ingredients are tested for heavy metals. We just need to ask about the test results.
The danger of heavy metal consumption – over time
The body cannot easily eliminate lead from the body – so small doses will accumulate over time. In fact, government health regulators have stated that there is ‘no safe dosage of lead. And, as far as detoxification goes, it is far more difficult to naturally remove heavy metals from the body than it is to prevent exposure in the first place.
Marketing campaigns are targeting the most vulnerable.
The Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) recently tested drinks on the market, especially those marketed to children. The report states that a whopping 85% of the tested drinks contained enough lead to require a warning label. The results are alarming since 125 our 146 products had enough lead in a single serving to justify a warning.
Of course, there are currently no juice drinks with such a label. But, with enough public awareness – we can change this quickly.
According to the ELF, lead was found in major brands of juice including Welsh’s, Great Value, Kroger, Traders Joe’s, Walnut Acres Walgreen’s brand, Minute Maid, Gerber, Del Monte, and Dole. Plus, here’s the real surprise, lead was found in organic brands such as, 365 Everyday Value® Organic, Earth’s Best® Organic, and O Organics™. And, by the way, most of these food companies are against the non-GMO labeling movement sweeping the United States.
In addition, ELF found lead in a majority of the packaged fruit and baby food products. So, if you’re spending money on Del Monte, Libby’s, Market Pantry, S&W or Dole canned fruits – make the switch to fresh, whole foods and avoid these toxic, overly-processed foods.
Our food supply is not well-regulated
A new study out of the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) may give spicy food-lovers a real tummy ache. Researchers, at UNLV, reported that they’ve found concerning levels of lead in several types of imported hot sauces that were tested.
The study, by Shawn Gerstenberger and Jennifer Berger Ritchie, and published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Health, is the first known investigation into lead levels in hot sauces, according to the university. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not have a safe standard for lead in hot sauce. I’m sure the entire conventional food industry would like this issue to just go away – but it won’t.
Consumer Reports conducted an eye-opening investigation, which revealed that several popular highly-processed protein powders like Myoplex, Muscle Milk, Designer Whey and the GNC brand – all contained unacceptable levels of arsenic, cadmium and lead.
According to Consumer Reports editor Andrea Rock, ”Consuming these kinds of protein drinks on a regular basis can in some cases create the risk of chronic exposure, even at low levels, to heavy metals such as cadmium and lead that can pose health problems, particularly to vulnerable people.”
She goes on to say that, ”vulnerable people are children under age 18, pregnant women, and people suffering with diabetes or chronic kidney conditions.”
The detection of high levels of lead found in Chinese canned peaches, last year, has reignited calls for stronger country of origin labeling and more rigorous testing. This has yet to happen.
Organic food buyers need to be careful
The state attorney general has accused several large California grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, of selling lead-tainted ginger and plum candies in a case that underscores how little consumers know about the food they eat.
The lawsuit, filed April 30 in San Francisco Superior Court, argues that Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, 99 Ranch Market, Island Pacific Supermarket, Marina Food and other retailers have been selling candy, snacks and bulk food made with ginger or dried plums that contains dangerously high levels of lead.
These companies did not alert customers to the lead, the suit charges, and that violates California’s Proposition 65 – which requires businesses to warn consumers about harmful toxins in food, toys, jewelry and other products.
Lead-tainted food can end up in customers’ shopping carts more easily than they think, said Michael Hansen, senior staff scientist at Consumers Union and a national expert on food safety. He said many retailers get products, particularly those made with ginger, from Asia, where food is less expensive and often produced in contaminated environments with little oversight.
If your concerned about the health risks associated with heavy metal toxicity – learn more about how to remove lead safely and effectively. Most natural health care providers will talk about the importance of *vitamin C plus many other antioxidants to counter the harmful effects of heavy metals which cause massive free radical damage, cellular inflammation and disease.
A guide to safe, healthy shopping
Do your homework when buying packaged foods. Let’s face it – looking at labels simply isn’t good enough. Living in toxic environment requires phone calls, emails and face-to-face conversations with our food providers.
Are the companies you buy from testing their products for heavy metals? Call and find out. Would you like to avoid GMOs? Get the non-GMO shopping guide and make wise purchasing decisions. Naturally, your greatest food security comes from growing your own food or buying (only) from verified, organic non-GMO food companies.
*I am glad to see Vitamin C mentioned here; the more I read lately, the more I feel we have been under-estimating the importance of adequate doses of C the last so many years because of all the new superfoods/supplements that are now vying for our attention. I have recently upped my intake of C, both in regular and lipo form. Supposedly supplementing with as little as 1,000 mg a day can make a significant difference in decreasing blood levels of lead and removing it from the central nervous system.
References:
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_23366231/lead-tainted-ginger-case-state-sues-trader-joes
https://www.consumerlab.com/news/Protein_Powders_Reviewed/06_11_2013
http://foodbabe.com/2012/12/13/the-healthiest-protein-powders-on-the-market
http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/428-lead-in-fruit-juices-fruit-snacks-and-childrens-drinks.html
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/LeadFAQ.aspx
Study Finds Concerning Levels of Lead in Imported Hot Sauces
http://www.inhabitots.com/85-of-kids-drinks-snacks-could-contain-high-levels-of-lead
What’s interesting is right after finding the article by Jonathan Landsman, I came across this one, which really made everything hit home in a way it hadn’t before. Here’s just one excerpt from the report….
These lead levels exceed California limits, which call for health-related evaluations when exposure goes beyond 80 parts per million. One home even showed lead at 580 parts per million! Another reading reported more than 1,000 parts per million, which is soil that should be classified as hazardous waste. This prompted state officials to test another 20 homes in the City of Maywood two miles south. The high lead levels were persistent in Boyle Heights, although individual home readings are being kept private at the moment.
Read the full article here:
http://www.naturalnews.com/044352_Los_Angeles_lead_contamination_hazardous_waste.html
Related Self-help Health posts:
https://selfhelphealth.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/dont-underestimate-the-power-of-c/
https://selfhelphealth.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/clay-detoxing-baths-packs-and-more/
Salud!
p.s. Be sure to subscribe to Self-help Health so you don’t miss any future posts, and tell your friends to do the same. Also check out my website’s To Your Health page and Evolution Made Easier blog for more helpful health tips, tools and information.
Disclaimer: Please note that any information here is provided as a guideline only, and is not meant to substitute for the advice of your physician, nutritionist, trained healthcare practitioner, and/or inner guidance system. Always consult a professional before undertaking any change to your normal health routine.
Self-help Health 
Keep it up ZIRAH1. I like that you point out there’s a difference between trying to scare someone and trying to inform them. It’s so frustrating that there are manufacturers and politicians that really don’t care about us. Rather than trying to change the world, it does make sense to do the homework and support companies/products that provide quality.
LikeLike
Thanks for the encouragement. Sometimes it’s hard to decide what to post because I want to focus on solutions and empowering people health-wise, but often we don’t even know something is a problem unless/until certain information is provided. They say innocence is bliss, but it can also be deadly. I feel there are a number of ways we can change things, whether it’s lead in our food and soil or water supply (yipes! did you read the post https://selfhelphealth.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/water-water-everywhere-but-not-a-drop-to-drink/?). Being informed and aware is certainly the place to start, and then letting government and other regulating agencies know how we feel and “voting” with our dollars (that last one always seems to get the attention of companies/businesses :-)).
p.s. I’m delighted that you are interested in some of the stuff I focus on here. Being a dentist, I see you as someone in a position to help make sure people are informed about things that are important to their overall, as well as dental, health. From all the reading and research I’ve done, dental and overall health are very much intertwined….you can’t have one w/out the other.
LikeLike