What’s in That Spice Jar? It Matters

Spices offer remarkable health benefits, yet there are instances when they become problematic due to heavy metal contamination and exposure to radiation. Discover what factors to be cautious of when selecting spices for your culinary needs.

Enhancing both taste and well-being, the addition of herbs and spices to your meals provides a straightforward approach. Incorporating around 1 teaspoon in total each day of cinnamon, ginger, cumin, turmeric, rosemary, oregano, basil, or thyme can even foster an improvement in gut bacterial diversity within four weeks.

However, concealed within the advantageous polyphenolic components, there lurks a concealed danger – the presence of toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic. A comprehensive evaluation of 126 spice products from prominent brands including Trader Joe’s, McCormick, and Whole Foods unveiled that nearly a third of these contained levels of heavy metals that could jeopardize your health.

Approximately 32% of Spices Carry Heavy Metal Contaminants

Consumer Reports meticulously analyzed 126 varieties of dried spices and herbs sourced from brands such as Penzeys, Spice Islands, Great Value (Walmart), and La Flor. Alarmingly, almost 32% of these products contained a combined quantity of lead, arsenic, and cadmium that could potentially impact the health of children who consume them regularly.

The risk extended to adults, as several of these products held heavy metal levels that could pose threats. The assortment of tested spices included: