New Concerns About Juices

We have been cautioning parents that even fruit juices aren’t so healthy for kids (or anyone else) because they are concentrated sugar that spikes your blood sugar when they lack the fiber content of the whole fruit.  This is well documented. However, just now in the news (Dec. 1, 2011) there are new concerns to which you may want to pay heed.

The Consumers Union, one of our valued sources for good, solid scientific information from in-house lab testing, is cautioning us about high arsenic levels found in apple and grape juice samples that they recently tested.  According to Consumer Reports, the reporting medium for the Consumers Union, “the concern lies in the harmful, chronic effects that high arsenic levels can have on younger children, many of whom already drink more juice than is recommended by doctors.”

The testing revealed that the inorganic form of arsenic, which is more toxic than the “organic” type, is what is present in the juices. We were not previously aware that any kinds of arsenic were acceptable, but the statement that this is the harmful kind should give everyone who buys these juices some pause (in purchasing it).

Consumer Reports found the problems in the brands Apple & Eve, Walmart’s Great Value, and Mott’s. Don’t assume that you are safe if you buy other brands. Apparently, the Walgreens brand and Welch’s grape juices both contained more than the standard amount of arsenic, so clearly there’s going to be more to this story as it unfolds.

In what is now a video on YouTube, Dr. Mehmet Oz states that 60% of the apples used in apple juice sold in the U.S. comes from overseas, where pesticide controls are questionable, at best.

Here is the link to the first few reports (with the video).  The video show Dr. Oz discussing it.

Here is the FDA’s counter article to this.

No one seems to contest the fact that inorganic arsenic isn’t harmless. That type normally comes from pesticides applied to orchards and vineyards.  The second article states that “Arsenic is naturally present in water, air, food and soil in two forms — organic and inorganic. According to the FDA, organic arsenic passes through the body quickly and is essentially harmless. Inorganic arsenic — the type found in pesticides — can be toxic and may pose a cancer risk if consumed at high levels or over a long period.”

Now, Dr. Oz and the FDA may battle this issue out in whatever forums they can. When Consumer Reports adds its findings, does this lend any further credibility to Dr. Oz’s argument?

How much arsenic would you like to pass through your body(or your toddler’s body) to see if any of this is true?