Nutrition Is a Key Part of Lead Poisoning Prevention
yogurt, girl, lead prevention diet, calcium, eating, iron
girl eating yogurt
Exposure to lead can lead to permanent brain damage, heart problems, behavioral and developmental problems -- even violence.
While the phasing out of lead in gasoline and paint has helped to reduce childhood exposure to lead -- and impending limits on lead in toys and other children's products should help further -- millions of children still experience lead poisoning. (Adults do, too.) Federal authorities say old lead paint in older homes, along with contaminated soil -- both of which produce lead-tainted dust and grime that children ingest inadvertently -- are the chief causes of lead poisoning.
To reduce exposure and protect your child, The Daily Green recommends these five steps:
1. Maintain paint in older homes, so that you avoid peeling and flaking that can produce dust. Consult with a professional if you have any doubts.
2. Check your toys and remove any that have been recalled due to high lead content.
3. Have your pediatrician test your child's blood lead level, so you know if you need to carefully investigate potential sources.
4. Avoid home renovations during pregnancy or a child's first six years; if you do renovate, do so carefully and under professional guidance.
5. Ensure good nutrition. Iron deficiency can lead the body to absorb more lead, so ensure your child is eating enough iron (and the Vitamin C needed by the body to absorb the iron). Similarly, eating calcium will cause the body to absorb less lead.
Click here for more details on these lead-prevention recommendations, or read on for nutritious recipes -- all from The Daily Green's Real Food Diet -- that rich in calcium, iron and Vitamin C.
Clams
clams, iron, superfoods, lead prevention diet, real food diet
clams
Surprise! Clams take the top prize for providing the most iron. Three ounces of the shellfish provide 23.8 mg of iron and 126 calories.
Whether you like them raw on the half shell or cooked in your clam chowder, clams are also a surprising king of the superfoods: clams are also a top source of potassium and Vitamin B12.
Clams are unlikely to be contaminated, and according to the Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector, the farming of the most common clams in the U.S. (northern quahogs) does little ecological damage.
Recipes:
Linguine with White Clam Sauce
Guava
vitamin C, food sources, guava,
guava
Guava is rich in vitamin C -- one half cup of the fruit contains 188 mg of vitamin C and 56 calories. Eat the fruit raw, or try this recipe for a Hawaiian smoothie.
Cereal
cereal, iron, breakfast
cereal
This includes cold and hot ready-to-eat cereals. The amount of iron you can get from cold cereals ranges from 1.8 to 21.1 mg of iron, but it's typically lower for hot cereals (4.9 to 8.1 mg), so check those labels. Ready-to-eat fortified cereals are also often a good source of calcium.
Soy Beverage
calcium, soy milk, soy
soy milk
Calcium-fortified soy milk has 368 mg of calcium per cup.
Use it in smoothies, pour it over cereal and try it in recipes like this one for Banana Cake.
Parents monitoring their children's health, as well as anyone concerned about intake of estrogen, should be aware that soy contains plant estrogens.
Kiwi
vitamin C, food sources, kiwi
kiwi
Kiwi -- the fruit, not the bird that's the national symbol of New Zealand -- is rich in vitamin C. One medium kiwi contains 70 mg of the nutrient and 46 calories.
The fruit is typically eaten raw, but you could always attempt to make New Zealand's national dessert, the Pavlova, which is often topped with kiwi.
Recipes:
Blueberry-Kiwi Tarts
Fruit Salad for a Little Guy
Sardines
sardines, calcium
sardines
Sardines already score points for having low levels of contaminants and high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. But the little fish also give you 325 mg of calcium per 3 ounces.
Try this recipe for Sardine and Potato Salad with Romesco Sauce on even non-sardine lovers.
Organ Meats
liver, chicken liver, iron
chicken liver
Animal bits such as liver and giblets offer between 5.2 and 9.9 mg of iron, and 134 and 235 calories per three ounces.
Soybeans
edamame, soy beans, iron
soybeans
A half cup of cooked soybeans contains 4.4 mg of iron and 149 calories.
Add them to a salad or try one of these recipes:
Farm Stand Succotash
Edamame Lo Mein
Parents monitoring their children's health, as well as anyone concerned about intake of estrogen, should be aware that soy contains plant estrogens that may cause health problems in high doses.
Vegetable Juice Cocktail
vitamin C, food sources, vegetable juice
vegetable juice cocktail
Drinking your vegetables provides plenty of nutrients, including a vitamin C punch (and, if your veggie juice is tomato-based, a healthy dose of lycopene, a disease-fighting phytonutrient). You'll get 50 mg of vitamin C and 34 calories in 3/4 cup of juice.
Sub vegetable juice cocktail for tomato juice in this recipe for Fire-Roasted Gazpacho.
Cantaloupe
vitamin C, food sources, cantaloupe
cantaloupe
One quarter of a medium cantaloupe has 47 mg of vitamin C and 51 calories.
Check out these bright ideas when in the mood for melon.
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