Deadly Influence of Infant Formula

The Deadly Influence of Formula in America

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Which Infant Formulas Contain Hidden Toxic Chemicals?

Although artificial human milk is regulated by the FDA, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that a thyroid-affecting chemical used in rocket fuel contaminated 15 brands of powdered infant formula — including two that accounted for 87 percent of market share in 2000. The top offenders included Similac and Enfamil.

The International Formula Council blamed the perchlorate on the water used to make the formula rather than the powder. However, pre-mixed liquid formulas come with their own potential toxins, such as the chemical BPA.

And in China, 76 tons of melamine-tainted milk products were recently seized, just two years after melamine-adulterated formula killed six infants and hospitalized thousands more.

Mother Jones reports:

“For all these reasons the American Academy of Pediatrics remains less than sanguine about infant formula, recommending exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued nursing ‘until at least the baby’s first birthday.’ Indeed, they credit mother’s milk with everything from breast cancer risk reduction to obesity prevention.”
Dr. Mercola
In 2009, a government study found that 15 brands of powdered infant formula were contaminated with perchlorate, a toxic compound in rocket fuel.

The two most contaminated brands, made from cow’s milk, accounted for 87 percent of the U.S. powdered formula market in 2000, the scientists said, and although they did not identify the formula brands they tested, Mother Jones reports that they were referring to Similac and Enfamil — two infant formula brands that exist in just about every supermarket in the United States.

Most people are exposed to perchlorate through their diet in the form of contaminated water and/or foods. But infant exposure may be far greater than that of adults, especially if they are fed infant formula, as the toxin may be present in both the formula and/or the water used to prepare it.

Can You Really Trust Infant Formula?

Your child is perhaps never more vulnerable than in the first few months of life, when their fragile body is still rapidly developing.

Infants experience greater exposure to chemicals pound-for-pound than adults, and have an immature and porous blood-brain barrier, which allows greater chemical exposures to reach their developing brain.

Children also have lower levels of some chemical-binding proteins, which allows more of a chemical to reach their organs, while systems that detoxify and excrete chemicals in adults are not fully developed.

So it goes without saying that feeding babies the purest, gentlest food possible is extremely important. Infant formula is a poor nutritional substitute for breast milk in general, but when you factor in toxic contaminations such as perchlorate, it really makes me question their use entirely.

Perchlorates, Melamine and Inferior Nutrition

Perchlorates are salts derived from perchloric acid, which are used in the defense- and pyrotechnics industries. Unfortunately, most perchlorate salts are water soluble, and we’re now experiencing widespread land and water contamination in many areas of the world.

This is a serious concern because perchlorate is known to disrupt thyroid function and hormone production by inhibiting your thyroid gland’s iodine uptake.

In addition, at high doses perchlorates may affect fetal development, so the mother’s toxic load can also place the child at risk. This toxin has been found in most U.S. powdered infant formula, and according to the Environmental Working Group:

The EWG states:

“The CDC study said that reconstituting cow’s milk/lactose formula with water contaminated with perchlorate at just 4 parts per billion (ppb) would cause 54 percent of the infants consuming the mix to exceed the so-called “safe” dose set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Many scientists contend that the EPA “safe” level is too high to protect public health.”

And that is only one chemical that’s been detected in infant formula. Melamine, a compound composed of nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen that’s been linked to kidney failure, among other serious problems (including death), has been found to contaminate infant formula in China for some years now. But this toxin has also been detected in U.S.-made infant formula.

Melamine was found in concentrations of 137 and 140 parts per billion in Nestle Nutrition’s Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron, but the FDA said that concentrations less than 1,000 parts per billion do not raise safety concerns, although earlier they had argued that no level of melamine was safe.

Now, even if you were able to prove that infant formula was 100 percent safe and free from these types of unintended contaminants (which would not happen), I would still not advise feeding it to your child …

Would You Give Your Baby a Can of Soda?

Many infant formulas have as much or more high fructose corn syrup than a can of soda. Metabolically this is very similar to alcohol on a chronic basis, so there appears to be a frightening similarity between giving your infant a can of soda or beer, or a bottle of most conventional infant formulas.

I’ve written numerous articles about the dangers of consuming fructose, including its ability to disturb your metabolism, elevate blood pressure and triglycerides, cause weight gain, heart disease and liver damage, and even deplete your body of vitamins and minerals.

There is no way that a baby should be consuming any corn syrup whatsoever, and the fact that infant formulas are able to be marketed as nutritious for babies when they’re loaded with corn syrup is incredibly deceptive. If you currently have infant formula in your home, check the label for corn syrup or corn syrup solids, and throw the can away if you find it.

Soy Formula is Even More Dangerous

I rarely talk about absolutes but this is one where I will say: NEVER give your child soy formula. I guess the only exception would be if there was a catastrophe and that was the only food source that would keep your baby alive.

The high concentrations of manganese found in soybean-based baby formula can lead to brain damage in infants and altered behaviors in adolescents.

Researchers have found that soybean plants lift up manganese in the soil and concentrate it, so that its use in soy-based infant formula can result in as many as 200 times the level found in natural breast milk. Experts believe that such high concentrations could pose a threat to the immature metabolic systems of babies up to 6 months of age.

The other significant issue is the estrogen in soy. A soy-fed baby receives the equivalent of five birth control pills’ worth of estrogen every day! These babies’ isoflavone levels were found to be from 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than in non-soy fed infants.

Breast is Best

One of the best gifts you can give your child is to start out their life with a sound nutritional foundation, and the best way to do this is by breastfeeding.

While any amount of breastfeeding is better than none at all, it is clearly to your advantage, and best for your baby’s health, to breastfeed exclusively — meaning no other food or water is supplemented — for at least the first 6 months. Then, at the age of 6 or 9 months, you can begin to supplement with solid foods (while still continuing to breastfeed as well).

What exactly does your baby stand to gain by being breastfed?

Lower risk of respiratory tract and middle ear infections
Lower risk of eczema
Lower risk of obesity
Added protection against heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and allergies
Improved brain function and immune system function
There are benefits to mom, too. The main ones are a reduced risk of chronic diseases like cancer, a faster return to your pre-pregnancy weight, and increased bonding between you and your baby.

So please don’t be swayed by myths like infant formula is more nutritious than breast milk. This is absolutely not true, and contamination issues are just the tip of the iceberg.

Statistics show a clear correlation between feeding infants artificial formula and increased infant mortality within the first year. It’s important to realize that there are at least 400 nutrients in breast milk that are NOT found in formula. Of course, the healthier that a new mom eats, the healthier her breast milk will be, too.

There are certain medical conditions that can prevent a woman from breastfeeding, however the majority of women are able to breastfeed successfully. If you need help, contact a lactation consultant in your area for tips and support. You can also visit La Leche League, which is a phenomenal resource for breastfeeding moms.

A Healthier Infant Formula …

If for some reason you’re not able to breastfeed, or you have adopted a baby, your next best option is to make a healthy infant formula using raw milk. You can find homemade formula recipes here.

We do have as one of our projects to produce the finest infant formula on the market. Unfortunately, there is a long development process and we are still about two years away from offering it.

Sources:
Mother Jones July 12, 2010

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Infant Formula Fortification Protocol

Dr. Mercola
A mother’s breast milk is nature’s perfect and complete foodfor babies and can’t even come close to being reproduced. With somany substances known to be present in breastmilk, but unable to be replicated inbreastmilk substitutes (formula), plus all of the as-yet unidentified constituents,it should come as no great surprise that children today are suffering from a vastmyriad of illnesses and disorders.

The human brain is infinitely more sophisticated than the world’s fastest computer,yet many people naively think that this wondrous organ can be perfectly constructedwithout any regard to the “raw materials” required. Building a properlyfunctioning brain requires the right materials, just as building a computer would.Imagine trying to build a computer from scratch, without any microchips. Or tryingto build a house without any lumber, bricks, steel, or other materials.

However, while there is no way to create a formula equal to breastmilk, there aresteps that can be taken to improve somewhat upon the standard formulas that areavailable.

One of the nutritional areas that are woefully inadequate with formulas is in regardsto their fatty acid content. With all of the anti-fat propaganda going onthese days, most people don’t realize the critical importance of fat, especiallywith infants. Not only is the quantity important, but the quality and breakdownof the types of fat supplied as well.

After all, the brain is 60% lipid (fat). Ofthis fat, approximately 12 % is arachidonic acid (AA) and 17% is docosahexaenoicacid (DHA).

Many people have heard about the benefits and importance of the omega-3 fatty acidsDHA and EPA, found primarily in fish.

The importance of DHA in the infants’ diet recently prompted many countries (notincluding the US) to allow formula producers to fortify their products with DHA,as well as AA. Currently, DHA/AA enhanced formulas are available, although not mandatory,throughout most of Europe.

Unfortunately, this small step still does not provide infants the nutrients theydesperately require, due to several problems.

First of all, the DHA added to the formulas,obtained from microalgae, is highly oxidized (approximately 30%)

Additionally, DHA and AA are not the sole fat constituents of breastmilk.Fortifying with them is a step in the right direction, but still leaves out plentyof important substances.

In an effort to help people provide their infants with the best possible nutrition,we often instruct mothers to “create” fortified formulas. But of coursewe insist that mothers breastfeed if at all possible or even obtain fresh breastmilkfrom a lactating friend or relative, if they have adopted a baby, or can’t breastfeedfor some reason.

For the infant to remain as healthy as possible, he must obtain a proper balanceof all the essential fats, which is difficult to impossible, especiallywhen you are changing mother nature and trying to create a formula.

However, below is a basic fat fortification protocol, which attempts to come asclose as possible to “the real thing”:

Kiddie Krill – one per day

Organic egg yolk – 1 yolk daily added at four months of age

Organic cream ideally non-pasteurized and non-homogenized — If you are unable to find a local dairy farmer who will cooperate with you please try this link: http://www.realmilk.com/where.html.

Omega Nutrition pure sesame, walnut, safflower, sunflower, oils (rotate with above) – 1 teaspoon daily

One teaspoon high quality coconut oil. This oil needs to be heated to 76 degrees to become a liquid.

Base oils as safflower, sunflower and sesame can be blended into the formula.

It is important, if not breastfeeding, to use one of the commercially availableformulas as a “base” from which to fortify the infant’s diet. Althoughsome people might be tempted to create their own homemade formula, I don’t recommendthis approach, as it is just too dangerous that something could be inadvertentlyleft out or added in too great a quantity. A mistake could cost an infant his life.

Nutramagen or Alimentumcan be used as a base infant formula and ‘doctored up’ with nutritional perks. Bothof these formulas are acceptable in regard to the ‘allergic’ aspect, and are theones usually used when children cannot tolerate anything. Of course, they are alsothe most expensive.

FORTIFIED COMMERCIAL FORMULA
Makes about 35 ounces

This stopgap formula can be used in emergencies, or when the ingredients for homemadeformula are unavailable.

1 cup Mead Johnson low-iron, milk-based powdered formula, Nutramigen or Alimentum are best and better tolerated but are more expensive
29 ounces filtered water (3 5/8 cups)
1 large egg yolk from an organic egg uncooked. Do not give to infant unless older than four months of age
1 Kiddie Krill
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend thoroughly. Place6-8 ounces in a very clean glass bottle. (Store the rest in a very clean glass jarin the refrigerator for the next feedings.) Attach a clean nipple to the bottleand set in a pan of simmering water until formula is warm but not hot to the touch,shake well and feed to baby. (Never heat formula in a microwave oven!)

If your baby is premature, one additional area of fortification is in the area offree amino acids, most notably taurine. This nutrient is also critical for infant development and is foundin human milk but not in cow’s milk. Although many formulas add some taurine, ithas been shown that formula-fed infants have lower levels of taurine in their bloodthan breastfed infants do, even when the formula has added taurine.

Contrary to the advice given by some, soy milk, almond milk,or carrot juice, even if organic and homemade, are most definitely NOT ACCEPTABLESUBSTITUTES FOR BREASTMILK, or even for formula.

For those mothers who are breastfeeding, it is important to realize that the essentialfatty acid content of her breast milk coincides with what she eats. Therefore, herdiet is very important for the health of her baby. One of the most important thingsthat a breastfed mother can do is to avoid foods containing trans fats, such asmargarine and anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

While one can’t guarantee that taking the steps outlined above will completely eliminateproblems such as ADD/ADHD and other behavioral problems, developmental problems,autism, visual difficulties, and others, I believe it is a strong possibility thatit could help to reduce their incidence, although it is important to always rememberthat BREAST IS BEST.

Please recognize that soy formula is an unmitigated disaster for infants and should never be used.Fact is, it can harm your baby, as it is high in:

Manganese
Aluminum
Phytoestrogens that will harm your baby
(For more information please read the links below.)

Alternatively a raw milk formula can be made:

MILK-BASED FORMULA From Weston Price Foundation
Makes 36 ounces

Our milk-based formula takes account of the fact that human milk is richer in whey,lactose, vitamin C, niacin, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids comparedto cow’s milk but leaner in casein (milk protein). Use only truly expeller-expressedoils in the formula recipes, otherwise they may lack vitamin E.

The ideal milk for baby, if he cannot be breastfed, is clean, whole raw milk fromgoats. If goats are not available, them milk from cows certified free of disease,that feed on green pasture would be a second best choice. For sources of good qualitymilk, see http://www.realmilk.comor contact a local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

If the only choice available to you is commercial milk, choose whole milk, preferablyorganic and unhomogenized, and culture it with a piima or Kefir Culture to restore enzymes.

2 cups whole milk, raw (non-pasteurized) milk from pasture-fed cows
1/4 cup homemade liquid whey (See recipe for whey)
4 tablespoons lactose (available from The Apothecary 301-530-1112)
1 teaspoon bifidobacterium infantis
2 Kiddie Krill
1 teaspoon expeller-expressed sunflower oil
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons Frontier brand nutritional yeast flakes
2 teaspoons gelatin
1 7/8 cups filtered water
1/4 teaspoon acerola powder

Add gelatin to water and heat gently until gelatin is dissolved. Place all ingredientsin a very clean glass or stainless steel container and mix well. To serve, pour6 to 8 ounces into a very clean glass bottle, attach nipple and set in a pan ofsimmering water. Heat until warm but not hot to the touch, shake bottle well andfeed baby. (Never, never heat formula in a microwave oven!) Note: If you are usingthe Lact-Aid, mix all ingredients well in a blender.)

Variation: Goat Milk Formula

Although goat milk is rich in fat, it must be used with caution in infant feedingas it lacks folic acid and is low in vitamin B12, both of which are essential tothe growth and development of the infant. Inclusion of nutritional yeast to providefolic acid is essential. To compensate for low levels of vitamin B12, add 2 teaspoonsfrozen organic raw chicken liver, finely grated to the batch of formula. Be sureto begin egg-yolk feeding at four months.

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Some Baby Foods are Worse Than Junk Food

Some baby foods contain as much sugar and saturated fats as chocolate cookies or cheeseburgers.

A survey of more than 100 foods for babies and toddlers found examples that were 29 percent sugar, and others that contained trans fats, which have been linked to heart disease.

The Children’s Food Campaign, part of food and farming campaign group Sustain, examined the nutritional content of 107 baby and toddler foods. Only half the products were low in saturated fat, salt and sugar.

So, what about organic baby food — is it your safest choice?

Maybe not…

Katharine Wroth of Grist was curious about her organic baby food options, so she took a look at several types of baby food.

She found that, among other results, Earth’s Best had an extensive selection, but also had high sodium levels. Gerber Organic was easy to find, but came in plastic containers. Organic Baby was from a good company, but was sometimes hard to find.

Plum Organics had BPA-free packaging, but a high price and limited flavor options. Happy Baby had the same advantages and the same problems. Little Lettice comes from a company that uses local ingredients and doesn’t ship outside the region, but that means it is only available in Massachusetts.

In the final analysis, the frozen baby foods tasted better than the jarred ones, but they would be prohibitively expensive if they were all you bought. However, they also noted that there is one option that is affordable, tasty, and healthy: making your own.
Dr. Mercola: As shocking as these findings are, I’m still not surprised. As the food industry is notorious for flooding the market with unhealthy foods – why should you believe the baby food sector is that much different?

Just What Are You Feeding Your Baby?

The results of a survey of more than 100 foods for babies and toddlers found that one brand of dry biscuits contained a staggering 29 percent sugar!

Other weaning biscuits were found to contain unlabeled trans fat, which is known to increase LDL, also known as “bad” cholesterol, while lowering levels of HDL, or “good” cholesterol. It can also cause clogging of arteries, type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems, and can increase the risk of heart disease.

Many food companies use trans fat instead of oil because it reduces cost, extends storage life of products and can improve flavor and texture.

None of these reasons have anything to do with benefitting the health of your child.

Yet despite all the science available on the dangers of trans fats, when a researcher from the Children’s Food Campaign (CFC) spoke to one of the baby food manufacturers, asking about the trans fats in their products, he was told that they were “pretty sure” that there were no trans fats in their baby biscuits, but that they would check with a nutritionist.

They called back two days later and admitted that their biscuits do contain trans fats, but assured the CFC researcher that “trans fats aren’t any worse than saturated fats and that it is the whole diet that matters.”

The CFC researcher was also told that tiny amounts of trans fats “do not pose a health risk, and that if there was any concrete evidence that trans fats were dangerous, they wouldn’t be allowed.”

That’s the kind of ignorant nonsense you have to contend with from many sources within the food industry, but rest assured, they are completely wrong.

As far back as 2002, the Institute of Medicine concluded there is no safe level of trans fat.

Said Christine Haigh, joint-coordinator of the Children’s Food Campaign,

“The results of this survey are staggering. Many foods marketed for babies and young children are often advertised as “healthy”.

In reality, in terms of sugar and saturated fat content, some are worse than junk food. In particular, failing to correctly label products that contain dangerous trans fats is outrageous.”

Infant Formulas and Processed Baby Food Do Not Equal Healthy Babies

Hopefully, you already know that the absolute healthiest food for your baby is breast milk. Unfortunately, many mothers and their infants are paying a hefty price for advertising promoting powdered baby formulas over breastfeeding. The United Nations even blames the manufacturers of formulas and their deceptive marketing practices for the drastic decline in breastfeeding across the world, which is negatively impacting the health of millions of babies.

Nestle continues to be one of the main culprits in dissuading mothers from breastfeeding. Campaigners first called for a boycott of Nestle back in 1977 to try to limit their dirty marketing techniques in some of the poorest of countries. Thirty years later, it is crystal clear that it has done nothing to stop them, even though they are still one of the most boycotted brands in the world.

Unfortunately, infant formulas are still a popular choice here in the United States as well.
I strongly advocate breastfeeding if at all possible. If for some reason you’re unable to breastfeed, however, please read my previous article, Healthy Alternative to Conventional Infant Formula, for advice on how to make homemade baby formula and infant “starter foods.”

And while on the subject of formula, please avoid soy infant formulas at all costs!

What are some of the problems associated with soy formula?

Well, for starters it can:

Adversely affect hormone levels, and has been associated with reduced testosterone levels
Impair thyroid function through isoflavones present in the formula
Increase the risk of behavioral problems
Expose your child to up to 2,000 times higher estrogen content
Soy formula can also contain potentially high concentrations of aluminum and manganese.

It is generally given to infants who aren’t breastfeeding and have trouble taking regular cow-milk-based infant formulas. While I am no fan of these formulas either, they tend to be safer than soy formula.

However, the cow-milk-based formulas are derived from pasteurized milk, and if you haven’t heard by now, pasteurized milk is not good for you or your baby. Fortunately, you can use raw milk to produce a terrific infant formula, but, again, remember that breast milk is ALWAYS best.

Is Organic Baby Food as Good as Homemade?

Just as organic food in general has become more popular, the demand for organic baby food has increased as well. In 2007, parents were spending $116 million on organics for their babies, a 21.6 percent increase from the previous year alone. But that’s still a tiny slice of the $3.6 billion baby food industry as a whole.

But are organic baby foods the ideal choice?

One mother’s independent evaluation shows you may still end up feeding your child ingredients he or she does not need at that tender young age, such as excessive amounts of salt.

Now, whereas an adequate intake of sodium is required for optimal growth of fat, bone and muscle tissues, you will not get these health benefits from regular processed salt, but from natural unprocessed salts – which you can bet your bottom dollar is NOT what’s used in most processed baby food, organic or not.

You may also expose your infant to toxic contaminants like BPA from plastic containers, even if the content itself is agreeable.

When you make homemade baby food however, you have complete control over the ingredients; no unresolved questions about potential additives, preservatives, mysterious “natural flavors,” etcetera.

Yes, it may require a little more time—but in the end, it’s up to you to decide what the health of your family is worth to you.

Simply cooking a squash or sweet potato, mashing it up and putting it into an ice cube tray is an easy way to have ready-made multiple servings available for the rest of the week.

Egg yolk is another healthy food that requires little preparation. According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, egg yolk should be your baby’s first solid food, starting at 4 months, whether your baby is breastfed or formula-fed. Egg yolks from free-range hens will contain the special long-chain fatty acids so critical for the optimal development of your child’s brain and nervous system.

However, the egg whites may cause an allergic reaction so they’re best avoided until your child is at least one year old.

Here’s a simple, healthy recipe you may want to try:

1 organic egg from a pasture-fed (free-range) hen
1/2 teaspoon grated raw, frozen organic liver (optional)
pinch natural unprocessed salt
Boil the egg for 3 1/2 minutes. Place in a bowl and peel off the shell. Remove the egg white and discard. The yolk should be soft and warm, not hot, with its enzyme content intact. Sprinkle with a small amount of natural salt.

If you wish to add liver, grate it on the small holes of a grater while frozen. Allow to warm up and stir into the egg yolk.

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Synthetic DHA and ARA in Baby Formula is Causing Infant Illness

NaturalNews.com

November 9 2009

Synthetic DHA and ARA in Baby Formula is Causing Infant Illness

by Ethan Huff, citizen journalist
See all articles by this author
Email this author

(NaturalNews) For years, baby formula manufacturers have been fortifying and reformulating their blends in an effort to poise their products as equal or superior to natural breast milk. Beginning in 2002, many producers began supplementing their mixtures with synthetic forms of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA), the long-chain fatty acids naturally present in breast milk. Evidence is now showing that the synthetic versions are detrimental to the health of children, despite their continued usage in almost every available brand of infant formula.

The idea behind fortifying infant formula with DHA/ARA was substantiated based upon the fact that a mother’s breast milk naturally contains these polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They are vital components to human eye and brain development, particularly in the formative infant years. The primary distinction is that the form of DHA/ARA being used in infant formula is structurally incompatible with the form found in human milk.

Martek Biosciences Corporation, the company who produces synthetic DHA/ARA, extracts the oils from laboratory-grown fermented algae and fungus using hexane, a demonstrated neurotoxic chemical. Identified as a hazardous air pollutant by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), hexane resides in the same category as other serious toxins that are linked to causing cancer and other serious health problems.

Developed primarily as a marketing tool, Martek’s 1996 DHA/ARA investment promotional material states that even if the additive had no demonstrable benefit, it would nevertheless allow manufacturers to market their formulas as being the “closest to human milk”. Formula manufacturers quickly jumped on the bandwagon despite definitive evidence proving the additive’s safety.

Recently implicated in causing severe reactions in some babies, including breathing problems, gastrointestinal upset, and other illnesses, synthetic DHA/ARA is on the hot seat. Parents and professionals alike are questioning why the additive is still being used in almost every available brand of infant formula and why the companies using the additive are being allowed to claim that their product is superior to human breast milk, despite the hundreds of mounting FDA adverse event reports indicating its dangers.

Whether the culprit is the DHA/ARA itself, the hexane extraction residue, or both, it is anyone’s guess since no formidable scientific safety studies were conducted prior to the additive’s introduction into the formula market. Prior to hitting the market, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expressed concern to Martek about the safety of the new additive, indicating that the agency desired to convene a formal meeting to address the issue. Martek denied this request and, shortly thereafter, the FDA reversed its previous stance and approved the additive’s use despite the lack of any independent scientific safety review.

Since that time, Freedom of Information Act requests have revealed hundreds of FDA adverse event reports that have gone unnoticed by the FDA who has failed to act in conducting an investigation. Typically, a few well-documented adverse event reports are reason enough to conduct a product investigation; several hundred would indicate an immediate need for scrutiny.

Many empirical reports indicate that sick babies who were taken off formula containing synthetic DHA/ARA almost immediately recover from any ailments induced since starting the formula. This indicates a practical connection that deserves further investigation by the agency appointed to perform such analysis, the FDA.

Not only is Martek’s DHA/ARA supplement being used in baby formulas, it is now being added to a whole host of foods and nutritional supplements for adults, lauded as a great vegetarian alternative to animal-based oils of the same variety. Since the extraction method involves a known chemical neurotoxin, it is best to avoid this additive anyway.

With or without synthetic additives, no baby formula can replace the amazing nourishing properties of a mother’s breast milk. It is the perfect, natural blend of immune-building, brain-developing goodness that cannot be matched or replicated. While some natural formulas may seem to come close, breast-feeding continues to be the superior method of nourishing a baby and should be utilized whenever possible.

Sources:

Replacing Mother – Imitating Human Breast Milk in the Laboratory – The Cornucopia Institute

Dangerous Hype: Infant Formula Companies Claim They Can Make Babies ‘Smarter’ – AlterNet

Products containing life’s DHA – Martek Biosciences

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