Lead in cracked paint, candle wicks, lipstick, kids’ toys, and vinyl lunchboxes have placed the pernicious heavy metal at the forefront of public consciousness of late. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has discovered another place where it’s managed to rear its ugly head: over-the-counter women’s and children’s vitamins.
The agency’s concern is not without merit, especially when kids are involved. Childhood lead poisoning continues to be a major environmental-health problem in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, resulting in nervous system and kidney damage, learning disabilities, speech and behavior problems, poor muscle coordination, decreased muscle and bone growth, and hearing damage. Fetuses are even more vulnerable, which makes the presence of lead in prenatal vitamins even more repugnant.
99 percent of vitamins tested contain lead
In the course of its investigation, the FDA examined 325 multivitamin products. Only four of them—NF Formulas Liquid Pediatric, Natrol Liquid Kids Companion Liquid, Twinlab Infant Care, and After Baby Boost 2—contained zero traces of lead.
Although none of the vitamins contained concentrations of lead that exceeded what the FDA considers “safe/tolerable exposure levels,” we have to wonder if any quantity of lead is acceptable at all, especially when the source of this assessment condones irradiated spinach and bisphenol-A in plastics.
You can find a full list of the products tested on the FDA’s Web site.
– from treehugger