How lead and arsenic came to be sprayed all over America
(NaturalNews) As we continue to uncover the deep, dark history of chemical use in the United States as part of a series on arsenate pesticides, the issue comes up as to how heavy metals like lead and arsenic ever came to be accepted as beneficial for spraying all over our growing soils in the first place. Like many other problems of our day, the industrial revolution and its obsession with mechanization led to widespread reliance on chemicals to grow food, a move that we now know could have lasting negative consequences for humanity.
Most major environmental and human health problems that we as a species currently face, in fact -- things like radioactive fallout from nuclear meltdowns, toxic ocean water from oil spills and contaminated soils from agricultural chemicals -- are a direct result of the industrial revolution. In the case of food crops, the conversion of many polyculture-based family farms into massive monoculture-based factory farms led to an overpopulation of invasive species, for which chemicals were the only perceived solution.
A 2009 study on the history of lead arsenate use in apple orchards, published in the Journal of Pesticide Safety Education, explains that inorganic pesticides emerged in the late 1800s as a pest control option because it was inexpensive, easy to mix, long-lasting and highly effective. Apparently, few people were concerned about the potential safety issues associated with the use of these chemicals, not to mention how they might persist in growing soils for many decades to come.
"Lead arsenate (PbHAsO4) was first used as an insecticidal spray in 1892 against the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus), in Massachusetts," explains the study. "A few years later, growers began using it to combat the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus), a destructive insect pest of apples."
Naturally, as time went on, increasing amounts and variations of these and other arsenate pesticides were required to keep pests under control, until eventually they all lost their efficacy due to pest resistance. Chemical manufacturers switched to a new class of chemicals, but the old ones remained in growing soils where they continue to contaminate food crops.
"The characteristics of the compounds that created this persistence -- the basic nature of the elements in the pesticide -- and the increase in application frequency and rates were key factors contributing to the contamination of thousands of acres across the United States," adds the study.
Many American subdivisions sit atop arsenic-contaminated soils
Agriculturally speaking, all this past chemical pollution is still wreaking havoc on the food supply today, with rice and certain other food crops that are now planted in these tainted soils still pulling chemicals out of the ground. The result of this, as we have previously reported, is high levels of arsenic and lead in some rice protein products, as well as in other foods.
Many suburban dwellers face additional exposure risks from the apple orchards of old that existed long before all those tract homes. Millions of American homes now blanket the sites of these former orchards, which were heavily doused with arsenical pesticides thanks to the aggressive marketing tactics of the chemical industry.
"The chemical companies and the advertisers successfully magnified farmers' fear of pests and dramatized the problems in such a manner that the farmers felt forced by bankers and the fear of crop loss into using this terrible poison on their farms and families," reads a thorough report on the history of arsenic and farming by Cheslea Green Publishing, which you can view here:
http://www.chelseagreen.com.
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/044383_lead_arsenate_pesticides_heavy_metals.html
FDA deliberately deceiving Americans over arsenic in rice, chicken and other foods
(NaturalNews) There is arsenic in rice, and it's generally higher in brown rice than in white rice. Consumer Reports tested 223 samplesof rice products in 2012 and found significant levels of arsenic in most of them, including inorganic arsenic (the really toxic kind).
As Consumer Reports found, it's not unusual to see arsenic at levels of 200 ppb or more in rice-based baby cereals. Click here for the complete test results.
The release of this information freaked out the U.S. rice industry, resulting in enormous pressure being put on the FDA to try to assuage fears that rice products were contaminated with arsenic (which they are).
So the FDA, always working in the interests of food corporations rather than the public, issued a statement saying that yes, there was arsenic in rice, but no, it didn't pose any "short-term" health risks.
Well, we already knew that. Otherwise people would be dropping dead from eating rice. But what the FDA totally glossed over was the long-term health risks from chronic exposure to arsenic.
That's where our real concerns are found, and that's the issue that the FDA completely ignored. The FDA's exact language on this is, "agency scientists determined that the amount of detectable arsenic is too low in the rice and rice product samples to cause any immediate or short-term adverse health effects."
Yeah, goofballs. We already knew that.
FDA cover-up blatant
FDA's Reassurance On Arsenic In Rice Not So Reassuring, wrote Rachel Zimmerman of Boston's NPR station WBUR. "When I read the updated FDA materials... it became clear that we should still be concerned about arsenic in our rice," she wrote.
The FDA's glossing over the arsenic problem was so blatant that even WIRED Magazine got in on the backlash and published a story by Deborah Blum that essentially accuses the FDA of a cover-up.
The story is a good one. It's the kind of thing you might have read in Natural News five years ago. The FDA involved in a toxic food cover-up? The very idea used to be called a "conspiracy theory." Now the idea is so mainstream -- thanks to publications like Natural News spearheading the truth about the FDA -- that even WIRED covers it today.
Nevertheless, there's a whole lot you're not being told about arsenic in foods. In fact, the real cover-up is far bigger than arsenic in rice...
Lead and cadmium are far more toxic than arsenic
The toxic elements lead and cadmium are probably 2-3 orders of magnitude more toxic than arsenic, generally speaking. While each metal targets different body organs and metabolic pathways, the overall toxicity of lead and cadmium is many times that of arsenic.
And the tests I'm conducting on cadmium in rice products are frequently showing levels of 2,000 - 3,000 ppb. (That's 2 - 3 ppm.)
This is ten times the level of arsenic typically found in rice products. And given that cadmium is, roughly speaking, 100 to 1,000 times more toxic to the human body, we are talking about a problem that is 1,000 - 10,000 times worse than the problem of arsenic in rice.
So why isn't anybody talking about cadmium in rice?
Probably because the issue becomes quickly politicized when the conversation turns to rice grown in China.
In China, 89 percent of the rivers used to irrigate rice are heavily contaminated with cadmium. "A 2011 master's thesis by Liu Chun, a graduate student at Hebei Agricultural Institute, noted that his tests detected excessive amounts of seven different heavy metals including cadmium in the Xiang [river]," wrote MarketWatch.com "Some 89 percent of the sampled water registered dangerous levels of cadmium."
China's version of the FDA found that over 44% of all rice being served at local restaurants was heavily contaminated with cadmium. Much of the rice (and rice products) sold in the USA are imported from China, and as a result they are routinely and widely contaminated with cadmium.
The situation is so bad that I have personally stopped eating organic brown rice until I can identify a really clean source, at which point I will of course share that source with Natural News readers.
Arsenic has been found at 1,000 times higher levels in edible seaweed
If you're really concerned about arsenic in foods -- and you probably should be -- you'll be shocked to know that we're finding it at over 1,000 times the level in some edible seaweed products.
Yep, the lab tests conducted by Natural News are revealing arsenic at over 200 ppm in some seaweed products. That's 1,000 times the level generally being reported in rice.
Now, you can argue that Americans tend to eat a lot more rice than they do seaweed, and that's absolutely true. It is, after all, the total daily intake of arsenic per kg of body weight that's the real issue here. But for those who do eat seaweed -- or for lactating moms who eat seaweed and breastfeed their children -- 200 ppm arsenic is potentially a very alarming level.
Arsenic is more toxic when you don't sweat
Most people don't know that arsenic tends to collect in your skin. And the primary detoxification pathway for arsenic (once it accumulates in your skin) is sweating.
We live in a society today where a great many people are terrified of breaking a sweat. They live in air conditioned houses and work in air conditioned offices. They hate gyms and hate walking outdoors. They never sweat, and as a result they never remove arsenic from their skin.
So it builds up, year after year, to the point of causing severe skin reactions. Search for "arsenic and skin lesions" and you'll see what I mean.
Arsenic also damages your lungs, bladder, heart and kidneys while increasing your risk of many types of cancer along the way. Arsenic is bad news.
This is why many people who don't sweat on a routine basis benefit greatly from infra-red sauna treatments. The saunas force them to sweat, and in doing so they eliminate large quantities of toxins (which is why it's important to shower after sweating in a sauna).
There's a LOT more arsenic in chicken than in rice
Finally, here's something not being reported in the press. There is far more arsenic in conventionally-raised chicken than is currently being reported in rice. In 2011, even the FDA had to admit there was arsenic in chicken.
You want to know why there's arsenic in chicken? Because chicken producers feed arsenic to chicken on purpose. It's all part of the corporate run factory chicken production system to maximize profits while compromising the health of the consumer.
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/042062_arsenic_in_rice_chicken_fda.html
Toxic, cancer-causing arsenic found in rice products -- even in organic rice milk
(NaturalNews) As a follow-up to an investigation it conducted earlier in the year on arsenic levels in popular fruit juices (http://www.consumerreports.org), the consumer advocacy group has released a new report about arsenic levels in rice and rice products, the findings of which may come as a surprise to many. It turns out that virtually every rice product on the market today contains detectable levels of toxic arsenic, including many "all-natural" and organic rice products.
After conducting tests on more than 200 samples of rice products, which included dry rice, infant cereals, hot cereals, ready-to-eat cereals, rice cakes and crackers, rice flour, rice drinks, rice syrup, and rice vinegar, Consumer Reports investigators found that every single sample had detectable levels of both organic and inorganic arsenic, the latter of which has been shown to cause cancer. In most cases, the worst offenders were rice products made from rice grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas.
"In virtually every product tested, we found measurable amounts of total arsenic in its two forms," says Consumer Reports. "We found significant levels of inorganic arsenic, which is a carcinogen, in almost every product category, along with organic arsenic, which is less toxic but still of concern."
Brown rice was typically found to have higher arsenic levels than white rice, and people who eat rice were determined to have arsenic levels that were about 44 percent higher compared to people who do not eat rice. Sadly, some of the worst arsenic offenders in the Consumer Reports include Whole Foods 365, Everyday Value Long Grain Brown Rice, Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice Pasta Fusilli, and DeBoles Rice Spirals.
Other surprising rice products on the arsenic list include several varieties of Lundberg Family Farms brand rice, Earth's Best Organic Whole Grain Rice Infant Cereal, several varieties of Bob's Red Mill rice products, Arrowhead Mills Organic Sweetened Rice Flakes, Organic Rice Dream Classic Original Rice Drink, as well as many of the usual suspects in the conventional and mainstream rice market.
Following the release of the report, Lundberg Family Farms CEO Grant Lundberg indicated that his company will begin testing more than 200 samples of its own rice products, and voluntarily share the results with FDA scientists.
You can view a complete breakdown of the Consumer Reports test results here:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/arsenic1112.htm#chart
FDA refuses to set guidelines for arsenic levels in food
Unlike with water, arsenic levels in food are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which claims there is inadequate science proving a need for arsenic regulation. But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has already declared that there is no "safe" level of exposure to inorganic arsenic, based on the science, and that the jury is still out on whether organic arsenic forms such as dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) are safe.
"We already know that high concentrations of arsenic in drinking water result in the highest known toxic substance disease risks from any environmental exposure," says Dr. Allan Smith, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley. "So we should not be arguing to wait for years until we have results of epidemiologic studies at lower arsenic intake, such as from rice consumption, to take action."
Consumer Reports is advising the public to be conscious about rice intake, especially in young children. The group is recommending that parents limit their children's consumption of rice products to the equivalent of only about one-quarter-cup of uncooked rice per week. Adults are advised to consume only about a half-cup of uncooked rice per week.
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/041976_brown_rice_arsenic_food_contamination.html
Which parts of America are the most contaminated with arsenic?
(NaturalNews) Heavy metal poisoning is becoming a very serious issue in America today, as toxins in groundwater and soils, some of which have persisted there for decades, are increasingly turning up in both drinking water and the general food supply. All across the country, residues of arsenic, lead and other heavy metals have been detected in well water, crop soils and even foods marketed toward the health-conscious, including some popular rice protein brands, and yet the nation's regulatory authorities are hardly batting an eye at this travesty.
Arsenic in particular, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer designates as a Class A human carcinogen, has been in the alternative news frequently as of late following the publishing of test results revealing the presence of potentially disturbing levels of arsenic in brown rice, brown rice protein and various other rice-based products. This revelation has already prompted many companies who use such products to begin testing their products for heavy metals, with some even promising to set new safety thresholds.
USGS map reveals arsenic contamination in water supplies nationwide
So where is the bulk of this arsenic, some of which is present in highly toxic inorganic form, hiding? A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report on groundwater contamination, which includes well water and springs, found that it is essentially all over the place. But particular hotspots of contamination include New Jersey, Maryland and surrounding northeastern states as well as Michigan, Idaho, California, Arizona and Washington. Other studies have also identified large swaths of the central South and Southeast where arsenic is being absorbed by rice crops.
The study, which was published in 2000, shows concerning levels of arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter all across central Michigan and Idaho, as well as in California's Central Valley where the bulk of the nation's fresh produce is grown. Other highly contaminated areas, according to a USGS map, include Nebraska, South Dakota, central Oklahoma and Illinois, and parts of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
Many public water supplies are also contaminated with arsenic, according to the report, and public utility filtration systems typically do not remove this toxin before delivering water to customers. This means that untold millions of people who drink unfiltered tap water are also consuming arsenic, just as they are by consuming most commercial rice.
Long-term exposure to low-level arsenic a major threat to human health
Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is on record as claiming that the short-term health effects of arsenic exposure at these levels are nonexistent, it is precisely the perpetual, cumulative toxic exposure over the longer term that is of major concern. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) admits that even exposure to low levels of arsenic can cause major health damage over time.
"Because it targets widely dispersed enzyme reactions, arsenic affects nearly all organ systems," says the CDC, noting that arsenic is also linked to gastrointestinal effects, renal damage, cardiovascular events, neurological damage, skin problems, anemia, leukemia, reproductive problems and cancer, including several types of skin cancer.
"Arsenic can cause serious effects of the neurologic, respiratory, hematologic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and other systems," adds the agency.
Countering the effects of arsenic exposure could be as simple as taking in more organic, methylating minerals like selenium and vitamin E, both of which protect the gut lining against arsenic-induced damage. Raising awareness about the presence of arsenic in water and soils is also beneficial, as food companies will be increasingly compelled to conduct heavy metal tests and establish contamination tolerances in the interest of public safety.
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/044178_arsenic_america_water_supplies.html
Near-zero levels of arsenic found to significantly impair intelligence and reasoning of U.S. schoolchildren
(NaturalNews) As Natural News readers and fans already know, we're hot on the trail pinpointing sources of heavy metals and understanding how they impair our physical and mental health. Now a groundbreaking study conducted in the United States on arsenic in drinking water has found something truly astounding: a mere 5 parts per billion (.005 ppm) of arsenic caused "reductions in Full Scale, Working Memory, Perceptual Reasoning and Verbal Comprehension scores" in children.(1)
The research was led by Joseph Graziano, PhD, professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. It involved 272 children from three school districts in Maine.
Graziano summarized the findings by explaining "aspects of performance intelligence, particularly perceptual reasoning and working memory, are impacted by exposure to arsenic in drinking water."
He goes on to say, "we also observed a steep drop in intelligence scores in the very low range of water arsenic concentrations."
Click here to see the summary of the study.
This study, by the way, also complete demolishes the myth that small quantities of heavy metals can't possibly be harmful "because they are so small." In this study, we're talking about a concentration of just 5 parts per billion in drinking water -- an amount so tiny that it's only 1/100th the level of lead we've found in some protein products. If just 5 parts per billion can impair learning, reasoning and brain function, then obviously 500 parts per billion (.5 ppm) is even worse.
We've already documented, by the way, 500 parts per billion of total arsenic in some rice protein products as shown here. We've also found 2883 ppb (2.883 ppm) of total arsenic in barley grass powder.
Lead and mercury also damage brain function
We already know that the heavy metals lead and mercury cause significant, measurable damage to brain function. Mercury in fish, for example, causes lowered IQs, learning disabilities and impaired cognitive function.(2)
Lead also impairs the learning of children and impairs healthy brain function. In the Natural News Forensic Food Lab, I've conducted pioneering research on the lead found in certified organic rice protein supplements, and we've recently found very high levels of toxic mercury in pet treats.
The levels we're documenting are in many cases hundreds of times larger than the 5 ppb of arsenic covered in this study. I had no idea arsenic could affect brain function at just 5 ppb (.005 ppm) in drinking water.
The EPA currently limits arsenic levels in public drinking water to 10 ppb. This limit is based on "total arsenic" including both organic arsenic and inorganic arsenic. Where does all this arsenic come from? According to the EPA (3):
Approximately 90 percent of industrial arsenic in the U.S. is currently used as a wood preservative, but arsenic is also used in paints, dyes, metals, drugs, soaps and semi-conductors. High arsenic levels can also come from certain fertilizers and animal feeding operations. Industry practices such as copper smelting, mining and coal burning also contribute to arsenic in our environment.
FDA has no limit on arsenic in foods
Even though the EPA has a limit of 10 ppb of arsenic in drinking water, the FDA has no limit on arsenic in foods, superfoods or supplements. To many Americans, this is bewildering: Why would the FDA have no limit on toxic heavy metals in the U.S. food supply?
I have personally tested many seaweeds that contain over 50 ppm of arsenic -- that's over 10,000 times the EPA's arsenic limit in drinking water. For example, as you can see on this lab results page, one brand of Kombu Flakes has over 100 ppm total arsenic! (Wakame from New Zealand contained almost zero arsenic, by the way...)
Of course, nobody is eating seaweed at the same quantities they are drinking water, and much of the arsenic in seaweed is probably organic arsenic (which isn't harmful like inorganic arsenic). Even then, the fact that popular seaweeds may contain 10,000 times the level of total arsenic necessary to significantly decrease cognitive function in children is quite alarming. Clearly this area needs more research to answer questions like:
• What is the impact of arsenic in adult brain function? Does too much arsenic lower your IQ?
• How much total arsenic were these children actually drinking over a month or a year?
• What is the source of the arsenic in the well water? Is this arsenic coming from ancient rock, or is this an industrial contaminant that's leaking into water aquifers?
• What is the combined effect of being exposed to low levels of arsenic, mercury and lead all at the same time?
• If only 5 ppb of arsenic caused these significant cognitive problems, then is there ANY safe level of arsenic to consume?
• Why won't the USDA limit the level of arsenic found in certified organic foods?
Health Ranger to test arsenic removal capabilities of popular water filters
On a positive note, I am currently in the process of testing the arsenic removal capabilities of popular gravity water filters such as the Big Berkey and ProPur. This work is being conducted in the Natural News Forensic Food Lab, and it will also test the ability of popular water filters to remove lead, cadmium, mercury and aluminum.
Although I reserve final conclusions until I see the actual data, I am approaching this project with a sense of optimism with the belief that the water filtration media typically used in today's gravity filters will likely be very effective at removing arsenic. Mercury is also exceedingly easy to remove through common filter media (such as carbon block filters), so I'm optimistic mercury removal will be very close to 100%.
Stay tuned to Natural News for these results. I'll be announcing the full results of this study to my email list, so subscribe below to receive these results immediately after they are published.
The bottom line in all this? Heavy metals are toxic to brain function, and even extremely low levels of arsenic -- trace levels -- are now documented to cause cognitive impairment in U.S. children.
This should make us all even more concerned about the toxic heavy metals appearing in foods, superfoods, supplements and other products grown in China, India and other nations where environmental regulations are all but ignored.
Note to scientists and researchers
I run a private ICP-MS laboratory in Texas and we are willing to offer published environmental researchers free ICP-MS laboratory testing of samples using EPA methodologies such as 200.8. We are willing to test water, food and other environmental samples but not biologicals such as blood or urine. Our lab is in the process of ISO 17025 accreditation and our results have been validated by university labs and other private labs.
We can validate your in-house results, and we can also serve as your primary lab for environmental studies involving heavy metals. Contact Natural News if you would like to collaborate on future research. (My own research normally focuses on heavy metals contamination of foods, superfoods, dietary supplements and herbal medicine.)
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/044839_arsenic_intelligence_schoolchildren.html
Is arsenic in food really a health risk?
(NaturalNews) Arsenic is an element all around us in the environment, found in soil, water, and air. Seeing that it's in these important parts of nature, it's easy to understand how it ends up in our food. However, it is known that high levels of arsenic in the human body can lead to nasty consequences, thus leading to questions about the risks of consuming products that contain the element.
Plenty of common foods have a level of arsenic in them. Beef, chicken, fish, shrimp, cooked spinach, and grape juice are among these. There is even arsenic in drinking water. The biggest concern, though, is the elevated level of arsenic in rice and rice products.
There are two types of arsenic: inorganic and organic. Inorganic is the more concerning of the two, as it's considered to be more toxic and is a known carcinogen. The Food and Drug Administration associates long-term exposure to high levels of arsenic with greater risk for cancers of the skin, bladder, and lungs. It is also linked to heart disease. Furthermore, long-term exposure to low levels can change and reduce cell function, as well as increase potential development of diabetes, vascular disease, and lung disease.
Consumer Reports has recommended that people avoid eating rice and rice products. However, there are some researchers that disagree with that warning. Brown rice and wheat germ - both found to have elevated levels of arsenic - contain important compounds such as vitamin B3, niacin and folates, which aid in the elimination of arsenic in the body. Instead of completely axing these products from your diet, some researchers simply advise consumers to eat a balanced diet and, when eating rice, rinse it before and after cooking.
There has been no federal limit set on arsenic levels in food. The FDA tests for it with a program that screens for harmful substances, but when inorganic arsenic is found, it is treated on a case-by-case basis. Recently, the FDA has announced its consideration for setting a standard for arsenic in fruit juice. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a limit on quantities in drinking water; however, setting the cap at 10 parts per billion. Note that this is for public drinking water; private wells may have higher levels than this restriction.
It has been found that rice grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas has higher levels of arsenic than rice grown in India, Taiwan, and California. The FDA acknowledged public concern and is hoping to find out the potential health risks and ways to minimize them.
For now, it is not recommended that consumers cross rice off their grocery lists. Rather, researchers encourage a balanced diet and to keep your ears open for further findings.
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/037638_arsenic_rice_exposure.html
Getting Arsenic Out Of Your (And Your Kids') Diet
Although scientists and government regulators have long known about the ever-present threat of arsenic in our diet and water, it was unsettling when two major reports came out on the same day (Sept. 19) reminding us of the risk and the need to do what we can to minimize it.
Yes, arsenic. It's a naturally occurring mineral with a long history as a murder weapon, and, paradoxically, as a medicine, too. In some parts of the world, contamination levels are so high in food and water as to cause epidemics of skin, bladder and lung cancer. In the United States the effects might be harder to see, but they are still there. In 2001, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that people drinking arsenic-contaminated water at 10 parts per billion would have a 1-in-300 risk of developing cancer over their lifetimes. Recent research suggests that people ingest about that much arsenic in a just a half-cup serving of rice, not an unusual amount for millions of Americans.
The two new reports came from the US Food and Drug Administration and the highly regarded Consumer Reports magazine, and both focused on the worrisome amounts of arsenic in rice and popular rice-based processed foods.
Environmental Working Group agrees that there's reason to be concerned. Many rice-based foods and some fruit juices have arsenic levels much higher than are allowed in drinking water. And contrary to some denials from the food industry, the contamination does include the form of arsenic that poses a serious risk to our health. It's long overdue for federal agencies to set health-protective limits on arsenic in food, but they are not moving quickly.
In the meantime, here are some easy-to-use tips on how you can reduce your, and your family's, exposure:
- Limit rice consumption. Try alternative grains such as
quinoa, barley, grits/polenta, couscous or bulgur wheat.
The FDA says it needs to test 1,000 more rice samples to clarify which rice-growing areas present the greatest risk of contamination. But consumers can take protective steps while the FDA collects data and ponders regulation - a process that could take years.
- If you're preparing rice, rinse it thoroughly. Boil brown
rice in a lot of water (as you do with pasta).
- Vary your diet. Look for alternatives to rice-based processed
foods such as breakfast cereals, rice flour, rice pasta, rice cakes
and crackers.
- Limit products that list rice syrup as a sweetener.
- Check your drinking water.
What parents can do to protect babies and children:
- Instead of rice cereal as the first solid food for babies,
try orange vegetables such as sweet potatoes and squash, bananas and
avocados.
- Switch to non-rice baby cereals such as oatmeal or mixed
grains.
- Limit certain fruit juices to a maximum of one-half to one
cup a day.
- Avoid brown rice syrup as a sweetener in processed kids'
foods.
- Do not use rice milk as a dairy substitute for cow's milk.
Look for other non-dairy drinks and make sure they don't list rice syrup as a sweetener. In many cases, dairy-sensitive children can be given water and other dietary sources of calcium instead of a highly processed dairy substitute.
Source: http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2012/09/getting-arsenic-out-your-and-your-kids-diet
Arsenic in Water at EPA Approved Standards Linked to Heart Disease
(NaturalNews) What comes to mind when you think of arsenic? For most people, it conjures up a deadly poison used by killers in fictional mystery novels and some real-life murderers, too. But the danger of this toxic substance most often comes not from some evil-doer but simply from exposure to it through our environment, including the water we drink. Unwittingly taken into the body over many years, arsenic can result in lung, bladder and skin cancers, as well as heart disease, diabetes and neurological damage.
In the U.S., many locations are known to have groundwater containing arsenic concentrations in excess of the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard of 10 parts per billion. But now comes research that suggests the EPA's supposedly "safe" level of arsemic allowed in water supplies for public consumption isn't safe at all. In fact, water laced with the federally-approved amount of arsenic could be causing high blood pressure and artery-clogging atherosclerosis.
According to animal research by University of Pittsburgh scientists set to be published in the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, and available online now at http://www.jci.org/articles/view/35092, arsenic at EPA-approved levels for drinking water causes pores in liver blood vessels to close, potentially leading to cardiovascular disease and hypertension. This study calls into question whether present Environmental Protection Agency standards (currently based only on the risks of arsenic causing cancer) are stringent enough.
Aaron Barchowsky, Ph.D., associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the University Of Pittsburgh Graduate School Of Public Health, and his research team studied sinusoidal endothelial cells in the livers of mice. These specialized cells normally remove waste from the blood and allow nutrients to regulate metabolism. But when mice were exposed to ten to 100 parts per billion (ppb) of arsenic over a period of 14 days, the arsenic increased the activity of an enzyme called NADPH oxidase and the levels of oxidants it produces. In turn, the sinusoidal cell functions became less able to remove damaged proteins from the blood. What's more, the cells lost their characteristic pores or "windows". Bottom line: the cells' ability to effectively handle nutrients and waste was extremely compromised.
Although mice are, of course, tiny compared to people, their bodies are known to be far less sensitive to arsenic's effects than humans'. And that makes the study even more worrisome. "These results are important since this type of cellular dysfunction, over time, can impair the body's ability to clear fats and waste proteins that build up in blood vessels and can lead to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis," Dr. Barchowsky said in a statement prepared for the media.
The current federal standard for arsenic in public water systems not only may be too high, but it only applies to drinking water sources that serve more than 20 people. "We are especially concerned about water from individual wells in small, rural and semi-rural communities that are exempt from the EPA requirement and often contain levels of arsenic that exceed the EPA limit," Dr. Barchowsky stated in the press release. "Our findings raise some concerns about whether current EPA-developed standards can effectively protect against cardiovascular risks posed by arsenic in drinking water."
The study is a strong reminder that no one in the U.S. should assume that because their water supply is dubbed "safe" by the EPA that it doesn't contain not only arsenic but other toxins. For example, most public water supplies are known to contain a host of pharmaceutical and pesticide residues,too. Testing your water or finding a proven system of safe water filtration are the only known ways to make sure you are putting pure water into your body.
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/024909.html#ixzz314b4Ojew
Here are a few more articles YOU might be better off reading:
How arsenic blocks the body from removing other heavy metals
Despite roxarsone withdrawl, toxic arsenic still showing up incommercial turkey meat due to similar drugs
Despite roxarsone withdrawl, toxic arsenic still showing up incommercial turkey meat due to similar drugs
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Also, Check Out My Post: How to Cook the Perfect Brown Rice and Reduce Cadmium, Lead, and Arsenic.
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