Toxins in Foods

Toxins can be found in our food in many and unpredictable ways. Mercury in fish. Arsenic in rice. Even mixed juices contain toxins. Fish that are higher on the food chain, that grow slower, and live longer accumulate more toxins. Safer fish choices include clams, cod, salmon, and tilapia. Bonus points for sardines because they are high in selenium.

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HEAVY METALS IN FOODS AND BEVERAGES

Heavy metal toxicity is directly related to their accumulation in food. High amounts of these elements generate numerous health issues. Therefore, consumers must choose their food sources carefully. Metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic are the main elements with high potential health risks. According to the analyzed studies, the highest value for cadmium was registered in lettuce cultivated in Romania; excessive amounts of lead were found in apple samples from Ukraine and Kosovo, but also in lettuce or red potatoes from Romania; and arsenic presented alarming values in lettuce from Florida. 
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Scutarașu, Elena Cristina, and Lucia Carmen Trincă. “Heavy Metals in Foods and Beverages: Global Situation, Health Risks and Reduction Methods.” Foods (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 12,18 3340. 6 Sep. 2023, doi:10.3390/foods12183340

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TOXIC AND ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN RICE AND OTHER GRAINS

White rice from Thailand, India, and Italy showed higher median concentrations of toxic metal such as As, Pb, and Cd compared to white rice from the US. Lead and Cd concentrations did not exceed the codex standards; however, Arsenic (As) concentrations in brown rice and one white rice from US exceeded the codex standards.
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TatahMentan, Mom et al. “Toxic and Essential Elements in Rice and Other Grains from the United States and Other Countries.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 17,21 8128. 3 Nov. 2020, doi:10.3390/ijerph17218128

LEARN ABOUT REMOVING ARSENIC FROM RICE

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CONTAMINENTS IN FISH AND CLAMS IN SINCLAIR AND DYES INLET 1992

Concentrations of several metals in fish from Sinclair and Dyes Inlets exceeded those found in comparable studies in the same area and were equivalent or higher than fish from other urban bays. Most importantly, mercury in fish in the present study (0.4 mg/kg) approached the FDA action limit of 1 mg/kg. The California limit is 0.5 mg/kg.
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Contaminants in Fish and Clams in Sinclair and Dyes Inlet
Washington State Department of Ecology 1992
https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/documents/92e09.pdf

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TOXIC METALS AND ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS CONTENTS IN COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE FRUIT JUICES AND OTHER NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES FROM THE UNITED STATES

Among 25 elements, Ni, Mn, B, Cd, Sr, As and Se exceeded drinking water standards.
Two and three samples respectively had As and Cd above 10 µg/kg and 3 µg/kg.
Most samples (∼82%) contained very low Pb (<1µg/kg); the highest was 6.3µg/kg.
Mixed fruit juices contained higher element levels than other beverage types.
Infants and young children should limit especially mixed juices consumption.
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Tewodros Rango Godebo, et al. “Toxic Metals and Essential Elements Contents in Commercially Available Fruit Juices and Other Non-Alcoholic Beverages from the United States.” Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, vol. 119, 1 June 2023, pp. 105230–105230, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2023.105230. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

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FUNGAL AND TOXIN CONTAMINANTS IN CEREAL GRAINS AND FLOURS: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Deligeorgakis, Christodoulos et al. “Fungal and Toxin Contaminants in Cereal Grains and Flours: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Foods (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 12,23 4328. 29 Nov. 2023, doi:10.3390/foods12234328

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SEPARATING THE EMPIRICAL WHEAT FROM THE PSEUDOSCIENTIFIC CHAFF: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE SURROUNDING GLYPHOSATE, DYSBIOSIS AND WHEAT-SENSITIVITY
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While the current review focused on the agricultural practice of desiccating wheat, it should be noted that many crops, including legumes, corn, and soy, have been shown to contain high glyphosate residues due to desiccation and the advancement of glyphosate-resistant crops. Eliminating wheat from one’s diet does not guarantee the elimination of glyphosate exposure. However, wheat products have been shown in independent testing to contain higher residues post-processing and make up a significant portion of the average North American’s dietary glyphosate exposure.

Barnett, Jacqueline A, and Deanna L Gibson. “Separating the Empirical Wheat From the Pseudoscientific Chaff: A Critical Review of the Literature Surrounding Glyphosate, Dysbiosis and Wheat-Sensitivity.” Frontiers in microbiology vol. 11 556729. 25 Sep. 2020, doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.556729