Try This – 2/23/24

Try This – 80% of Americans Tested Positive for This Harmful Chemical

February 23, 2024

Hi Everyone!  

Do you or any of your friends or family members still eat Cheerios? If so, you’re going to want to read this. 

Our food supply has unfortunately become like the Wild West. 

Many of the products that fill our grocery store shelves contain ingredients that are toxic and unrecognizable, and we are told to just trust that the food industry does its due diligence to ensure the safety of our products. 

We now know that we cannot leave the safety of our food in the hands of others, especially when it comes to processed and packaged foods. 

That’s not to say all processed and packaged foods are bad; some things like quality breads, cheeses, protein powders, and oils can be a healthful part of our diet. But it’s up to us to stay informed of the ingredients and chemicals used in our processed foods because some of them are dangerously toxic! 

An alarming report released by EWG last week revealed that some of the most popular foods available in pretty much every single grocery store in America contain a toxic pesticide that has been linked to a variety of health challenges, including reproductive and developmental problems. 

Again, if you or anyone you know eats popular food items like Cheerios or Quaker Oats, you’re going to want to keep reading this article. 

Let’s get into it… ​

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​What the Heck Is Chlormequat?

Between 2017 and 2023, the Environmental Working Group tested 96 individuals for a toxic pesticide called chlormequat. In their peer-reviewed study published last week in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, they revealed that the presence of this pesticide was found in 77 of the 96 individuals tested. That’s 80 percent! 

Not only that, the amount of chlormequat present seemed to be higher in 2023 than it was in 2017, indicating a rise in the use of this pesticide in just a few short years. 

This all makes sense because prior to 2018, chlormequat was not used here in the US. According to EWG, the environmental protection agency “gave first-time approval for some amount of the chemical on imported oats” in 2018. Most of it is found in oat products, many of which come from Canada. In 2023, the EPA put forth a plan to allow the use of chlormequat on wheat, barley, and oats grown in the US, which could make this toxic pesticide even more abundant in our bodies. 

Last year, EWG also tested 20 oat-based products and nine wheat-based products for this pesticide and found that 92 percent of nonorganic oat-based products contained chlormequat! ​

So Why Is This a Problem? Research has shown some serious problems coming from chlormequat exposure in animal studies, including harm to reproductive health, challenges with fetal growth, and altered development of the head and bones. 

While we don’t know the full effects of this pesticide on humans, I don’t want to sit around and wait to find out! Seeing the harm in animal studies raises alarm. 

A good point brought up by my friend Max Lugavere is that the levels found in the urine were not terribly high, but they were increasing in just a short amount of time, which is concerning! Not only that, we do not have enough data to show exactly what this pesticide does to the human body. But judging by the animal studies, it doesn’t look good! 

While organizations like EWG are working hard to stop the presence of toxic ingredients in our food supply, we can take our health into our own hands by sticking with real, whole food as much as possible and focusing on organic products. Only two of the organic brands of oats tested were found to contain chlormequat, so that is promising when it comes to choosing oat-based products! Wheat products also did not have the same amount of the pesticide as nonorganic oats. 

Another way to reduce our toxic burden and to protect the health of our children is by cutting back or cutting out ultra-processed foods, which contain the most harmful ingredients for our health. 

Another study released this month found that women who consumed more ultra-processed fast food while pregnant had a higher risk of complications during pregnancy and birth including low birth weight, preterm birth, and conditions like ADHD. Why? The plastics used to prepare and contain ultra-processed fast foods can leach phthalates into the food that can cross through the placenta and into the fetal bloodstream, causing serious challenges, including an “inflammatory cascade within the fetus.” 

This is not meant to scare anyone but to encourage you and your loved ones to choose unadulterated, home-cooked food as much as possible. I know it’s not always possible, even for me, and I have been focusing on my health and nutrition for over 20 years! But what is possible is doing our best most of the time, and that’s what matters. Crowd out the ultra-processed, hyper-palatable stuff with the good stuff: fruits, veggies, organic whole grains, meats, fish, legumes, and beans. 

Be sure to send this to any of your friends or family members who still eat Cheerios, nonorganic oat products, or tons of ultra-processed food! 

Here’s to your health, Dhru Purohit