True Cellular Formulas Team - Jan 12, 2023

Your Chocolate May Contain Heavy Metals...

Theo, Trader Joe's, Hershey's, and other popular brands, including organic premium chocolate, were found to contain dangerous heavy metals. Here we unpack this report and discuss ways to support your heavy metal detoxification pathways.

Your chocolate bars may contain heavy metals.

In a recent Consumer Report, brands including Hershey's, Godiva, Ghirardelli, and Lindt, as well as small-batch organic brands Hu, Theo, Tanza, and Lily's, were tested. No brand was exempt from the harsh reality of containing cadmium and lead, although some brands performed worse than others.

Cadmium and lead were tested in 28 different chocolate bars.1 The shocking results showed that 23 bars tested above the public health limit for either cadmium or lead for a one-ounce serving of chocolate. Both heavy metal levels were over the limit in five of the chocolate bars.

Exactly what is going on?

For various reasons, heavy metal contamination can occur in chocolate (and all foods). It is important to understand why these two heavy metals appear repeatedly in chocolate.

Chocolate contains cadmium due to soil contamination where cacao pods grow.2 Cadmium levels in cacao beans do not change when they are processed into chocolate. During this process, the beans are dried, and then ground and other ingredients, such as sugar, are added.

Since lead in chocolate is not found in soil, its source is different.2 According to studies, the main source of lead in cacao pods is the exterior shell. Lead contamination is not tested on cacao beans once they are removed from their shells. The beans will be tested for lead contaminants after drying in the sun. As a result, lead contamination is likely coming from the air (like a nearby highway's car fumes), which re-contaminates the cacao whenever it spends enough time outside.2

Is there anything I should do?

Is chocolate something you should avoid forever? It depends on the situation. The state of your health should be taken into consideration. By seeing stress as a drop in a rain bucket that eventually overflows, we can begin to determine how much return we get on each form of stress and if it's worth investing in. In the case of long-term stress, an overflowing stress bucket usually results in a formal diagnosis of autoimmunity.

Toxic substances cannot be avoided in all their forms. We must accept that living in a modern world means being exposed to the stress of toxins. Fortunately, we can help our bodies detoxify by supporting their pathways.

"Great List": Which chocolate brands were found to be the least toxic based on consumer reports?

  • Organic Dark Chocolate 80% Cocoa by Mast
  • Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao by Taza Chocolate
  • Chocolate with 86% cacao by Ghirardelli
  • Dark chocolate with 72% cacao Ghirardelli Twilight Delight
  • 85% cacao dark chocolate from Valrhona Abinao

Is there a supplement that can detoxify heavy metals from the body?

CytoDetox®

In nature, clinoptilolite zeolites are natural minerals formed by fossilized volcanic ash and seawater.3 With molecular clinoptilolite fragments small enough to penetrate cells and the blood-brain barrier, CytoDetox supports the body's natural detoxification process.

With CytoDetox, you can reduce the impact of past contaminants in your body, like heavy metals. It also ensures that as you continue to expose yourself to new toxic stressors, the proverbial rain bucket is being emptied.
Toxic substances cannot be avoided in all their forms. We must accept that living in a modern world means being exposed to the stress of toxins. Fortunately, we can help our bodies detoxify by supporting their pathways.

TrueCarbonCleanse®

TrueCarbonCleanse® formula contains highly specialized highly activated carbon, powerful humates (humic and fulvic acids), CleanoptiliteTM (Clinoptilolite - Zeolite Crystals), and other gut detoxifiers. No other formula has ever achieved this level of effectiveness.

TrueCarbonCleanse supports your body's natural removal of pro-inflammatory and body-impacting toxins we are exposed to from the air, water, plastics, heavy metals, chemicals, and more OUT of your cells and body. TrueCarbonCleanse serves as a master drainage gut detoxifying formula that attracts toxins released in the colon and prevents them from reabsorbing back into the body, aka RETOXIFICATION! The proprietary matrix of powerful and diverse binders ATTACH to the toxins so they can’t be reabsorbed back into the body, causing the "retox effect"...

... instead, they are gently escorted out of the body permanently so the body can thrive naturally without this toxic interference.

Besides the ultra-pure and potent activated charcoal that absorbs up to 300 times its weight in toxins, the specialized, powerful humates (humic and fulvic acids) - are for additional detox and remineralization support.4

Liver Support

As one of the key organs involved in detoxification, ensuring your liver is well supported is important regarding the constant exposure to toxins of the modern world. True Cellular Formulas® Liver Support contains over 20 active ingredients that support liver repair, health, and function. The liver plays a vital role in the metabolic and detoxification processes of the body. Our Liver Support is formulated with antioxidants and nutrients from plant sources such as milk thistle, beetroot, artichokes, and dandelions to support your liver health and cleansing. 

Summary

According to a new study, many chocolate brands on store shelves are contaminated with heavy metals, cadmium, and lead. The problem applies to well-known brands and smaller-batch handmade and organic chocolate. Through the growing and drying process, the chocolate pods accumulate airborne toxins in the soil and outside air.

Chocolate does not have to be feared, and considering all the stressors in your life is important. To mitigate the toxicity impact, you can include a binder supplement like TrueCarbonCleanseTM and a Clinoptilolite Zeolite product like CytoDetox to reduce toxic stores.

  1. Loria, K., & Bergmann, D. visualizations by A. (2022, December 15). Lead and cadmium could be in Your dark chocolate. Consumer Reports. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/ 
  2. Behar, A. (2022, October 12). New report details simple, safe, and low-cost solutions to reduce levels of lead and cadmium in chocolate. As You Sow. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://www.asyousow.org/blog/2022/8/17/new-report-explains-simple-safe-and-low-cost-solutions-to-reduce-levels-of-lead-and-cadmium-in-chocolate 
  3. Mastinu, Andrea et al. “Zeolite Clinoptilolite: Therapeutic Virtues of an Ancient Mineral.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 24,8 1517. 17 Apr. 2019, doi:10.3390/molecules24081517
  4. Activated Charcoal. Activated charcoal. (n.d.). Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://www.poison.org/articles/activated-charcoal