New Research Suggests It’s Possible and Epigenetic Inheritance May Play a Role
A new study published in the World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics recently investigated heavy metal residues that remain persistent in the American food supply due to food ingredient manufacturing processes. Concerned with the alarming prevalence increases in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the authors set out to explore the possibility that heavy metal residue could be influencing the surging rates of neurodevelopmental disorders. The study revealed that the U.S. government continues to allow lead, arsenic, and mercury levels in the American food supply. These heavy metals can be found in food coloring, certain preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, vegetable oils, baby food and ultra-processed foods. The authors propose that finding heavy metal residues in the food supply is problematic because children diagnosed with symptoms of autism can have difficulty metabolizing and excreting heavy metals from their bloodstream. The research also detailed that kids diagnosed with ADHD bioaccumulate lead in their blood because of dietary calcium and zinc deficits or losses in conjunction with lead exposures. Perhaps even more problematic, the authors stated that changes in methylation patterns and gene behavior in response to heavy metal exposures and nutritional factors are common in developing disease conditions across generations. Essentially this finding means that parents should not only worry about heavy metal exposure through their children’s diets but also the heavy metals they were exposed to before becoming parents that may have influenced their genome. The authors conclude that due to the alarming increases in ASD and ADHD prevalence, Congress should mandate warning labels on foods containing ingredients with allowable heavy metal residues so that child intellectual development and learning do not erode any further.
