Isn’t that crazy? I can’t write the title of this post as “lead free vitamins”, because none of them can be definitively described as lead free. And I know, no one is lead free, lead is in our foods in small amounts. But it is still simply astounding to me that lead is in vitamins.
Since my post about lead in vitamins, I’ve been searching for vitamins that are most likely to be lead free. I haven’t found much. I did find this great post from Healthy Child, Healthy World from the ever informative Janelle Sorensen. She found a source that outlines steps to buying a safer vitamin.
“Here are some steps you can take to help you pick a better product, says David Schardt, a senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group in Washington, D.C. He recommends:
• Choosing well-known mainstream brands by companies that have a lot at stake.
• Buying from large, trusted retailers, not unknown sellers on the Internet.
• Looking on the bottle for a stamp from USP, NSF or ConsumerLab.com. While the stamp doesn’t guarantee the product is safe and effective, it does indicate that the manufacturer has submitted the product for testing to show that it contains what is stated on the label.
• Not spending a fortune on vitamins. Pricey products toting all sorts of “extras” aren’t necessary and may be trouble.”
So, does one buy Flinstones Complete because they are a mainstream brand, but probably contain some dyes and sugar? Or the more natural brands from the natural food stores that there isn’t much information about?
Alisha over at Uber Parents sheds some light on this in her recent post about searching for a lead free prenatal vitamin. She did some research and emailed one of her favorite companies. The post is compelling about how low levels of lead are unavoidable in vitamins, and how she has decided to not let it bother her.
I’m glad for this information, but I am still unsure what to do. Recent reports about vitamin D really make me want to be giving a vitamin to my two girls, but at this point, I am unsure. What about you, readers? Do you give your child a vitamin? How did you make your choice? I hope some of these guidelines help in your selection.
image: Healthy Child, Healthy World
Yes, I give my boys vitamins as well as take them myself while breastfeeding. I personally opt for a healthier brand from a health food store or the likes and self-educate about vitamins so I actually know what to look for when reading the labels. It doesn’t happen overnight and may even take some going back and forth and researching online. But your for your child’s safety, in my opinion, it’s worth it. My oldest used to take VitaBears (chewable tablets) and we now all take GBG 10-in-1 (liquid vitamin). I never noticed anything about lead in either, but now will look it up since I read this to make sure!
You never “noticed” any lead in your vitamin??? huh? fyi they don’t list on the label…do you submit it to your lab for testing?
What about fruits and vegetables? Can’t see the forest for the trees?
of the 300+ vitamins that were tested, 4 tested negative for lead. one is natrol children’s liquid vitamin. i have sincce ordered it online. but it is expensive. according to the above guidlines, now should i worry about it not being reliable/safe? it is so frustrating and sad that it is so difficult to find safe basic things, such as vitamins, for our children!
Uber Parents say “If I don’t get lead from my vitamins, I’ll just get it from my food anyway.” So why not just get it from food. Use the money you would spend on vitamins on good food. After reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma and its follow up book, I was convinced that our food combinations is one way that nature ensures that we actually absorb the nutrients in plants, something that vitamins can’t do.
Shaklee vitamins are lead free. They do 80.000 tests annually for purity and potency. I’m not aware of any other supplement manufacturer who does the testing Shaklee does. Shakleebaby Multivitamin & Multimineral Powder delivers 23 essential nutrients that your baby may not be getting from foods. And these are whole food supplements that are GUARANTEED to be ALWAYS SAFE, ALWAYS GREEN and ALWAYS WORK or your money back!
Oops, forgot to say that Shaklee is one of the sponsors of Healthy Child, Healthy World.
I want to know if Shaklee has the FDA stamp of approval. Has Shaklee invited the FDA to test for lead on their kids and adult vitamins? Wanting to see their name on that FDA list.
i can recommend Orthomol bronson vitamins