Researchers in Brazil sampled bars of white, milk, and dark chocolate and found varying levels of cadmium and lead, two naturally-occurring elements that are attributed to health problems. In high doses, lead can cause several health problems in adults and developmental problems in children. Cadmium can cause organ damage and hormone disruption. It is suggested that cocoa crops absorbed the chemicals, and so dark chocolate, which has the highest percentage of cocoa, had the highest amounts of these metals.
The amounts of the chemicals in all of the samples fell below the maximum consumption limits set by the World Health organization, Brazil, and the European Union. Two samples exceeded the US Food and Drug Administration's limits on lead. The researchers concluded that only a fraction of the lead and cadmium would be absorbed into a person's bloodstream, but the higher levels found in dark chocolate were still worrisome.
This article caught my attention because I really love chocolate and would be very concerned if these potentially dangerous elements were found in high amounts in my favorite candy.
Submitted by Allison Murphy
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