Is Your Baby’s ‘First Food’ Loaded With Toxic Heavy Metals?

The “breast versus bottle” debate has long divided concerned parents who only want the best nourishment for their child. Many parents who seek convenience often choose infant formula. Others, such as moms who cannot produce enough breast milk to satisfy their children, have no choice but to resort to formula milk.

So, to find out that most infant formulas sold today are contaminated with not just one, but FIVE toxic metals is not just alarming, but an eye-opener to just how unnatural and damaging these highly processed infant foods are.

Study on Infant Formulas Finds All Samples Contaminated With Heavy Metals

Published in May 2024, the study was a collaboration between two nonprofit organizations, GMOScience and Moms Across America.¹ Spearheaded by Michelle Perro, MD, Zen Honeycutt and Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., the study aimed to determine the presence of toxic metals in several brands of infant formula.

The researchers tested 40 samples from 20 formulas made by well-known local and international brands, such as Enfamil, Gerber and Similac, to name a few. Some were labeled “Organic,” “Non-GMO,” “Grass fed” and “Hypoallergenic.” Most formulas were dairy-based, and only one was soy-based. Each formula was tested twice.

The study findings were alarming. Not only did all samples test positive for aluminum and lead, but the researchers also found that:²

• Six out of 20 formulas tested positive for all the heavy metals being tested
• 35% of the samples tested positive for cadmium, 55% were positive for mercury and 57% were positive for arsenic
• Four samples had mercury levels that were higher than the allowed limit in drinking water by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Cadmium levels in both samples of one formula are nearly twice higher than the allowed amount in drinking water
• The aluminum levels in a goat’s milk baby formula were at 41,000 ppb — this means it was 4,000 to 40,000 times higher than other metals in the formulas tested. It also exceeds the limits set by the FDA for the maximum safety level of aluminum for a preemie

Heavy Metals Can Cross Your Infant’s Underdeveloped Blood-Brain Barrier

The study authors, who released their findings on their podcast The New MDS (Mothers, Doctors and Scientists),³ emphasized the significance of this project and what it can mean for young children’s health. They mentioned that these toxic heavy metals can cross your child’s blood-brain barrier, which doesn’t fully develop until they’re 6 months old, which puts them at risk of cognitive health issues.

“Chronic exposure to these metals, even at low levels, can have cumulative effects on infants, potentially leading to developmental and neurological issues, carcinogenic, as well as initiating the development of chronic diseases later in life.

Given the [crucial] growth period in infants, even small amounts of toxic metals can have disproportionately large impacts as compared to adults,” they stated.⁴

They also noted that the heavy metal contamination from formula milk can have a cumulative effect. The levels can also increase during early infant growth, as well as when various nutrient deficiencies are present, such as iron and vitamin D deficiency.⁵ In a blog post, Anne Temple of Moms Across America commented:⁶

“[W]e are extremely dismayed by the results. We had hoped some formulas would be free from toxic and heavy metals, but they were not. We were shocked to see such high levels of toxic metal aluminum present in goat’s milk formula and urge the manufacturers and the FDA to immediately take action to resolve this issue.”