The FDA reported in 2007 that many brands of vitamins contain lead. Sadly, the vitamins found to have lead were designed for pregnant women and children, who are especially susceptible to the dangerous effects of lead. I wish I’d heard about it back then, as we have given one of the brands with the highest lead–Nature’s Plus Animal Parade–to my children. Nature’s Plus is a brand sold mostly in natural foods stores, yet again more evidence that just because it’s sold at Whole Foods and has a natural label, doesn’t mean it’s natural or safe. The brand of prenatal vitamins I took while pregnant, Rainbow Light, also had alarmingly high levels. It seems as though the lead is getting into many of the vitamins the same way lead gets into our food–via the soil. I haven’t found anything solid explaining how vitamins end up containing lead though. While the FDA does not consider any of these vitamins unsafe, several studies have shown that lead levels below the CDC’s recommendation of 10 micrograms/deciliter of blood are dangerous for children (see the sites worth visiting below for some examples). In fact, many doctors and scientists believe that there is no safe level of lead for children.
The FDA’s full report lists all 325 vitamins tested and the levels of lead found. Only four brands were found to contain no lead at all. I realize that there may be trace lead in many of the foods we eat, but I still don’t want to consciously take vitamins or give them to my children knowing that they contain documented amounts of lead. What’s the best alternative then? It’s probably as my mother says–it’s best to get our nutrients from food than from pills. At least I can wash my produce, and make sure to buy organic.
Sites worth visiting:
- http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/lead-vitamins-082803
- http://www.uberparents.com/my-search-for-lead-free-prenatal-vitamins/
- http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/about/news/release/2005/7-lead.htm
- http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=84647
Posted by Heather on April 22, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Well that about sums up every kind of vitamin you can buy. Thanks for posting this. My prenatal is on the list and so are the vitamins the kids take. Nice.