DO NOT POISON YOUR LOVED ONES WITH LEAD THIS VALENTINE'S DAY

Recently, chocolate has been praised for its many health benefits. Unfortunately, along with its health promoting ingredients, chocolate can also be a hiding place for lead. Lead in chocolate comes from various sources such as sloppy manufacturing practices, the leaded gasoline used in farm equipment, or from fertilizers. Whatever the source of contamination, consuming lead-tainted chocolate is harmful, especially to young children. Lead has been found in a wide range of chocolate products including dark chocolate, milk chocolate, syrup, toppings, fudge puddings, and chocolate drinks. Even the label “organic” does not mean lead-free as was evident when 40,000 pounds of one brand organic chocolate products were recalled. Of course, the amounts of lead vary from product to product. Since children absorb more lead than adults, they are the most vulnerable when it comes to lead’s harmful effects. What seems like a small amount of lead adds up and accumulates in one’s system over the years. Taking into consideration that an average person consumes 12 pounds of chocolate each year and that chocolate is eaten in large amounts by children, it is very clear – there is absolutely no excuse for chocolate to contain lead!


Joanna Cerazy
http://www.nomoreleadbabies.com/

FLUORIDE INCREASES LEAD ABSORPTION

A new study published in the February issue of "Toxicology" (Sawan, et al., 2010) confirms earlier research that fluoride added to public water supplies increases the amount of lead absorbed in bones, teeth and blood. Low level lead exposure is especially dangerous to children, as it affects their developing neurological systems increasing the risk of developing learning disabilities, ADHD, behaviour problems, lowered IQ and autism.


The reasoning behind adding fluoride to water is that it prevents tooth decay. The use of fluoride in public water supplies is riddled with controversy as some believe that it causes various health problems and increased child mortality. Over ninety international organizations, including "the big players" such as the World Health Organization, the US Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada, approve the use of fluoride as an additive in public water supplies. Almost 70% of American population and 45% of Canadians drink fluoridated water daily.


How does fluoridation of your drinking water increase the lead levels? In at least two ways. Firstly, the additive used to fluoridate your water is an industrial grade chemical (hydrofluosilicic acid) that is recovered from wet scrubbers during the production of a phosphate fertilizer and it is usually contaminated with lead. Secondly, this very same chemical increases serum lead levels which in turn boosts the amount of lead stored in the brain, bones and teeth.


What can you do to protect your family from this completely preventable lead exposure? In the long run, you can petition your local legislation to stop water fluoridation with hydrofluosilicic acid. In the meantime, make sure that you use an appropriate water filtration system in your home. If you would like to find out if there is lead in your water, there are a few possibilities: there may be a free water testing program in the municipality or county where you live, your local water supplier might be able to do the testing, or you can hire a provincially- or state- certified laboratory. Alternatively, water testing can be done using a home test kit.

And remember: the safest amount of lead is no lead at all!



Joanna Cerazy

co-author Lead Babies

LEAD ALERT!

WARNING: REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS MAY CONTAIN LEAD

Thorton Laboratories (USA) has recently found concentrations of  LEAD in reusable shopping bags. More than half of the bags tested from approximately 25 different manufacturers had levels of lead ranging from 5 to 100 ppm.

SHOULD I BE CONCERNED?

Yes. The bags of concern have been distributed in both Canada and the US. Stop using your reusable grocery bags until you have determined they are 100% lead free. Remember, there is no safe level of lead!

HOW DO IN KNOW IF MY BAG IS SAFE?

First check where it was made. If it was made in China, the risk of it containing lead is much higher. Reusable bags with elaborate illustrations are likely to contain higher levels of lead. Yellow and green paints often contain higher levels of lead. Other bright colours should be a cause for concern and investigation as well. If in doubt, do not use your bag. Wash you hands well after handling.

CAN I CHECK FOR LEAD?

Absolutely. Use a home lead test kit and follow the instructions carefully. The LEAD-FREE STORE has the best selection of test kits available. They are inexpensive and ship in just a few days.

MY BAG CONTAINS LEAD. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Please do not throw your bag in the garbage where the lead will leach back into the earth when it reaches the landfill, or may become lead vapour if incinerated. Secure the reusable bag in an airtight plastic bag, and if possible, return it to the store where it was purchased. You are justified in a request for a refund, but the real purpose is to put the responsibility of dealing with the dangerous product back in the hands of the person who sold it you, while sending a clear message about the product safety standard you expect as a consumer.

WHERE CAN I GET A LEAD-FREE REUSABLE BAG?

Check with your retailer and ask specifically for “lead-free”.                                                     Or... here is a quick link to the LEAD-FREE STORE where you can order                       lead-free reusable grocery bags on-line.

For more information on lead, visit www.enoughlead.com .

Just in time for Halloween – Homemade recipe for lead-free face paint.

Face paint can contain a lot of nasty toxins that are harmful to children and adults. When the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 10 different brands of face paint it found out that all of them contained lead. So, this year try this simple lead-free homemade recipe:

1 teaspoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon water

½ teaspoon all-natural diaper rush cream (one without zinc oxide)

1-2 drops natural food coloring

Mix water and cornstarch. Add diaper rush cream and food coloring.

Joanna Cerazy, co-author Lead Babies

Looking for healthy snacks for your kids? Make sure they do not contain artificial food colorings.

Lead is an ingredient in many artificial food colorings. An artificial food coloring is added to a food or other product in order to make it more appealing, to disguise natural color variations, or to offset color loss due to sun exposure, humidity, etc. Compared to natural colorings, artificial ones are less expensive, so they are a preferred choice of many manufacturers. Artificial food colorings add neither taste nor nutritional value to food and since they are made from coal tar and petrochemicals, our bodies are unable to digest them.

Food colorings have been linked to a number of different health conditions such as anxiety, cancer, brain tumours, allergies, migraines, blurred vision and asthma. Even though the jury is still out on the question if food colorings cause behaviour problems, by now, it has been well-researched and documented that lead plays a causal role in the development of behaviour problems, ADHD, hyperactivity, as well as learning disabilities and reduced IQ. It is true that the amount of lead contained in these artificial colorings meets the guidelines of the US Food and Drug Administration, but it is also true that not all lead gets excreted once consumed. Some of the ingested lead accumulates in the human body. So what is a minute amount at a single dose, becomes a dangerous amount as an over-the-years build up in the brain, teeth, bones and soft tissue.

Artificial food colorings are abundant in most of our foods and personal care products. They are present in drinks, (including juices, sports and re-hydration beverages). They are an added ingredient in candy, cereals, oranges and syrups. They lurk in jams, cake and soup mixes, and condiments. They are found in fruit cocktail, meal replacement bars and powders, instant noodles, bakery products and icing. They are an ingredient in popular snack foods, even the ones marketed as "healthy." Colorings are used in the preparation of cheese, sausage and salmon. They are an ingredient in pet food. Artificial colorings find their way into personal care products such as face and hand cream, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste and chapstick. These colorings also hide in medication, including children’s remedies and vitamins.

Artificial colorings, and the lead contained in them, should and can be avoided. It only requires that we start paying attention to what is listed on food labels. If an item contains artificial colors DON'T buy it. Initially, it might present itself as a little challenge, but since we, humans, are creatures of habit, and we tend to buy the same products repeatedly, with time, this task will become just someting you do.

For more information on artificial food coloring visit the US Food and Drug Administration website. It offers a wealth of official government information about the various approved colorings and their content (including lead, mercury, arsenic, etc). In order to access the detailed information on each additive, scroll down the page, and click on the number in the 21 CFR Section.

Joanna Cerazy
Co-author Lead Babies: How heavy metals cause our children’s autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, low IQ and behaviour problems.

IS YOUR CHILD'S BACKPACK HEAVY with LEAD ?

It is hard to believe, it is already time for back-to-school shopping. With all the excitement and a huge variety of products, let's not forget that some of theses school supplies might contain lead and other toxins. Here are some tips for lead free, child-friendly shopping:

• Choose items that are vinyl-free.


• Avoid backpacks that have shiny vinyl designs as they often contain lead.


• Buy paperclips made just from metal; avoid the ones coated in vinyl as they may contain lead.


• Buy lunchboxes that are lined with non-vinyl materials. Metal and cloth lunch containers are also available.


• Use water bottles that are either made from glass of stainless steel.


• Purchase items made from recycled cardboard, paper, wood, and metal, or ones that are covered in cloth.


• Look for lead-free puzzles and other educational toys


• Reuse the things you already have but make sure they do not contain lead. An easy and inexpensive way of doing it is to use a lead test kit.

More Lead-Smart tips in our newsletter. Sign up at http://bit.ly/9gJklq

Joanna Cerazy, co-author

LEAD is a CAUSAL FACTOR in the DEVELOPMENT of PARKINSON'S DISEASE

The likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease is more than twice as high in individuals who experience prolonged exposure to lead. Parkinsonism is a chronic degenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system and is characterized by tremors, muscle rigidity, and impaired motor skills. Presently, there is no cure for the disease and treatment aims at lessening the symptoms.

While the precise mechanism in which lead causes Parkinson’s disease has still not been agreed upon, there is no doubt – lead plays a causal role in the development of this disease.

Since lead has a similar structure to iron, our bodies are unable to tell the difference between the two and lead can easily replace iron in enzymatic reactions. While lead can mimic iron and enter enzymatic reactions, it is unable to perform the functions that iron does; it is an ineffective enzyme partner. Due to the fact that iron is an essential element in the making of L-dopa, the precursor to the neurotransmitters dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline, this inefficiency causes a drop in the amount of L-dopa. Lead also replaces calcium in the body (see previous blog) and reduces the amount of oxygen transported to the brain. Hemoglobin is required to transport oxygen. Oxygen too is an important element in the production of L-dopa.

Consequently, it is believed that lead causes Parkinson’s disease by reducing the amount of oxygen available to the brain.

Joanna Cerazy, Co-author
LEAD BABIES How heavy metals are causing our children's autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, low IQ and behavior problems.

www.nomoreleadbabies.com
www.enoughlead.com

DID YOU KNOW THAT LEAD ALSO CAUSES ANEMIA?

Anemia affects over thirty percent of the world’s population, and contrary to what is usually believed, it distresses people all over the world, not just the ones in the developing countries. Anemia occurs when there is not enough hemoglobin, an oxygen-carrying agent, in the red blood cells. No one really is immune to anemia and it is common knowledge that anemia can be caused by iron deficiency, poor nutrition (low levels of vitamin B12), blood loss, kidney problems, regular consumption of large amounts of painkillers such as as ibuprofen and aspirin or a genetic condition. It is less universally acknowledged that anemia is another lead effect.

Lead is absorbed by being ingested as food or drink, inhaled, and to a lesser degree, it is also taken in through the skin. Once in the body, lead ends up in blood, soft tissues such as brain, bone marrow, liver, and kidneys, as well as, in bones and teeth.

Lead is a “sneaky” metal; it mimics calcium and our bodies are unable to tell the difference between calcium and lead. Pretending it is calcium, lead binds to proteins on red blood cells. By doing this, it interferes with the production and function of oxygen carrying hemoglobine. As a result, not enough oxygen gets to various tissues which in turn causes anemia.

If you think that you or your child might have anemia, schedule a doctor's appointment immediately and ask to have a blood test that looks not only at the more known causes of anemia, but have lead levels looked at as well.

Joanna Cerazy, Co-author
LEAD BABIES How heavy metals are causing our children's autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, low IQ and behavior problems.

http://www.nomoreleadbabies.com/leadbabies.com/WORRIED_ABOUT_LEAD.html
http://www.nomoreleadbabies.com/leadbabies.com/WORRIED_ABOUT_LEAD.html

Garden hoses can be a dangerous source of lead for pets.

LEAD BABIESBreaking the cycle of learning disabilities, declining IQ, ADHD, behavior problems, and autismAuthors: Joanna Cerazy M.Ed. and Sandra Cottingham Ph.Dwww.nomoreleadbabies.comPublisher: Kunati Inc (USA & Canada) 1-866-356-2442 www.kunati.comDistribution: Independent Publishers Group (IPG)ISBN: 978-1-60164-192-2

Why do kids and pets eat paint chips?

Unless your house is new, check the paint to make sure someone before you did not use lead paint,
or paint over lead paint from decades past.

Visit the LEAD-FREE STORE for a full selection of test kits and order on-line.

For more information and helpful resources about lead exposure, visit www.enoughlead.com