heavy metals

Consumer Reports has some bad news for parents who only feed their babies organic food. In terms of arsenic, cadmium, and lead levels, organic baby foods are no better than traditional products when it comes to heavy metal contamination.
The authors of the report note that babies are ingesting fewer pesticides with organic food consumption. That, along with the gentler effects organic food has on the environment, still shows that organic is better than conventional. However, “organic” does not mean free of heavy metals.

Researchers are constantly studying and learning more about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but they have yet to be able to pinpoint specific causes. The origins of the disorder seem to be based in genetics and environmental factors. Now a study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health and Sciences (NIEHS) seems to suggest that exposure to heavy metals could be one of the environmental triggers of autism. [1]

Women who have excessive cadmium in their bodies may be at increased risk for developing endometrial cancer, researchers from the University of Missouri reported in a recent study.
Accounting for 92% of cancers of the uterus, endometrial cancer, or uterine cancer, is the most common type of reproductive cancer in women in the United States. The disease is caused by cells in the endometrium growing out of control.

As You Sow, a California-based health watchdog group, has just warned that some of our favorite chocolate treats contain unsafe levels of heavy metals, including lead and cadmium. Results are below.

A report released in 2015 will likely have you shopping somewhere besides your local dollar store or discount retailer soon. After testing 164 dollar-store products, researchers found that over 81% (133 of 164) contained at least one hazardous chemical that was present in high enough concentrations to raise serious health concerns. [1]
Stores like Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and 99 Only were all culprits – selling the public items like toys, jewelry, and personal care supplies that contained carcinogenic, or otherwise hazardous chemicals.

Citizens of a central Michigan town have filed a federal class action lawsuit accusing the city government of exposing them to water with high levels of lead.

Flint, Michigan residents who pour themselves a tall, cool glass of tap water run the risk of permanently lowering their IQ due to the high lead content.
Flint’s tap water has contained double the amount of lead since the city switched its water source from Detroit to the Flint River to save money. The high lead content is caused by the more corrosive water coming into contact with service lines and city pipes, requiring stricter treatment than Flint is providing. [1]

Eleven Ayurvedic supplements found to contain high levels of mercury are being voluntarily recalled by a New York company.

Researchers have found that in some biotech study cases meant to measure the safety of Round Up crops, the rat feed given to rats in both the control group AND the testing group was contaminated with the same GMOs and pesticides (and heavy metals). In other words, laboratory rodent feeds are highly contaminated with pesticides, toxic metals, PCBs, and GMOs.

You’ve likely browsed through the wine selection at Trader Joe’s (among other stores) and thought – wow, I could drink wine that’s cheaper than bottled water! Many Trader Joe’s customers have flocked to the store for years to get their hands on some cheap vino, but there are some nasty, carcinogenic toxins in that wine which may cause you to think again before picking up a bottle for your next dinner party.