A new study found that the vast majority of baby foods tested contain heavy metals, which can harm a child’s brain development.
In the study, commissioned by Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF) and conducted by the toxicology and economic research firm Abt Associates, tests were performed on 168 different containers of baby food from 61 U.S. baby food brands. Researchers found heavy metals — specifically, arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury — in 95 percent of the baby foods tested.
As the report points out, all of the heavy metals are “developmental neurotoxins,” adding, “they can harm a baby’s developing brain and nervous system” and “are linked to IQ loss from exposures early in life.”
The majority of baby food tested (40 percent) contained three different heavy metals, with 26 percent of baby foods containing all four heavy metals. Only nine baby foods (5 percent) were free of heavy metals. Lead was the most common heavy metal, found in 94 percent of baby foods, followed by cadmium, which was in 75 percent of baby foods. That was followed by arsenic (73 percent of baby foods) and mercury (32 percent).
“We were surprised that so many of the baby foods had more than one heavy metal,” Charlotte Brody, a registered nurse and the national director of Healthy Babies Bright Futures, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “The impact is additive. A little bit of lead, a little bit of arsenic and a little bit cadmium add up.”
Infant rice cereal and rice-based snacks were the worst offenders. “These popular baby foods are not only high in inorganic arsenic, the most toxic form of arsenic, but also are nearly always contaminated with all four toxic metals,” according to the report.
In the study, commissioned by Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF) and conducted by the toxicology and economic research firm Abt Associates, tests were performed on 168 different containers of baby food from 61 U.S. baby food brands. Researchers found heavy metals — specifically, arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury — in 95 percent of the baby foods tested.
As the report points out, all of the heavy metals are “developmental neurotoxins,” adding, “they can harm a baby’s developing brain and nervous system” and “are linked to IQ loss from exposures early in life.”
The majority of baby food tested (40 percent) contained three different heavy metals, with 26 percent of baby foods containing all four heavy metals. Only nine baby foods (5 percent) were free of heavy metals. Lead was the most common heavy metal, found in 94 percent of baby foods, followed by cadmium, which was in 75 percent of baby foods. That was followed by arsenic (73 percent of baby foods) and mercury (32 percent).
“We were surprised that so many of the baby foods had more than one heavy metal,” Charlotte Brody, a registered nurse and the national director of Healthy Babies Bright Futures, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “The impact is additive. A little bit of lead, a little bit of arsenic and a little bit cadmium add up.”
Infant rice cereal and rice-based snacks were the worst offenders. “These popular baby foods are not only high in inorganic arsenic, the most toxic form of arsenic, but also are nearly always contaminated with all four toxic metals,” according to the report.
我们自己的吃的rice只会重金属含量更高
Avoid rice..eat oatmeal;
Avoid roots...eat more fruit veges