Dangerous arsenic levels in apple and grape juice

Poison control

I’ve been warning people about fruit juice for years. My primary concern has always been the evidence showing that people who drink more fruit juice are more prone to diabetes and obesity. But some new research points to yet another way fruit juice could be killing you and your family…

According to a scientific survey commissioned by Consumer Reports, using CDC survey data, people who reported drinking apple juice or grape juice have about 20 percent higher levels of arsenic in their urine than those who didn’t drink juice.

In fact, 10 percent of store-bought apple and grape juice samples they tested contained more arsenic than the EPA allows in bottled water. The FDA is not alarmed because, apparently, this falls below their “level of concern.”

Well, it doesn’t fall below my level of concern.

Long term exposure to arsenic can lead to bladder, lung, and skin cancer. It also increases your risk for heart disease, immune deficiency, and–you guessed it–diabetes.

What makes this even more serious is who’s at risk: Over 1/3 of kids age 5 and younger drink more apple juice than is “recommended” (a lot of them drink more than 16 ounces per day). And children are far more sensitive to arsenic poisoning than adults.

I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating–you have to be your own watchdog. The so-called health “authorities” are more worried about immediate reactions to contaminants in products. They simply don’t take long-term exposure into account when they set those “levels of concern.”

So it’s up to you to be vigilant about your health and to take control of what you buy and where you buy it. And not just when you’re choosing what beverages to serve your family. As you’ll see below, it turns out the food industry is hell bent on feeding you arsenic one way or another…