Study finds most baby formula, including homemade, is loaded with brain-damaging heavy metals
By ethanh // 2022-08-17
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New research from Healthy Babies, Bright Futures (HBBF) has found that an astounding 95 percent of all baby foods in the United States, including those made by parents at home, contain detectable amounts of toxic heavy metals that can impair a child's brain development. Among the metals identified were lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury, all of which are linked to brain damage, especially in developing babies. (Related: Remember when Joe Biden was caught sending scarce baby formula supplies to illegal aliens at the southern border?) To determine whether homemade formulas and preparations are any better, HBBF's "donor-funded alliance of scientists and nonprofits" tested some 288 different food items and examined more than 7,000 additional food tests from published studies. According to Jane Houlihan, the study's lead author, and Charlotte Brody, HBBF's national director, the research team "found no evidence to suggest that homemade baby food has lower heavy metal levels than store-bought brands." "Heavy metal levels varied widely by food type, not by who made the food," the HBBF analysis further reveals.

Rice is typically the most contaminated food product for babies

The most heavily contaminated, with arsenic, baby food product is rice, the study reveals. That includes both rice cakes and crisped rice cereals, as well as both store-bought and homemade baby food products that contain rice ingredients. "They contain higher levels of inorganic arsenic (the toxic form of arsenic) than any other foods tested," reports The Defender. "Both stand out as foods to avoid for children and adults alike." Fresh carrots and sweet potatoes are another source of not just arsenic but also lead and cadmium. Since some brands and varieties are worse than others, the study authors suggest that parents rotate which types they buy and use. By far, the most heavily contaminated food items overall that parents may want to avoid ever feeding their children are rice cakes, cereal, and puffs – and especially brown rice, which typically contains more arsenic than white rice. Raisins and conventional oats are another no-no when it comes to contaminants. The safest food items to feed a baby with the least number of contaminants include bananas, grits, baby food-branded meats, butternut squash, lamb, apples, pork, eggs, oranges and watermelon. Unless the ingredients you use to make your own homemade baby food come from clean sources, chances are they are just as contaminated as already-prepared baby foods from the grocery store. The study found that 94 percent of both store-bought and homemade baby foods are contaminated with the same heavy metals, which is why it is critical for parents to do their homework to discover truly clean ingredient sources. "We sent shoppers into all sorts of stores and guess what? The food you're making it from is high in heavy metals as well," says Mark Corkins, chair of the Committee on Nutrition for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). "The source is going to be the same no matter what. It's going to be farms and produce grown in dirt and water that's the same dirt and water that the other produce is grown in." The AAP has since reiterated its call for "swift, comprehensive federal regulation of heavy metals in foods that babies eat" because not enough is being done at the government level to ensure that baby foods are safe. "In the meantime," AAP says, "families can reduce exposure by feeding babies a variety of foods." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently has limits for heavy metals in just two types of baby food: infant rice cereal and juice. More stories like this one can be found at HeavyMetals.news. Sources for this article include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org NaturalNews.com
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