FDA Finds Lead in 99% of Children's and Women's Vitamins

The FDA has just announced that they found lead in 320 of 324 brands of vitamins for children and women(INCLUDING PRENATAL VITAMINS). Of course, they do not consider the levels that they found unsafe...(you can take anything the FDA says with a grain of salt in my opinion - and that is sad)

...except for the fact that 1 in 150 children are now diagnosed with Autism and this number seems to be growing each year and children continue to be diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorders, and Aspergers...

...except for the fact that the CDC says that "Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body. Because lead poisoning often occurs with no obvious symptoms, it frequently goes unrecognized. Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and even death" Source: http://www.cdc.gov/lead/

AND except for the fact that the EPA says that "Exposure to lead during pregnancy produces toxic effects on the human fetus, including increased risk of preterm delivery, low birthweight, and impaired mental development. These effects have been noted at maternal blood lead levels of 10 to 15 µg/dL, and possibly lower. Decreased IQ scores have been noted in children at blood lead levels of approximately 10 to 50 µg/dL" Source: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/lead.html

Nevermind the fact that researchers believe that lead is the cause of "65% to 90% of the variation in violent crime rates in the U.S" and "children who had been exposed to high levels of lead in the womb were more than twice as likely to go on to develop schizophrenia" Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning.

Known side effects of chronic lead exposure (say the type of exposure you would get if you took a pill with lead in it EVERY DAY)include:

neurological problems
reduced cognitive abilities
nausea
abdominal pain
irritability
insomnia
metal taste in oral cavity
excess lethargy or hyperactivity
chest pain
headache
in extreme cases, seizure and coma.
also gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, poor appetite, weight loss, which are common in acute poisoning.
Other associated effects are anemia, kidney problems, and reproductive problems.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning



The boys take Vegetarian Yummi Bears and I take Super Nutrition Prenatal -shown above-(no I am not pregnant), both of which are on the list of vitamins that contain lead (remember 99% of the vitamins tested contain lead).

Here is a list of the greatest and least exposure borrowed from the DAILY GREEN:

Greatest Exposure, Ages 0-6

Nature's Plus Animal Parade Shake (Powder)
Superior Multi Age (Powder)
Nutraceutical Pedia Power (Tablet/Capsule)
Physio Kids Multilogics Chewable (Tablet/Capsule)
Ola Loa Kids (Powder)
Nature's Plus Animal Parade (Tablet/Capsule)
Vita-Big-Kids (Tablet/Capsule)
Wonder Laboratories Formula Nineteen (Tablet/Capsule)
Clinicians Choice Chewable Daily Multivitamins (Tablet/Capsule)
Dynamic Health Multi for Children (Liquid)

Least Exposure, Ages 0-6

Twinlab Infant Care (Liquid) *
Natrol Liquid Kids Companion (Liquid)*
NF Formulas Liquid Pediatric (Liquid)*
Windmill Bite-A-Mins (Tablet/Capsule)
Kids Liquid Dolphin Pals (Liquid)
My First Flintstones (Tablet/Capsule)
Natural Wealth Children's Chewable Multivitamins Plus Extra C (Tablet/Capsule)
Uno Diario Ninos (Tablet/Capsule)
Flintstones Plus Immunity Support (Tablet/Capsule)
Natural Wealth Children's Chewable Multivitamins (Tablet/Capsule)
* denotes vitamins that contained no lead, in FDA testing.

Greatest Exposure, Ages 7+

Kal Enhanced Energy Teen Complete (Tablet/Capsule)
Clinical Nutrients for Female Teens (Tablet/Capsule)
Clinical Nutrients For Male Teens (Tablet/Capsule)
Doctor's Choice For Male Teens (Tablet/Capsule)
Maxi Teen Supreme (Tablet/Capsule)
Rainbow Light Active Health TEEN (Tablet/Capsule)
Nature's Plus Source of Life Power Teen (Tablet/Capsule)
FoodScience Teen's Superior (Tablet/Capsule)
Esteem Total Teen (Tablet/Capsule)
Vitanica Women's Symetry (Tablet/Capsule)

Least Exposure, Ages 7+

Lil Critters Drop Zone for Teens (Candy-like)
Nutrition Now Zow for Teens (Candy-like)
Michael's For Pre-Teen Boys (Tablet/Capsule)
Michael's For Teen Boys (Tablet/Capsule)
Puritan's Pride Mega Vita Min For Teens (Tablet/Capsule)
Michael's Pre-Teen Girls (Tablet/Capsule)
Michael's Teen Girls (Tablet/Capsule)
Good 'N Natural Ultra Teen (Tablet/Capsule)
Futurebiotics Derma Teen (Tablet/Capsule)
GNC Mega Teen (Tablet/Capsule)

Greatest Exposure, Pregnant and Lactating Women

After Baby Boost 1 (Tablet/Capsule)
A to Z Naturals Wow! PreNatal (Tablet/Capsule)
Vitamin Source Prenatal Complete (Tablet/Capsule)
Prenatal Superior (Tablet/Capsule)
Rainbow Light Complete Prenatal System (Tablet/Capsule)
Buried Treasure Prenatal Plus DHA Complete (Liquid)
DaVinci Laboratories Ultimate Prenatal (Tablet/Capsule)
Life Time Professional Pre-Natal Formula (Tablet/Capsule)
Daily Foods Baby & Me (Tablet/Capsule)
Carol Bond Women's Choice Prenatal (Tablet/Capsule)

Least Exposure, Pregnant and Lactating Women

After Baby Boost 2 (Tablet/Capsule) *
Nature's Sunshine Nature's Prenatal (Tablet/Capsule)
Nature's Plus Prenatal Liquid (Liquid)
Natrol PreNatal Care (ablet/Capsule)
Pregnancy Plus (Tablet/Capsule)
Pure Encapsulations PreNatal Nutrients (Tablet/Capsule)
Maxi Health One Prenatal (Tablet/Capsule)
Nature's Bounty Prenatal (Tablet/Capsule)
Stuart Prenatal (Tablet/Capsule)
Natural Wealth Prenatal (Tablet/Capsule)
* denotes vitamins that contained no lead, in FDA testing.

Greatest Exposure, Adult Women

NutriBiotic Ultimate Matrix (Tablet/Capsule)
Super Nutrition Women's Blend (Tablet/Capsule)
Esteem Total Woman (Tablet/Capsule)
Garden of Life Living Multi Optimal (Tablet/Capsule)
GenSpec VF-1 for African American Females (Tablet/Capsule)
For Women Only (Tablet/Capsule)
Garden of Life Living Multi (Tablet/Capsule)
DaVinci Laboratories Spectra Woman (Tablet/Capsule)
Women's Superior (Tablet/Capsule)
GenSpec VF-3 para Mujeres Hispanas (Tablet/Capsule)

Least Exposure, Adult Women

FemOne (Tablet/Capsule)
Viactiv Multivitamin Milk Chocolate (Candy-like)
Family Value Multivitamin/Multimineral for Woman (Tablet/Capsule)
MotherNature.com Women's Basic Multi (Tablet/Capsule)
Kirkman EveryDay (Tablet/Capsule)
Vitabase Woman's Multi (Liquid)
Food Force Women's Force (Tablet/Capsule)
21st Century One Daily Women's (Tablet/Capsule)
Viactiv Flavor Glides (Tablet/Capsule)
NewChapter Organics Every Woman's One Daily (Tablet/Capsule)

Click HERE to view the complete list from the FDA.

FYI: "Researchers have increasingly been emphasizing that there may be no safe level of exposure for children and developing babies. California is the only state that regulates lead in supplements..." Source: http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/lead_in_vitamins/

What is the FDA going to do about it? Nothing. So much for the government protecting us and our children. Write to your congressperson and ask them to make sure that we don't unkowingly feed lead to our children!!

Desperately Seeking Nature

DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE NDD?


What is NDD? Nature Deficit Disorder. Nature Deficit Disorder may be one of the causes of ADD, ADHD, SPD etc. 21st Century kids don't get out in nature anymore; they don't go hiking, camping, canoing, collecting seashells by the seashore...

WHY?

1. Nature has been replaced with condos and parking lots/garages and Wal-Mart in many cities.
2. Nature is so poulluted that it isn't safe to go to the river, ocean and/or lake anymore...sewage spills cause bacterial infections and oil spills cause cancer (Something to think about when you think that it might be a good idea to vote YES for offshore drilling...thousands of children will be affected by that vote directly and indirectly)
3. Parents are too busy working overtime and more than one job to make outings in nature a priority.
4. Video games and TV.
5. Apathy

This has caused a major disconnect within the souls of children. They have no sense of how they fit into the Universe and the world around them, they have no appreciation, wonderment and awe. They have nothing to illustrate that there is something bigger than themselves. This has caused an imbalance within the core of children and humanity. This is something that I had always known deep inside but it was confirmed when I read about it recently in a book called "Last Child in the Woods; Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder".

Click HERE to view it and/or buy it. It is written by Richard Louv
Click HERE to listen to an interview with Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods; Saving Our children from nature deficit disorder"

We have always been a nature loving family, but we have made even more of an effort to ensure that we don't succomb to Nature Deficit Disorder by making sure that we do something each day in Nature. When the rest of the United States thinks of L.A., they think of a sprawling concrete jungle twisting and spiraling out of control. Well, we're here to tell you that there is nature all around us...it might not be in our backyard; but it IS all around us. We have mountains on three sides and the ocean on the other side. We go to the beach every weekend, but last weekend we also made it out to the mountains to take a hike.

Here are some pictures of our 1.7 mile hike in the Santa Monica Moutains. FYI, California brought his magnifying glass and Tennessee brought his digital camera and sketchbook.

Hiking...






















Getting a closer look...













Posing...























Along the way, we saw three horses in a stable and pet another horse on the trail named "Baggo". We also had the pleasure of meeting two cute Beagles on a walk with their owners. As we were leaving we saw three of these by the side of the road:

For those in L.A. who are desperately seeking nature to avoid NDD...go to Will Rogers State Park and take a hike. You will not be disappointed!

If you live in the L.A. area go to LAMountains.com to plan your next hiking adventure...

OR

Click HERE and enter your zip code to find a great hike near you :)This is a national database of hiking trails! So it doesn't matter if you are in L.A. or not...happy trails!

THREE

California turned three today.
The days of babyhood are gone...replaced by big boy days.

Here is a picture of him with his birthday cake:



EATING CAKE:



Unwrapping gifts:



Planting seeds with his new gardening tools for his birthday:



Taking a rest:



Looking for "Bob" (the neighbor's cat):



And pictures of him enjoying himself and having a picnic dinner at the beach on his big day:





We love you California!