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They Say: Certain Vinegars Bad for Kids
The Environmental Health Sciences Organization has been studying the effects of certain vinegars on children and what they have discovered could potentially change the way many of us cook. According to their findings, the small amounts of lead found in some balsamic and other red wine vinegars can be hazardous to children when consumed regularly. By “regularly,” they mean one tablespoon daily. And by “hazardous,” they mean it can cause learning and behavioral disorders and diminished IQ.
For children, the biggest source of lead exposure comes from old house paint and tap water. Those who live in lead-free houses and drink lead-free water have been found to have average lead levels of 2.0 micrograms per deciliter of blood. Computer modeling has shown that consuming one tablespoon per day of vinegars with high lead concentration would raise those levels 30% to 2.6 micrograms per deciliter.
As vinegar representatives point out, most people don’t consume that much vinegar a day. But experts say that because children are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of lead, their exposure to it should be minimized or eliminated completely. In addition, kids who have already been exposed to lead can be pushed over the “safe” level even by small amounts.
Knowing which vinegars contain lead and how much can be confusing. Lead in food products can vary from brand to brand and even from batch to batch. For the entire report and a list of low-lead vinegars, visit the Environmental Health News Web site.
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1 Comment
MOOOMMA commented on Nov 12 09 at 10:39 amI am soooo tired of all the studies done on what’s bad for kids! It seems like there is nothing you can do right anymore! And the stories are all conflicting. How are you supposed to know what’s right and what’s wrong?
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