Study finds arsenic in infant formulas and cereal bars

I am writing this article this week to remind us there are heavy metals in the air, water and food that we consume, even at the infant stage. The new XYMOGEN Homeopathic Heavy Metal Formulas and the Halogen Homeopathic formulas, including bromine, chlorine and fluorine should be available in early June. 

We teach the heavy metal and halogen detox protocols at each of our seminars. It is necessary to use other nutrition like Xymogen’s CheleX, which is nutrient dense with antioxidants and a synergist blend that may be helpful in removal of heavy metals and other toxins. We also use essential fatty acids in our daily recommendations like OmegaPure Fish Oils.

Dartmouth College researchers have found arsenic in some foods that use organic brown rice syrup as a sweetener. These include infant formula and cereal bars. The majority of the arsenic detected was the type that is known to be a human carcinogen, they stated.

Here are some of the important findings of the study, published online Feb. 16 by the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives:

• Two of 17 infant formulas tested listed organic brown rice syrup as the primary ingredient. One had a total arsenic concentration that was six times the federal limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for total arsenic in bottled or public drinking water. This is particularly worrisome for babies because they are especially vulnerable to arsenic’s toxic effects due to their small size and the corresponding arsenic consumption per pound of body weight. 

• Twenty-two of 29 cereal bars or energy bars tested listed at least one of these four rice products—organic brown rice syrup, rice flour, rice grain or rice flakes - among the top five ingredients. The seven other bars were among the lowest in total arsenic, ranging from 8 to 27 ppb, while those containing syrup or other forms of rice ranged from 23 to 128 ppb. 

• Tests of high-energy products known as “energy shots” that are used by endurance athletes and others showed that one of the three gel-like blocks contained 84 ppb of total arsenic, while the other two contained 171 ppb.

The Dartmouth researchers also cited Consumer Reports’ recent investigation, which found elevated levels of arsenic in apple and grape juices, as further evidence that U.S. consumers are being exposed to toxic concentrations of arsenic in foods and beverages. 

Studies have indicated rice plants are unusually efficient at taking up arsenic from the soil. Much of the rice produced in the U.S. is grown on land formerly used to grow cotton, where arsenical pesticides were widely used for many years, just as they were in orchards and vineyards.

It is important to watch very carefully the foods we eat and the beverages we drink. On top of that, even great nutrient dense foods like rice can be contaminated. We should be very interested in detoxification nutrients and detoxification procedures for ourselves, our family and our patients in an ongoing manner.

We look forward to seeing you soon in one of our seminars across the country.

John W Brimhall, BA, BS, DC, FIAMA, DIBAK