The following is not shocking news, it is old news, but what are YOU doing about it?
The Study:
The Clean Label Project, a nonprofit advocating for transparent labeling, tested baby food, infant formulas, toddler drinks and snacks purchased within the past 5 months. The group, which did not publish findings in a peer-reviewed journal, looked at top-selling formulas and baby food using Nielsen data, and also included emerging national brands. After about 530 baby food products were tested, researchers found 65% of products tested positive for arsenic, 36% for lead, 58% for cadmium and 10% for acrylamide. All of these chemicals pose potential dangers to developing infants.
Jennifer Lowry, pediatrician and toxicologist at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., who is not affiliated with the research, said these chemicals can affect fine motor skills and cognition.
Many children born after 2000 are experiencing anxiety and ADHD and other cognitive issues. This may be part of the problem.
Mainstream brands including Gerber, Enfamil, Plum Organics and Sprout were among the worst offenders — scoring two out of five in the Clean Label Project’s report card for toxic metals.
60% of products claiming to be “BPA free” tested positive for bisphenol A.
The quantities of contaminates range, but some products tested positive for up to 600 parts of arsenic per billion. That’s far more than just trace amounts.
And hormones act in parts per million and parts per billion so you do not need a lot to block protective foundational amounts of hormones on the brain; especially the developing brain.
A few months ago, the Environmental Defense Fund found 20% of 2,164 baby food samples tested contained lead. No amount of lead is safe. It reduces IQ levels, this has been proven, and it damages the digestive capacity of the gut: mothership of our health.
My Opinion:
Much of our food is contaminated with toxins, especially brain toxins. This pertains to baby foods which are robustly and adversely influential on baby’s rapidly growing nervous system. I wrote about this in great detail in Hormone Deception as this has been known for a long time, even though this is a new study called the Clean Label Project. But we have a government that does not care about regulating chemicals to protect us.
The EPA, the part of our government meant to protect us from poisons in our environment, has been cut down to almost an ineffective branch. Many chemicals that are legal in our country are banned in Europe and have been for a while. Did you vote for this government to protect your money?
But what about your kid’s brains? This is not new info but it’s shocking none the less and it makes sense in light of living in a country that prioritizes profits more than future generations.
What to do?
- Eat organic. But today, with toxic air, water and rain, even that is questionable. But it’s better than not eating organic.
- Have air filters, as air is the new food, too.
But, as our planet becomes more and more toxic, so do our babies and our next generations.
- Check out my call for Green Pregnancies, a pdf of a great slide show on DrLindseyBerkson.com
- Check out Hormone Deception with a huge chapter on your baby’s brain.
Try to be as safe as possible.
But you must also vote to maintain our safety, too. You cannot say you are not political or else you contribute to part of this toxicity problem.
Knowledge is power!
Speak up when things are not right.
Don’t stick your head in the sand.
Be smart,
Be safe,
Be healthy!
Dr. B.