Toxicologists Expose , Risks of Heavy Metals , Found in Common Foods.
Scientists have warned that arsenic and other heavy
metals found in food have consistently been linked with
increased cancer risks and other major health concerns.
'Newsweek' reports that while heavy metals naturally
occur in the environment, they can also build up as
a result of industrial processes and pollution.
Those metals are then absorbed
by plants, including food crops. .
Two new studies from the U.S. Society for Risk
Analysis looked at the health risks associated
with exposure to heavy metals in common foods. .
Felicia Wu, Michigan State University
food scientist and incoming president of
the Society for Risk Analysis, and her team looked
at the dietary intake of lead, cadmium and arsenic.
The team found that lead was most commonly detected
in rice, wheat and leafy greens, while cadmium was
present in nuts, potatoes, seeds, cereals and tobacco.
The team found that lead was most commonly detected
in rice, wheat and leafy greens, while cadmium was
present in nuts, potatoes, seeds, cereals and tobacco.
The team found that lead was most commonly detected
in rice, wheat and leafy greens, while cadmium was
present in nuts, potatoes, seeds, cereals and tobacco.
Lead is associated with a moderate to high risk of lung,
kidney, bladder, stomach and brain cancers, while cadmium
is associated with conditions effecting the reproductive
system, immune system and general development.
Lead is associated with a moderate to high risk of lung,
kidney, bladder, stomach and brain cancers, while cadmium
is associated with conditions effecting the reproductive
system, immune system and general development.
Arsenic, which was found in rice, wheat and leafy
greens, was linked to high-risk scores for skin,
bladder, lung, kidney and liver cancers.
Arsenic, which was found in rice, wheat and leafy
greens, was linked to high-risk scores for skin,
bladder, lung, kidney and liver cancers.
Results from these studies have
important implications for food safety
regulations, public health policies,
and consumer awareness, Felicia Wu, Michigan State University food
scientist and incoming president of the
Society for Risk Analysis, via 'Newsweek'.
The team's previous work found that babies and children
under the age of five are the most highly-exposed
group to cadmium from consuming common foods