WARNING! You may be accidentally buying toxic baby food... so READ BELOW!
In a study done that looked at 168 different baby food products and tested for 4 of the most common heavy metals --lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury--- researchers found that 95% of the tested foods had at least one of these heavy metals. That means ONLY 9 of the 168 baby foods were heavy metal free!
What's WORSE?! 1 in 4 of the baby foods had ALL four metals. That's insane!
The most commonly contaminated foods were rice products, fruit juices, sweet potato products, and carrots. They have a higher affinity for absorbing these metals causing build-up. Unfortunately, infant formula was another culprit in regards to containing heavy metals due to its ingredients and processing.
Why are you seeing these minerals in your foods? Because they are naturally occurring elements that were frequently used as ingredients in pesticides. Because these were so heavily used in the past, remnants are still in the soil TODAY. They are even found in our groundwater for the same reason.
LIFE LESSON: What we do today WILL affect our future... as women, mothers, earth friendly tactics etc,..
"So if you're saying we still see these in our foods today AND they are naturally occurring --- why should I be so concerned about them?"
Well, these heavy metals are considered neurotoxins, which ultimately means they can negatively affect overall brain development. During pregnancy and post partum, your baby's brain is growing at such high speed-- you DO NOT want to inhibit any type of positive development.
How can we stop these heavy metals from getting into our foods? Specifically baby food?
The FDA absolutely needs to mandate more regulations on these products. This is the next generation for goodness sake! Why are we trying to mess with their brains?!
For now, what are steps that you can take to ensure your little one isn't exposed to these toxins?
You can choose food items that don't include these the ones mention such as oatmeal, multigrain cereals, using other teething alternatives, and breastfeeding. You can also choose to make your own and not have processed foods in the mix with your baby, which also brings back control as to what is included in your little one's diet. By following these guides, you can dramatically reduce their exposure by 80%!
We hope you found this information helpful and if you want to learn more about maternal and infant nutrition --- make sure to sign up for our newsletter/email list and join our private Mamas Maternal Health Facebook page! OR if you are ready to take action on the health of YOUR BABY and YOURSELF today--- head to our individualized maternal coaching application and let's make MASSIVE change and impact in your health!
Until next time!
Mikayla and Cassie
Mamas Maternal Health Registered Dietitians/Lactation Counselors
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Photo by Lydia Winters on Unsplash
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