Researchers at Tulane University tested 60 popular beverages for toxic metals and found that five drinks contained amounts above the federal drinking water standards. While the results sound jarring, how concerned should we really be about metals in our store-bought beverages?
The study, published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, revealed that an undisclosed cranberry juice brand, a mixed carrot and fruit juice, and an oat milk all contained high levels of cadmium, a natural element used in paints, batteries, and jewelry. While low levels of cadmium can often be found in groundwater, it’s rare to find traces of it in your drinking water.
Study author Tewodros Godebo says, “Chronic exposures to cadmium, arsenic, and lead are carcinogenic, and neurological effects. The health effects of cadmium are mainly on renal and bone damage including reduced bone strength.”
Additionally, the study found that two mixed juices contained trace amounts of inorganic arsenic. It’s a naturally occurring toxic element found in rock and soil, and according to Godebo, can cause skin, lung, bladder, kidney, and liver…
