TOXIC HEAVY METALS IN BABY FOOD
Baby food has been consumed for decades, especially in the Western world. It is often the baby’s first food. Initially used only to supplement a baby’s diet, it has quickly become a baby’s main food. It is quick and convenient in a busy world. Back in the day when. women mostly stayed at home, they had more time to prepare meals for their family. However, in this economy, a single income is not often enough. The mother has to also work. Consequently, baby food had become the new fast food.
Are there heavy metals in baby food?
Quick and easy though it may be, it is not safe. In fact about 95% of all baby food in the USA contain heavy metals such as lead, arsenic and mercury, according to a 2019 study. It doesn’t matter, if the food is organic or not, they almost all contain toxic heavy metals. All the popular baby food brands like Gerber, Walmart and Kroger baby foods have been found to contain these toxic heavy metals. According to other studies, there is no safe level of heavy metals for children. In 2021, an investigation by US Congress found levels of heavy metals in baby food that were far above the limits set for bottled water. Some efforts have been made to solve the problem. For example, the FDA laughed it’s Closer to zero project in 2021, with the goal to reduce baby food continuations. However, the levels of toxic metals in baby food have remained the same despite these efforts. Therefore, the consumer is left to decide what foods to consume. It is our responsibility to watch what we feed ourselves and family.
Effects of heavy metal on baby
These heavyy metals are well known to be neurotoxins and have been directly linked to autism, behavioral problems, ADHD, development delays, learning problems, low IQ etc. When a woman is pregnant, the OBGYNs will advise against eating some fish due to risk of exposure to mercury, but how come no one is saying anything about the mercury you could be feeding directly to your child? The increasing levels of behavior problems in the in American children is alarming. An increasing number of Children is being mediated with stimulants like amphetamine in order to “treat” their behavior problems. Meanwhile, heavy metals in their food are a big contributor to these problems. As a side note, the kids YouTube show Cocomelon has been linked to behavior problems andADHD in children.
How heavy metals get into baby food
Some of them get into food from the soil. Rice is notorious to contain arsenic because rice is grown in water and arsenic easily seeds from the soil into the growing plant. Rice cereal or any rice product is the worst food to feed your infant. Feeding your baby infant with rice cereal is exposing the child to a dangerous amount to arsenic. Recent scientific studies conducted by the Dartmouth College School of Medicine and published in JAMA Pediatrics, found that arsenic concentrations doubled in the urine of children who eat rice-based products, compared to children who do not consume them. Gerber rice cereal contains arsenic. Arsenic in rice is bad for adults too, but adult organs are already developed and more resilient. Also, adults tend to eat a wider variety of foods, thus limiting their exposure to heavy metals in one particular food.
Root vegetables such as sweet potatoes and carrots, though rich in vitamin A, tend to contain higher levels of arsenic due to the fact that they grow underground. Other metals such as lead and mercury contaminate baby food during processing.
How to avoid toxic metals in baby food
If you are reading this and you have been feeding your babies with these baby foods, this article is not to blame you or judge you. You probably did not know that the food you were giving your precious children contain toxic metals. The question is what to do next and how to avoid further exposure.
Diversify your child’s food in order to reduce the risk of exposure to one particular one. Feed your child with a variety of fruits and vegetables. Don’t feed them one particular food daily
Make your own baby food: It’s not as hard as you think it is. Use fresh organic ingredients, make the food in batches and freeze it
Avoid rice products: rice cereal, snacks life puffs and teething biscuits are rice based
Diversify root vegetables and tubers: carrot and sweet potatoes are healthy but can contain more arsenic due to growing underground. Mixing them up with other food types, helps mitigate the risk.
Finally, share this article with any one who has little children so it can safe them a lot of heartache.