Heavy Metals in Your Foods
According to a study looking at popular chocolate companies, they found that 1/3 of our chocolate is high in heavy metals, specifically Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Loria, 2023). What are the effects of elevated levels of consumptions of these heavy metals? Cadmium and Lead are considered toxins and have no physiological function in our bodies (Genchi, 2020). NIH study reports that low levels of cadmium leads to an increase in cancer and organ system toxicity such as skeletal, urinary, reproductive, cardiovascular, central and peripheral nervous, and respiratory systems. Even low levels of cadmium are considered teratogenic and can be a cause of irregularities in reproductive health. This could create alterations in menstruation, pregnancy loss, hormonal imbalances, low birth weight, and more. Cd is considered an endocrine disruptor because of its binding to the estrogen receptors leading to changes in the signaling pathways. It has also been seen to have an negative affect in postmenopausal women leading to lower mineral density. Cd is linked to development of osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Toxic levels could result in kidney and liver problems, pulmonary edema (Genchi, 2020).
Lead is an extremely poisonous metal that has a negative impact on almost every organ in the body. Its use has decreased in several countries, but it still has a place in many industries. Long term exposure to lead can be a major contributing factor to cognitive concerns, behaviors problems, and learning difficulties. Exposure to lead is reported tobe more concerning in children and children are screen at their wellness visits in the early ages of life. Long time exposure is impacting the brain, kidneys, and more. It can be a cause of elevated blood pressure, anemia, fertility concerns in males and females, immune suppression, and the nervous system (Wani, 2015). The leading cause for Lead poisoning through ingestion of contaminated food and water. Most companies do have regulations form the FDA on the amount of heavy metals that are allowed in the product. There are foods also commonly have toxins in them like spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots, fish, ect. The maximum allowable dose levels (MADL) in California for lead is 0.5 mcg per day and cadmium is 4.1 mcg per day. In the recent article on heavy metals in chocolate they found a wide rage of products that exceeded the lead and cadmium limits (Loria, 2023).
On the positive side there are ways to test for increased levels of heavy metals and detoxification protocols, in conjunction with, avoidance or significant reduction of the toxins will decrease the heavy metals and improve outcomes. It is especially important for children and pregnant women be aware of these potential foods, including chocolate, and only have them sparingly. Another way that you can decrease heavy metals in your body is to consume foods that are high in polyphenols and antioxidants, these are found in fruits and vegetables, and green tea. These strong antioxidant properties help to chelate cadmium ions and provide protective effects in the body (Genchi, 2020).
References
Genchi, G., Sinicropi, M. S., Lauria, G., Carocci, A., & Catalano, A. (2020). The Effects of Cadmium Toxicity. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(11), 3782. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113782
Loria, K. (2023). A Third of Chocolate Products Are High in Heavy Metals, CR's Tests Find. Consumer Reports. Retrieved from https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/a-third-of-chocolate-products-are-high-in-heavy-metals-a4844566398/
Wani, A. L., Ara, A., & Usmani, J. A. (2015). Lead toxicity: a review. Interdisciplinary toxicology, 8(2), 55–64. https://doi.org/10.1515/intox-2015-0009
