What’s it all about?
Due to pollution, soil where the foods are grown can be contaminated with heavy metals.
If you are a science nerd, the ones most commonly identified as an issue are lead, chromium, arsenic, zinc, cadmium, copper, mercury and nickel.
These metals usually accumulate as a result of emissions from industrial areas, leaded gasoline and paints, some fertilizers, manures, sewage and pesticides to name just a few of the culprits.
Even though we are no longer using leaded gasoline or lead based paints the damage has been done.
Most metals don’t undergo degradation so they stay in the ground or water for a long, long time.
Pollution in the air or water makes its way into the soil or into our rivers and oceans.
When these toxins end up in the water, we can see this impact by measuring the levels found in the fish that we eat.
When they end up in the soil, they can be absorbed by food.
Some foods are more susceptible than others.
At least we have started to make some changes here in this country. For example, we no longer use leaded gasoline and some industrial regulations have been put into place.
The fact is that many of our regulations are too little too late.
Even if our home grown foods were perfectly safe, which they aren't, many products are imported from countries who are not even beginning to enact any effective regulation.
Trying to feed our children and ourselves clean food is stressful!
Knowing that we have issues with some of these contaminants isn’t new.
Many people already limit certain fish due to mercury.
We have been educated about the dangerous impact lead exposure can have on our children.
We routinely get our kids tested to make sure the lead levels aren’t elevated.
Arsenic wasn’t something that most of us were paying attention to at all until the elevated arsenic levels in organic brown rice syrup created a media sensation several years ago.
But it appears that even though concerns about unsafe levels were identified, current studies clearly indicate that not enough was being done.
To make things worse, many of the brands listed in these allegations are the ones that parents have counted on for generations to provide safe quality products.
It is very frustrating that even with the changes that have been implemented, it is still evident that they were not enough.
At the very least, customers should have been informed that mitigating these concerns was still a work in progress.
I think it is perfectly reasonable to feel angry and betrayed.
Go ahead; get good and mad. But then let it out and take a deep breath and release it.
It is not helpful for you to hold in all that negative energy.
Turn it into action.
You can choose to no longer give these companies your business.
Done!
What I wish you wouldn’t feel is guilt.
Assuming your children have consumed some of these products, I am guessing that you made the best choices that you could based on the information that you had.
We don’t know what we don’t know and we can’t manage the past, so as hard as it might be, please forgive yourself.
I think that it is actually very beneficial that this information is surfacing so that we can make healthier choices moving forward.
See if you can take any anxiety that you are feeling and channel it into a resolve to take positive action.
What choices can you make now that you have this information?
Alas, while going organic can minimize pesticide exposure it doesn’t have much impact on the heavy metals.
Pay attention to the biggest culprits. Rice cereal is one of the biggest offenders. Brown rice has some nutritional advantages but white rice is the safer option.
The heavy metals absorbed into the food from soil are going to impact the surface of the food the most. White rice is processed to remove that outer bran layer.
If you are cooking your own rice, start with a little more water than called for and then do an extra rinse. This can help decrease potential toxins significantly.
Rice has nutritional benefits and by no means needs to be completely removed from your diet.
As I have been saying in my solid foods class for years, some amount of rice cereal is fine, I just wouldn’t give it daily.
Variety is beneficial.
Be a label reader - organic rice syrup is an ingredient found in many snacks.
Sweet potatoes and carrots are two popular veggies that have been found to absorb the highest amounts of the heavy metals. They still have some worthy nutrition, I certainly think there is room for them in a healthy diet.
Just like the rice, the outer part is going to be the place that has absorbed the highest level of the metals. Deep peeling can help a lot.
Fruit juices are also on the list. This one is easy. No kid really needs to be drinking juice. That being said, of course, the occasional bit of juice is not something to stress over.
Certain nutrients may offer protection.
Antioxidants can help prevent absorption of toxins.
It has been well documented that lead doesn’t absorb as well if a diet is high in iron and vitamin C.
This is true for the other heavy metals as well.
Making sure that you give your kids adequate fluids is great for flushing out the system.
Variety is important.
Make sure you switch things up and offer a large assortment of foods, rather than eating the same thing over and over.
In conclusion, I don’t know of many adults who got through their childhood without partaking of these same products, and we all seem to have survived. Having some exposure to these heavy metals is not ideal, but at a mild to moderate level it is absolutely not something I want you to panic about. We can’t live in a bubble (although during covid, some of you might dispute this.) As with all things, simply do the best you can.
If you like more data on this subject, check out this article written by my colleague, the wonderful Dr. Ted from Oath.
