Nutrient Deficiencies & Heavy Metal Vulnerability: A Vicious Cycle
Plus former FDA scientist reveals how hidden heavy metals in food dyes may be driving childhood hyperactivity
We’ve known for decades that heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury are toxic, especially to children. We also know they’re still allowed in trace amounts in food and food additives in the U.S., including artificial colors used in snacks, cereal, and candy.
What most people don’t realize is that your nutrient levels affect how vulnerable you are to those metals.
In the clip below, former FDA scientist Renee Dufault breaks down what was missed in the original studies on food dyes and hyperactivity. Researchers saw behavioral effects in kids—like inattention and impulsivity—after consuming artificial colors like Yellow 5. But they didn’t test for lead, even though we now know certain dyes contain it.
“They gave the kids doses of Yellow 5, and there was hyperactivity. Inattention. Well, guess what lead causes?”
Dufault says this blind spot comes from a lack of food safety training in many research settings. Unless you’ve worked in toxicology or industrial hygiene, you wouldn’t know to screen for metals. So the question of how these dyes affect kids was never fully answered.
This becomes even more concerning when you consider how the body actually handles toxic metals. Lead, for example, competes with calcium at the cellular level. If you're low in calcium, your body is more likely to absorb and retain lead.
The same goes for zinc, which is essential for producing a protein called metallothionein—a key player in binding and clearing out metals like lead and mercury.
“You've gotta eat so that your metallothionein protein is working... You've gotta have enough zinc in your diet. You've gotta have enough calcium in your diet so that the lead isn't there to compete with docking stations.”
The message isn’t just to avoid food dyes or polluted water. It’s that nutrient deficiency is part of the toxicity equation. And in a world where exposure is hard to avoid, your best defense is a well-fortified diet rich in essential minerals.
Watch the clip below:
🔜Coming Sunday: Corporate Influence & The Fight for Food Transparency
And hang tight for next week, when Renee shares how we can protect ourselves from heavy metals in our food supply.
Read the article behind the interview:
Micronutrient Deficiencies May Increase Your Risk of Heavy Metal Toxicity