Bone Broth contaminated with lead

[nerdhume]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23375414

[JLH]

Thanks for sharing...........

[Zizzle]

Wow. I worry about fluoride leaching from the bones too.

[tex]

Hi Theresa,

While I don't dispute the findings of that study, I feel compelled to point out that not only are the stated results misleading, but the researchers had an agenda to promote. We have to remember that many in the medical profession not only resent, but are openly opposed to the use of self-inspired diet changes. When patients choose to treat certain medical conditions by diet changes, many doctors are quick to condemn such approaches on the grounds that they are unproven, may be harmful, and similar BS. They never seem to notice that the very conditions that these patients are trying to treat are typically the very same conditions for which professional medicine has no effective treatments. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! We're talking about treating conditions such as autism and non-celiac gluten sensitivity for example, and other issues that physicians don't have much luck successfully treating.

At any rate, doctors are very protective of their turf so they don't like to see patients treating themselves (especially when they are using diet as a treatment). Of course some doctors recommend using bone broth for improved health, but I get the impression that many of these doctors are considered to be radicals or rogues by the mainstream medical community. The bottom line is, if a dietary change isn't recommended by a physician, then it's typically a target of contempt.

But here's why that study is also misleading:

The study concludes:

A small, blinded, controlled study of lead concentrations in three different types of organic chicken broth showed that such broths do indeed contain several times the lead concentration of the water with which the broth is made. In particular, broth made from skin and cartilage taken off the bone once the chicken had been cooked with the bones in situ, and chicken-bone broth, were both found to have markedly high lead concentrations, of 9.5 and 7.01 μg L(-1), respectively (compared with a control value for tap water treated in the same way of 0.89 μg L(-1)).

This makes it sound as though those are dangerous levels if for no other reason simply because they are so much higher than the lead in the tap water selected for comparison. Note that it was a "small" study. Can you say, "Cherry-picked data"? You can bet that the broths used in the study were selected because they happened to have a high lead level. I doubt that the term "blinded" has any significant meaning in this particular study. The "controlled" term probably accurately describes how this study was carried out — most likely very controlled.

And the tap water selected for a control value just happened to have a lead level of only 0.89 micrograms per liter. And note how they tried to confuse the issue by the unconventional use of L(-1). Liter to the minus 1 value is a valid scientific terminology, and it simply means the reciprocal of liter, or 1/L. But this is not a common use in medical research, so why use such a confusing way to describe the units?

But using that value for tap water without further qualifying information, while it might indeed be a typical value, is misleading. Why? Because the EPA allows up to 15 μg/L of lead in drinking water, roughly twice the level found in the bone broth in the study. So that broth is not nearly as bad as the researchers would have us believe. In addition, allowable lead levels in virtually everything have been declining steadily over the decades as regulatory agencies seek to find just how low they can go, and the allowable levels are only a small fraction of what they were 50 years ago.

Of course this is just my opinion, but I certainly wouldn't allow that research article to prevent me from using bone broth if I thought bone broth might be beneficial for my health.

Thanks for bringing that link to our attention.

Tex

[nerdhume]

on this page it says the amount of lead allowed in drinking water is zero:
http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/#Inorganic

[Polly]

Theresa,

Thanks for that important info. No bone broth for me! (I considered it at one point in order to add calcium to my diet, but after doing some research found that only a few mg. of calcium is in bone broth, even after cooking for hours). I realize that there are "allowable" levels from the government, but the best level is none......the body does not need lead for any reason. Even tiny amounts can cause learning disabilities, neurological problems and other organ damage.

When one is exposed to lead, the body takes it out of the bloodstream and deposits it, primarily in teeth and bones, where it cannot circulate in the body and cause continued damage. However, certain conditions can cause the lead to leach back out of the bones and into the bloodstream. For example, when an adult who was exposed to lead as a child develops osteoporosis, the bones demineralize, releasing the lead as well as the other minerals. The lead goes back into the bloodstream, where it can again circulate and cause damage. In fact, this is now a recognized cause of dementia in people who were exposed to lead as a child.

Thanks again.

Polly

[Zizzle]

Wow Polly, I didn't know that about dementia.

Here's what Paleo author Chris Kresser had to say about the study:

http://chriskresser.com/bone-broth-and- ... cation=ufi

[Polly]

Hi Z.,

Thanks for the link. I would still argue that I do not knowingly want to put lead into my body. Just like I do not knowingly want to put gluten into my body. Kessler talks about synergy.....that the other good things, like calcium, in the broth might counterbalance the lead. Well, I cannot find any study that shows that calcium in bone broth is any more than a few mg. If anyone can find otherwise I'd like to see it. I'd also appreciate it if anyone can find a list of the nutrients and their amounts in bone broth......I'd really like to know.....

When you talk about large-scale populations, there is a direct relationship between the amount of lead ingested and severity of damage. However, as we well know from our genetic discussions, this says nothing about an individual's ability to handle lead. I have seen kiddies with a small exposure and significant damage and also the reverse. Perhaps I am more adamant about "no lead" because smaller exposures can be more dangerous in infants.

Polly

[Zizzle]

I don't make bone broth often, but when I do, I'm eating it for the collagen/gelatin and the amino acids found in it, not for any specific minerals. I think collagen is what we are most lacking -- the concept of eating all parts of the animal, including cartilage and tendons, etc, not just muscle meat. My parents take a collagen supplement and swear by it for their aging skin!

[tex]

Theresa,

Nope, you are misreading the guidelines. Zero is merely a long-term, ideal goal (that will never be realized in the real world. Note number 1 associated with MCLG says:

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety and are non-enforceable public health goals.

The red emphasis is mine of course. The action limit (as I originally noted) is 0.015 mg/L, which is the same as 15 μg/L (as I stated).

And obviously Chris Kresser agrees with me:

If drinking water consistently throughout the day with lead levels of 15 µg/L (ppb) does not pose a problem for human adults (and children with the exception of infants drinking formula), then why would drinking 2-3 cups of bone broth with lead levels of 9.5 µ/L pose a problem? I don’t think it would.

Tex

[Zizzle]

If drinking water consistently throughout the day with lead levels of 15 µg/L (ppb) does not pose a problem for human adults (and children with the exception of infants drinking formula), then why would drinking 2-3 cups of bone broth with lead levels of 9.5 µ/L pose a problem? I don’t think it would.

I would not go by government guidelines in determining what's good for me. EPA rules are based on what's possible, not on what's ideal. And we all know the health effects of lead are cumulative, whereas safety rules are often based on acute toxicity. They must have calculated how much lead is in most drinking water, and set a danger level well above it. Otherwise we'd all be marching in the streets complaining about our contaminated drinking water. Luckily, most basic water filters capture lead. However, you can't filter the lead out of your broth...

[humbird753]

Thanks for posting this Theresa. I thought everyone here was in agreement on the benefits of bone broth until I read this thread. So, of course, it made me want to research a bit myself. The following is an article I found which only raises more questions for me. This particular article states (among other things) that it is not recommended for persons with compromised gastrointestinal issues.

http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/kdani ... ypotheses/

Paula

[Gabes-Apg]

Alot of food items are contaminated with various metals.. and have been for hundreds of years.
The issue is not necessarily the source of the metals, IMO, the issue is our bodies inability to filter and excrete the metals and toxins (as it is meant to..)

I found this article today that may be of interest


Confirmation Beethoven suffered from lead poisoning

In 1996 Dr. William Walsh of The Pfeiffer Treatment Center in Illinois was asked to analyze strands of Beethoven’s hair for elemental analysis. In 2000 results of two independent hair analysis were released:

Beethoven Press Conference
Results indicated extremely elevated levels of lead. In 2005 the same research group analysed fragments of Beethoven’s skull for elemental analysis.

Argonne researchers confirm lead as cause of Beethoven's illness
Again they found elevated levels of lead, confirming their previous results. Beethoven suffered from bad digestion, chronic abdominal pain, irritability and depression, all symptoms of lead poisoning. Many people today are suffering unknowingly with lead poisoning! If fact it has been estimated that lead levels in human bones today have 1000 times higher lead levels than 400 years ago. We live in a very polluted planet. Symptoms of lead poisoning vary considerably although often include anaemia, headaches, fatigue, weight loss, cognitive dysfunction and decreased coordination. (Doctors Data Inc.)

Blake Graham, BSc (Honours), AACNEM
Clinical Nutritionist
Perth, Western Australia