Last Updated on December 20, 2017 by Patricia Carter

Summary:  I don’t write a lot about toxin loads but should.  They affect all of us and this study by UC Davis [Vogt et al, 2008]  found that for children, the  cumulative toxin load in all 364 children evaluated for 11 food based toxins in 44 foods, exceeded cancer benchmark levels for arsenic, dieldrin, DDE (a DDT metabolite), and dioxins, AND 10% exceeded mercury levels!  In addition, for preschool aged children 2-4 years, OVER 95% exceeded cancer benchmark levels for acrylamide and they fared worse than the 5—7 yr age group.   Acrylamide is a cooking byproduct found in processed foods like potato, tortilla chip and processed grains).  So… while I don’t write often about toxins, going into the holiday season when we likely are eating even more of the foods contributing to the toxin burden, I wanted to remind all of the reality of these loads particularly in our children.  So here is a Roundup of Healthy Holiday Trays ALL kids will luv! Try them since ALL 364 kids exceeded cancer benchmark levels of toxins in this UC Davis study!   Instead of the processed foods and chips, these gems (anytime of the year really) will draw your children to less toxin loaded foods.  Be sure to use EWG Dirty Dozen lists!  I also like the UC Davis researcher recommendations to reduce these toxin loads:  Vary diet to help protect us from accumulating too much of any one toxin since different toxins are applied to different fruit and vegetables.  Acrylamides are relatively easy to remove from the diet. They form in chips and processed grains.  Also reduce consumption of animal meat and fats, which may contain high levels of pesticide DDE and other persistent organic pollutants, and switch to organic milk.  Eat smaller fish, lower on the food chain, which generally have lower mercury levels.  Good SMASH fish are:  Salmon, mackerel, anchovy, sardine, and herring. 

Healthy Holiday Trays

Instead of the foods contributing to high cumulative cancer toxin loads in our children (like processed foods, processed grains, and chips and grains) try a tray or two of these gems and see how your children are drawn to less toxin loaded foods. 

Be sure to use EWG Dirty Dozen lists (also below)! 

Consider using lactose-free cheeses, such as those used in the SCD diet:

The Cumulative Food Toxin Load UC Davis study (currently the EPA looks only at individual toxin risk):

The study, Cancer and non-cancer health effects from food contaminant exposures for children and adults in California: a risk assessment also discussed in this article,  Kids may risk cancer from toxins in food looked at cumulative toxin load in children for 11 food based toxins in 44 foods and found that all of the 364 children exceeded cancer benchmark levels for arsenic, dieldrin, DDE (a DDT metabolite), and dioxins. Over 95% of preschool aged children 2-4 years exceeded levels for acrylamide (a cooking byproduct found in processed foods like potato, tortilla chip and processed grains) and 10% exceeded mercury levels. The preschool age group also had significantly higher estimated intakes of 6 of 11 compounds compared to school-age children age 5-7. Even relatively low exposures can greatly increase the risk of cancer or neurological impairment. Pesticide exposure was particularly high in tomatoes, peaches, apples, peppers, grapes, lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, spinach, dairy, pears, green beans, and celery. The results of this study demonstrate a need to prevent exposure to multiple toxins in young children to lower their cancer risk. The 11 toxin compounds looked at were:  metals, arsenic, lead, and mercury; pesticides chlorpyrifos, permethrin, and endosulfan; persistent organic pollutants dioxin, DDT, dieldrin, and chlordane; and the food processing byproduct acrylamide.  The cohort was 207 preschool-age children (2–4 years), 157 school-age children (5–7 years), parents of young children (n=446), and older adults (n=149). young children.

To mitigate the toxins load, the researchers recommend: 

Vary diet to help protect us from accumulating too much of any one toxin since different toxins are applied to different fruit and vegetables.  

Also reduce consumption of animal meat and fats, which may contain high levels of pesticide DDE and other persistent organic pollutants, and switch to organic milk. Despite the DDT ban 40 years ago, the study showed significant persistence and risk of legacy DDE exposure. While mercury is most often found in fish, accumulation varies greatly by species. Smaller fish, lower on the food chain, generally have lower mercury levels.

In addition, acrylamides are relatively easy to remove from the diet. They form in chips and processed grains.

Lets protect our children!

Best in health through awareness.

References in order of appearance:

1. [Vogt et al, 2008],  Cancer and non-cancer health effects from food contaminant exposure for children and adults in California: a risk assessment. 
2. Kids may risk cancer from toxins in food.

Last updated: December 20, 2017 at 9:33 am to add “Recipes: Holiday” tag.