Because of a long history of contamination and pollution, heavy metals are everywhere: in the soil, in the water, and possibly even in your baby’s food. The FDA hasn’t set standards to keep these toxins out of baby food, and not all baby food manufacturers hold themselves to the very highest standard of testing and sourcing. Serenity Kids baby foods voluntarily benchmarks against the standards of the European Union, some of the highest, strictest standards in the world. They test and retest their products to make sure they are safe, healthy, and of the utmost quality for your precious little ones.
As health-conscious parents, you should be concerned about the foods you feed your children. After all, the belief that food is medicine dates back to the time of Hippocrates, almost 2400 years ago. While things are drastically different today, the importance of nutrition is unchanged. Today, even those most vigilant parents may be unknowingly exposing their children to toxic heavy metals. These heavy metals could be lurking in the soil and water needed to grow food for our young. Despite these concerns, the FDA has not established standards to regulate heavy metals in baby foods, leaving the food industry to police themselves. Understandably, concerned parents are left wondering if they are doing enough to protect their young.
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Keep Heavy Metals Out of Your Baby’s Food: Serenity Kids Holds Itself to a Higher Standard is an original (News7Health) article.
What are heavy metals?
As the name might imply, heavy metals are elements known for their high atomic weight and density. Some of these heavy metals like iron and zinc are necessary for human health; however, others like arsenic, lead, and mercury are being linked to adverse health effects. These naturally occurring metals have been used throughout history for medical, industrial, agricultural, and domestic purposes. Due to their atomic weight and density, heavy metals do not dissolve and accumulate in the environment.
The consequences of heavy metals in the environment
Unfortunately, these toxic heavy metals have found their way into the soil and water used to produce the foods we eat, including foods fed to babies and toddlers. That is why it is best to be hyper-vigilant and select a brand such as Serenity Kids, known for its rigorous testing, strict internal limits inspired by the European Union, and safety and quality standards when it comes to sourcing.
Independent reports have found that 95% of commercial baby foods contain at least one heavy metal. Even dedicated parents who choose “organic” or elect to make their baby food are still likely to expose their young to heavy metals. It all comes down to ingredients. Some baby food staples like rice and other grains are particularly vulnerable to heavy metals. Certain fruits and vegetables, like sweet potatoes and carrots, are also known to absorb more of these toxins than others.
Health hazards of heavy metals
Clinical studies paint an ugly picture of the dangers of heavy metal toxicity to human health. While these heavy metals have sparked public health concern for all age groups, there is heightened concern for the youngest and most vulnerable age group, babies. Any parent can attest to the volume of food a baby requires. Considering babies’ ratio of food intake to body weight and their immature development, heavy metals could have lasting health effects.
Heavy metals and developmental delays
All parents want to raise happy, healthy, and thriving babies. Heavy metals may threaten this. For instance, lead is linked to impairments in neurodevelopment, including smaller brain volumes and lower scores on intelligence tests. Childhood exposure to lead may also affect growth and has been associated with stunting.
The health risks of heavy metals go beyond this, though. In a small study, heavy metal toxicity may lead to mineral deficiencies, and possibly increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder. Some metals can cause harm at low-dose exposure, like arsenic, which has been associated with deficits in working memory, attention, verbal comprehension, and reasoning.
Toxicity from repeated exposures to mercury has been known to cause neurodevelopmental delays, emotional changes, and poor performance on intelligence measures to name a few. Certainly, hearing of these horrific effects will make you want to take action and advocate for more stringent regulations.
Be informed and avoid heavy metals
Parents should be concerned about heavy metals in the foods marketed for children. Fortunately, parents can let out a sigh of relief since a single exposure is not likely to cause harm. Rather, heavy metal toxicity is the result of repeated exposure to the heavy metals in a process called bioaccumulation. Since parents have no control over environmental exposures, parents should focus on risk factors like food. In addition to using products from brands that use independent 3rd party testing, here are actions parents can take:
- Offer a diverse diet with a variety of foods
- Avoid rice products
- Choose products containing oatmeal, quinoa, or multigrain
- Stay away from fruit juices
- Limit baby food snacks
- Stay away from teething products
- Get your drinking water checked
Serenity Kids, setting a new standard for baby food companies
Although relatively new to the market, Serenity Kids has emerged as an industry leader. First, according to co-founder and President Joe Carr, Serenity Kids is currently the only baby food company found in-stores where the mom that founded the company is still leading day-to-day operations. Co-founder of the company and mom, Serenity Carr, puts her trust in these products by feeding them to her daughter daily.
Second, they are included on a small list of baby food companies verified by The Clean Label Project. The company’s dedication to children and the environment is unmatched. How many other companies offer a full list of the farms used to source their products on the website?
From a nutrition standpoint, Serenity Kids has produced the most balanced baby food on the market. Further, their care for the environment is unquestioned. Serenity Kids selectively sources ingredients from farms that practice regenerative agriculture and sequesters carbon and they actively partner with organizations like TerraCycle to recycle their pouches.
Serenity Kids is a story of personal passion
Founded by a couple from Texas, each of the co-founders has a personal story that drives their “passion for changing the world for kids.” As a child, Joe Carr, the company co-founder, was plagued with stomach pain and was overweight. He was also autistic, but his condition was undiagnosed. In adulthood, he made dietary changes and saw astounding results, including a complete health transformation and improved management of his autism.
Joe’s wife, Serenity, was constantly sick as a child. She suffered from insomnia and developed a gastrointestinal disorder now known to be a “leaky gut.” It wasn’t until adulthood when she eliminated sugar and processed foods that her health improved.
Together as a couple, they witness firsthand the power of nutrition. The inspiration for Serenity Kids was born when planning for a family. Upon taking a trip to the local grocery store baby food aisle, the Carrs realized commercial baby foods contained the exact products that were responsible for their health conditions early in life. It was then that the idea for Serenity Kids was born, and parents are more than grateful.
Feed your baby safely and with the right nutrition
Heavy metals are naturally occurring in all foods, which means they’re unavoidable. The research has highlighted the dangers of exposure to heavy metals, but will never be 100% conclusive since a randomized controlled study, the gold standard of study types, is impossible to employ. For this reason, our understanding of the hazards of heavy metals is based on observational and case studies. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on the quality of your baby’s food. When it comes to our children, any evidence should be enough to sway the decision to choose a brand dedicated to quality and health like Serenity Kids.
For further information:
National Library of Medicine: A Narrative Review of Toxic Heavy Metal Content of Infant and Toddler Foods and Evaluation of United States Policy.
Consumer reports: Homemade Baby Food Is as Likely to Contain Arsenic and Other Heavy Metals as Store-Bought, Study Finds.
Harvard Health: Leaky gut: What is it, and what does it mean for you?
Important Note: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements Or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
