Congressional Report Finds All Commercial Baby Foods Contain Toxic Metals
A US Congressional report released on February 4 found that most commercial baby foods are contaminated with lead, arsenic, and cadmium1; the committee initiated its investigation in November 2019. Levels of lead, arsenic, and cadmium (mercury was not generally tested) were all found to exceed what the FDA considers acceptable for water or juice. Baby foods investigated included Nurture‘s Happy Baby, Gerber, Beech Nut, Hain Celestial, Earth’s Best Organic, Campbell’s Plum Organics, WalMart’s Parent’s Choice, and Organic Foods’ Sprout; the three latter manufacturers refused to supply testing data and did not cooperate with the subcommittee.
Beech Nut used ingredients that sometimes tested over 900 ppb for arsenic. Happy Baby’s testing revealed that more than 25% of their marketed baby foods contained over 100 ppb for arsenic. Hain baby foods used some ingredients that contained more than 300 ppb of lead with over 80 foods containing more than 20 ppb lead. Gerber’s carrot baby food contained more than 5 ppb cadmium with some carrot products having more than 80 ppb. Sixty-five percent of Happy Baby foods had more than 5 ppb cadmium. Most companies did not test for mercury; Happy Baby’s test revealed more than 10 ppb mercury. All of the levels cited above exceed greatly what the FDA accepts on water testing.
As the subcommittee report explains, baby food adulteration with toxic metals is extremely dangerous for a developing infant. The FDA has not established maximum safe levels for toxic elements in baby foods; manufacturers are free to decide whether their baby foods exceed acceptable limits for lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury. Of note, the Congressional investigation did not examine chemical levels found in baby foods; chemical contamination frequently correlates closely with toxic element levels.
While this report examined metals found in baby foods, it is entirely probable that such adulteration is found equally in processed foods eaten by older children and adults. It has been the experience of chelation physicians that upon provocation most individuals do show excretion of significant amounts of lead, mercury, and cadmium. The question often arises in patients as to what is the source of their high lead and mercury levels. We need not look much further than the food our patients eat to answer that question.
Diego Saporta, MD, Examines Allergy Desensitization’s Role in Treating Asthma
Readers of the Townsend Letter are familiar with Dr. Saporta who has authored numerous articles on subcutaneous (SCIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). (See his cover story for the April 2018 issue: “Management of the Allergic Patient: The Role of Different Diagnostic Tests.”2) Dr. Saporta is board-certified in ENT, practicing in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in his clinic, Associates in ENT & Allergy. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngologic Allergy and member of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. As part of the teaching faculty of the Pan America Allergy Society, he directs the primary training in allergy.
In this issue Saporta examines the underappreciated role of allergy in patients with asthma. While it is understood that asthma has an allergic component, it is not uncommon for asthmatic patients to test negative on allergy testing. Saporta asserts that allergy testing depends on the immediate reactivity of IgE antibody to suspected allergens. However, asthmatic individuals may have non-IgE allergy reactivity, for example, allergy mediated by IgG antibody or mast cell reactivity. Once allergy sensitivity has been diagnosed in the asthmatic patient, allergic desensitization by injectable or oral immunotherapy must be undertaken cautiously. An asthmatic individual is at high risk to destabilize when exposed to a known allergen. Undertaking a desensitization program may inadvertently trigger asthma and/or anaphylaxis—emergency support with injectable epinephrine, inhaled corticosteroids, and respiratory albuterol must be part of the patient’s tool kit. Dr. Saporta argues for a greater awareness of diagnosing asthma in patients with allergic rhinitis as well as airway reactivity. While immunotherapy poses risks, asthmatic individuals will greatly benefit from properly administered SCIT and SLIT.
Trevor Cates, ND, Defines the Relationship Between Leaky Gut and Atopic Dermatitis
Last April Dr. Cates explored in the Townsend Letter not only how the appearance and condition of the skin reflect our internal health but also how healing a skin rash or acne requires cleaning up the body internally.3 In this issue she compares the abnormal characteristics of leaky gut to a “leaky” skin condition. The disruption of the microbiome and the intestinal epithelial permeability and inflammation is comparable to cutaneous epithelial permeability, inflammation, and skin dysbiosis. Moreover, optimal acidic pH of the skin is characteristically alkalinized in atopic dermatitis. Treatment requires dietary management of leaky gut, herbal repair of intestinal inflammation, restoration of a balanced microbiome, and application of dermatologics to acidify and hydrate inflamed skin tissue.
Cates has designed her own line of creams to restore optimal skin pH and hydration. Many skin products do not effectively acidify and hydrate; Dr. Cates finds that a coconut oil base and vitamin E oil work best in normalizing the skin microbiome. She suggests testing the skin salve by applying it to the forearm and then covering with a Band-Aid for two days, watching for any allergic or inflammatory reaction before applying it broadly on the dermatitis. For Cates, the secret of managing skin conditions is always treating the patient internally and externally.
Cover Story: Dr. Marc Grossman on Glaucoma
Among the many things that have fallen to the wayside during the pandemic has been treatment of non-urgent medical conditions. In the first half of 2020, elective surgery and cardiology admissions dropped precipitously. For a brief period of time last summer and fall, COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped prompting more hip replacement surgery and dermatology exams. Despite the uptick now of emergency room and I.C.U. treatment for COVID-19 patients, more individuals are seeking non-infection routine care. One of the conditions that has been neglected is glaucoma. Like hypertension, it is “silent,” meaning there is no pain, no discomfort, no physical impairment—nothing to alert one of its presence. The only clue that glaucoma is an issue appears during the eye doctor visit—an elevated intraocular pressure, defects in the visual field, an abnormal cupping of the optic nerve. Treatment of glaucoma is critical if one is to ensure preservation of one’s vision. The question is whether it should only be managed with pharmaceutical drops and/or surgery or can it be managed by integrative medical approaches? Dr. Grossman would argue that nutritional supplementation, dietary and exercise changes, acupuncture, and stress management can play a major role in controlling glaucoma.
Primary nutrients advised for open-angle glaucoma include vitamin C, alpha-lipoic acid, and Coleus forskohlii for reduction of eye pressure. Grossman’s protocol for managing optic nerve health includes supplementation of taurine, bilberry, grapeseed extract, magnesium, B vitamins, N-acetyl cysteine, CoQ10, and omega-3 fatty acids. He suggests well formulated supplement formulas combining these nutraceuticals. Dr. Grossman’s dietary recommendations advise reduction of coffee drinking, MSG-containing processed foods, and foods with artificial sweeteners. Foods thought to reduce intraocular pressure include garlic, onions, beans, spinach, celery, turnips, yellow and orange vegetables, green leafy vegetables, seaweed, apples, oranges, and tomatoes.
Dr. Grossman, a doctor of optometry and licensed acupuncturist, is a co-founder of Integral Health Associates in New Paltz, New York. He is the author of numerous books, including Magic Eye Beyond 3D: Improve Your Vision; also Greater Vision – A Comprehensive Program for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Clarity. Dr. Grossman founded the Rye Learning Center in 1980, a multidisciplinary institute for learning disorders. Grossman feels that vision can be improved without requiring stronger prescription lenses or surgery. To achieve such vision improvement requires a whole-body approach with lifestyle changes, eye exercises, as well as addressing emotional and spiritual well-being. Townsend Letter readers can read Dr. Grossman’s article on “Integrated Approach to Macular Degeneration” in the April 2020 issue (available on our website: https://www.townsendletter.com.)
References
- Baby foods are tainted with dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury. Staff Report. Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy Committee on Oversight and Reform. U.S. House of Representatives. Feb. 4, 2021. https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/2021-02-04%20ECP%20Baby%20Food%20Staff%20Report.pdf
- https://www.townsendletter.com/article/management-of-the-allergic-patient-the-role-of-different-diagnostic-tests.
- https://www.townsendletter.com/article/441-skin-conditions-naturopathic-approach-to-dermatitis.
