http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/usda-organic-formula-contains-ingredient-worse-gmos
In the article, Green Med Info asserts that the addition of copper sulfate to infant formula is not only dangerous, but that it is actually worse than GMO's. But how true is that statement?
I am by no means advocating for infant formula. Powdered infant formula is not required by law to be sterile, and the early introduction of infants to cow's milk proteins in formula changes their intestinal flora, making the gut more conducive to the growth of harmful pathogens. It can also sensitize the infant to allergens, the nutrient amounts are unchanging (posting a risk of over-dilution or over-concentration if not mixed properly), and it is lacking in many important appetite regulatory hormones, peptides, and other components. The healthfulness of infant formula is not up for debate here. Nevertheless, there is no need to make rather sweeping, unsupported claims about infant formula, such as that it contains a deadly poison.
What is Copper Sulfate?
Copper Sulfate is a salt of copper ( CuSO4). Copper is a metal that exists both as metallic copper, but also chemically bonded with other compounds to form copper salts. Copper Sulfate occurs naturally in the environment, and it is also manufactured industrially. It's a common ingredient in many children's chemistry sets. It is used as an industrial fungicide, both on crops as well as in drinking water. It is even taken (in the form of Chalcanthite) as a "holistic" supplement. This photo (from Trip Advisor) shows the Rio Celeste in Costa Rica tinted blue because of a natural vein of Copper Sulfate.
This photo of Rio Celeste is courtesy of TripAdvisor
So it IS used as an industrial fungicide?
Yes, Copper Sulfate is used as a fungicide and herbicide. It is one of the approved fungicides for use in organic farming, and can be purchased commercially in small quantities for home use, though its use as a fungicide has been repeatedly admonished (and even banned in parts of Europe) because of the possibility of copper buildup in the soil.
So if copper builds up in soil and is bad, that must mean it builds up and is toxic to humans?
Not exactly. The lowest quantity of Copper Sulfate that has ever been found to be toxic to humans is 11 mg/kg. [1] An adult weighing 150 lbs would need to consume 748 mgs in order to reach that level. A newborn infant weight 8 lbs would need to consume nearly 40 mg. Overdose is further complicated by the fact that high doses tend to illicit immediate vomiting, expelling most of the ingested compound from the body. This effect of high doses of copper sulfate led to it being used as an emetic for several decades. [2], [3] As an additive to infant formula, it is found in quantities of MICROgrams. An infant would need to consume an obscenely large amount of formula in order to begin seeing the effects of copper toxicity...but by the time that happened, the child would probably be in renal failure because of a toxic overload of other micro-nutrients found in much higher quantities.
But WHY is it added to infant formula?
Copper is an essential trace mineral. It is stored in the liver, and at any given time the average adult has between 75 and 100 mg of copper stored in their body. [4] It is an essential component to many enzymes and plays a very important role in iron utilization and the development of bone and connective tissue. Your body uses its copper stores to create a compound called "Ceruloplasmin", which circulates the bloodstream and helps the body properly uptake iron. A copper deficiency by lead to an iron deficiency. [4], [5]
There is an "Adequate Intake" level of Copper set for infants, which is currently 200 micrograms (mcg) per day. [6] [7] [13] Infant Formula is a sub-optimal food because cow's milk does not contain proper concentrations of many essential micro-nutrients and trace minerals, copper being one of them. Cow's milk is deficient in copper (from a human standpoint. It's great for baby cows!). This means that any commercially prepared infant formula needs to contain some form of copper. [8] It IS a nutrient. Indeed, it is even used as a source of copper in vitamin supplements (as are other forms of copper, such as Copper Gluconate and Copper Iodide).
What else do we know about Copper Sulfate?
Copper and Copper Sulfate are found in many municipal drinking water sources because of naturally high levels at the water source, as well as deliberate addition of Copper Sulfate to water to control algae growth. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has regulations and standards regarding the amount of Copper Sulfate that is allowed to be in drinking water. That limit is currently 1ppm.
The World Health Organization published a review of the literature regarding copper in drinking water in 2004. The WHO review references several studies which found no significant increase in liver disorders in infants with high copper intake. [9] They had previously established a recommended limit of 2 mg of copper per liter of water, although higher limits have been suggested by other agencies, noting that concentrations >3 mg/liter alters the taste of the water, but does not pose a risk to humans. [10]
In 1998, the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition published a study on the health affects of infants consuming water with 2 mg/l of copper. They found "No acute or chronic adverse consequences of consuming water with copper content of 2 mg/l." [11]
A study from Letters in Applied Microbiology (Journal), 2010 found that use of Copper Sulfate in infant formulas could help to prevent formula contamination by Chronobacter Sakazakii (a culprit in necrotizing entercolitis). [12]
The conclusions derived by Green Med Info are much less alarming than the title of their original article lets on. They recommend returning to truly organic farming, being weary of infant formula, placing importance on breastfeeding as a matter of infant health, and also holding formula manufacturers accountable. I cannot say I disagree with any of those, and I feel they are very noble and appropriate conclusions. But in the face of those conclusions, there is really no need to claim that toxic pesticides are being added to infant formula. That really is nothing more than indulging in fear-based marketing.
There is no backing to the claim that Copper Sulfate is worse than GMO's (which is a whole other ball park entirely, on the topic of GMO danger), and there is nothing to suggest that Copper Sulfate is added to infant formula in quantities even remotely near what has been found to be toxic, or what is used as a pesticide. Higher levels exist in tap water, with no documented health effects in infants or children. Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) has industrial applications as a corrosive agent to prevent metal build up in swimming pools, so clearly a chemical compound's application *outside* of the realm of nutrition should not be used to prove toxicity when consumed in nutrient quantities.
What it comes down to is balance: use appropriate, pre-measured quantities of infant formula and do not over-dilute or add more scoops than recommended. Use a ready to feed or concentrate liquid form of formula before opting for non-sterile powdered versions. Know the copper content of your area's tap water and/or use an alternate source of water to mix your formula (this even goes for other trace compounds in drinking water, such as fluoride and lead). And of course, the primary infant feeding recommendation...BREASTFEED.
References
1. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). 1981- 1986. Registry of toxic effects of chemical substances (RTECS). Cincinati, OH: NIOSH.
2. Journal of Pediatrics. Vol 42 No 1. 1968. Elevation of Serum Copper Following Copper Sulfate as an Emetic. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/42/1/189
3. Extoxonet. June 1996. Extension Toxicology Network, Pesticide Information Profiles http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/coppersu.htm
4. Calsol. 1999. http://www.calosol.com/copper.php
5. Oregon State University: Linus Pauling Institute. 2001-2013. Micronutrient Information Center: Copper http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/copper/
6. Healthline. 2005-2013 http://www.healthline.com/natstandardcontent/copper
7. Australia Ministry of Health. Nutrient Reference Values http://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/copper.htm
8. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1998. Essentiality of Copper in Humans http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/67/5/952S.full.pdf
9. World Health Organization. 2004. Copper in Drinking Water http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/copper.pdf
10. Journal of Chemical Senses. Vol 26 No 1. 2001. Determination of the Taste Threshold of Copper in Water http://chemse.oxfordjournals.org/content/26/1/85.full
11. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Vol 26 No 3. 1998. Copper in Infant Nutrition: Safety of the WHO Provisional Guideline Value for Copper Content of Drinking Water http://journals.lww.com/jpgn/Abstract/1998/03000/Copper_in_Infant_Nutrition__Safety_of_World_Health.3.aspx
12. Letters of Applied Microbiology. Vol 50 No 3. 2010. Inactivation of Chronobacter in Infant Formula Using Lactic Acid, Copper Sulfate, and Monolaurin
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20025649
13. Institute of Medicine, National Academies, Food and Nutrition Board. 1997-2011. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Recommended Dietary Allowances and Adequate Intakes, Vitamins. http://iom.edu/Activities/Nutrition/SummaryDRIs/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/DRIs/RDA%20and%20AIs_Vitamin%20and%20Elements.pdf
You mention it's in the water supply as well. You have to use that water to make the formula, so I wonder what that would bring the levels up to. Also, it takes so much to be directly toxic, but is it a concern about what it may be doing to the body at a cellular level?
ReplyDeleteI should say what ANY amount may be doing at a cellular level? Such as creating cancerous cells, etc.
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