Toxins in our homes have been in discussion for several years. LEAD based paint is most certainly in 70% of the homes in Seattle (all homes built before 1978 are suspect). Even if the layer of lead based paint is five layers down, you are in danger of lead poisoning. When would you disturb a layer that old? When you remodel! Toxins enter the body either through our lungs or by accidental eating (a microgram of lead dust is enough to cause lead poisoning.) Do your children or grandchildren play with or suck on car keys? Keys contain lead. Even handling your keys and eating finger food can deliver a significant amount of lead into your mouth. The dangers of lead poisoning are many. LEAD is a highly toxic metal that can profoundly suppress immunity. Lead poses significant health risk for adults but are particularly dangerous for children causing damage to the brain and central nervous system, can cause decreased intelligence, reading and learning difficulties, behavioral problems and hyperactivity. This damage can be irreversible, affecting children throughout their lives.
The bottom line is that your house can be dangerous to your health. The double bottom line is that some of the items we purposely put in our body also contain lead. Things like…hmm… Vitamin supplements!
Surprisingly, one of the biggest sources of lead in your life (assuming you are not remodeling a home built before 1978) may be your nutritional supplements. Lead contamination in calcium supplements has been a significant problem, even though an FDA warning on this issue was published in 1981.**** Since then, studies have confirmed that many forms of calcium still contain lead in amounts that exceed EPA safety guidelines. Since many people (including children) are taking large doses of calcium, this is a matter of concern. Supplements that we TRUST to put in our body may be making us SICK. In 1993 researchers tested 70 brands of calcium supplements and found high levels of LEAD in a significant percentage.
How can you tell if your supplement contains high amounts of lead? Ask for ‘certified heavy-metal assay’ from the manufacturer. If they can’t give it to you switch to a company that will.
This sounds nuts but the truth is that there are different levels of QUALITY in vitamins and nutritional supplements. They are not all alike. Stephen Cherniske, CSO of Univera remarks, 'The bottle that says Calcium is not the same as the bottle next to it that says Calcium. We exasperate the problem because we want ‘good deals’ and look for the cheapest brand at the cheapest price. Is that the way to make sure you put healthy supplements into your body? NO! Think about it, if it takes more time to keep toxins out, if it costs more money for research to show the benefits of a product, if it costs more money to purchase purer base materials, then it will cost more.'
Why would companies knowingly produce and sell low quality products with high levels of LEAD to the general public? Because THEY CAN, and they are betting that you will buy it.