The good news is, we already test and publish our testing results so you don't have to worry about Love Grown! If you're looking to avoid heavy metals as much as possible , we do have a few suggestions. Look for products that:. Choose ingredients tha

The good news is, we already test and publish our testing results so you don&apos;t have to worry about Love Grown! If you&apos;re looking to avoid heavy metals as much as possible , we do have a few suggestions.&#xA0;Look for products that:&#xA0;<ol><li dir="ltr" style="text-decoration:none;">Choose ingredients that are certified Organic, Regenerative, Demeter Biodynamic or similar. Each of these certifications is tagged on the relevant products, so you can search for them easily. Although these certifications do not necessarily guarantee lower heavy metal levels, better agricultural practices that prioritize soil health and avoid synthetic fertilizers and pesticides may reduce the overall amount and bioavailability of heavy metals.</li><li dir="ltr" style="text-decoration:none;">Test and fall within the EU &amp; CA Prop 65 Guidelines. You can look for products that are Certified by Clean Label Project and NSF Contents Certified, to know they meet or exceed these guidelines.&#xA0;</li><li dir="ltr" style="text-decoration:none;">Feature certifications like MadeSAFE and the Clean Label Project. All the products that carry these certifications are tagged with them, so you can easily search for them on the site.</li></ol>Above all, continue to eat a healthy, balanced diet: healthy individuals who eat a balanced diet tend to be less likely to absorb heavy metals and more likely to quickly excrete them. There is some research indicating that dietary nutrients Vitamins A, C, and E, polyphenols, curcumin, zinc, selenium, calcium, and iron,&#xA0;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S221242922401023X" style="text-decoration:none;">catechin compounds&#xA0;may help your body naturally address negative impacts like arsenic toxicity, lead exposure or&#xA0;</a>cadmium absorption.&#xA0;Just because a product may have a higher risk for heavy metals doesn&#x2019;t make it bad. Testing is the way to know it&#x2019;s still safe. &#xA0;It&#x2019;s also important to understand what heavy metal level limits mean and your potential exposure based on the foods you eat and how often you eat them, especially for those with higher risk. For most people, the amount you would need to consume to have concern for toxicity is well beyond what you would eat. And foods with ingredients like sweet potatoes, spinach and carrots have loads of other health benefits.

I want to avoid heavy metals as much as possible for myself or my family. How do I do that?

Heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury are non-essential elements that may be toxic at elevated and/or long-term exposure levels. They naturally exist in air, water, and soil due to environmental processes like wildfires and volcanic e

Heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury are non-essential elements that may be toxic at elevated and/or long-term exposure levels. They naturally exist in air, water, and soil due to environmental processes like wildfires and volcanic eruptions or from human activities like driving cars and manufacturing. Plants and animals can absorb them from the environment, although most foods contain very low to non-detectable levels. Some ingredients have a higher risk of absorbing these metals due to their type or how they are grown.Heavy metals can also come into contact with ingredients or products during processing. For example, when ingredients are left to dry in the sun, they can be exposed to heavy metals present in the air from nearby roads, factories, or urban areas, or on contaminated surfaces such as lead-painted tables.&#xA0;The key for the future is our soil health. The healthier our soil, the fewer heavy metals to begin with. Agricultural practices like regenerative are leading the way to improve soil health. So over time, as more and more farms choose these practices, crops will be increasingly less likely to uptake heavy metals.In the interim, we believe in the following principles to help address safety concerns:&#xA0;1. Testing our products and adhering to the guidelines set by trusted organizations who have done the work to understand the science and risk2. Working to improve practices where heavy metal exposure may take place3. Arming individuals with the information to make the best decisions for themselvesAlthough the U.S. sets general limits for heavy metals, there is a lack of robust national regulatory standards for finished food products. The FDA does not require testing for heavy metals on ingredients or finished products. That&#x2019;s why we look to the E.U. Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and California Prop 65, whose thresholds are at least 1,000x lower than what is known to cause harm.&#xA0;We envision a world where every single item is tested; neutral third party agencies create standards and monitor for compliance to those standards; packaged foods companies make test results available to customers on the batch level; and there are technologies that can remove heavy metals from both raw ingredients and finished goods. We&#x2019;ll continue to work with partners who are leading the way in these areas.&#xA0;

Why are there heavy metals in food to begin with and how do we get to better?

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Heavy Metals

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