4 Hidden Sources Of Heavy Metals That Can Potentially Harm Your Health

Metals exist all around us. They occur naturally in the environment and can be found in a variety of food sources. Many metals pose no threat to health but certain heavy metals—ie. ones that are literally heavy, dense, and found in the Earth's crust—have been associated with a range of illnesses in children and adults.

There are health benefits to eating seafood, but some fish contain high levels of the heavy metal mercury. Mercury should be of special concern for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, who can pass the heavy metals along to their babies.

In 2016, the Environmental Working Group performed an analysis of pregnant women who eat fish to examine their exposure to mercury. They measured mercury levels in hair samples of 254 women eating about as much fish as the U.S. government recommends for pregnant mothers. About 30 percent of women had mercury levels over the safe limit set by the EPA, considered too high for pregnant women. Using even stricter limits recommended by other experts, the researchers found that 60 percent of women had excessive mercury levels in their hair. Frequent fish eaters had 11 times more mercury than a group who rarely ate fish.

Bone broth is a popular ingredient thought to lower inflammation, nourish skin, and promote gastrointestinal health. However, when animals (and humans) are exposed to certain metals—particularly lead—they often store it within bone materials.

Not much research has looked into heavy metals in bone broth. There was one small (and non-peer reviewed) 2013 study2 measured the levels of lead in broth made from the bones of organic chickens. The broth was found to have “markedly high lead concentrations” compared to water cooked in the same cookware.

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that has been linked to increased risk of certain cancers. Cigarette smoking, in particular, is known to expose people to high levels of cadmium.

Exposure to inorganic arsenic has been linked to heart disease, kidney disease, brain disease, and diabetes. Unfortunately, rice is really efficient at absorbing arsenic from pesticide-laden soil, irrigation water, and even cooking water.

Young children tend to be at a higher risk for arsenic exposure and the FDA cautions4 that rice formulas should not be the only source, or even the first source, of nutrition for an infant. Barley, multigrain, and oats are preferred nutrition sources.