Dr. Oz Proven Right – Arsenic Found in Juice After Famed Doc’s Warning
Just a few months ago, FDA officials blasted Dr. Mehmet Oz, branding him an “irresponsible” scaremonger for raising concerns about the arsenic content in apple juice. But now these same officials are considering tightening restrictions on the popular drink following Dr. Oz’s vindication by a major consumer watchdog group’s investigation.
FDA commission Michael Taylor confirms that the agency already has stepped up testing and research on arsenic in apple and other fruit juices.
The action came after Consumer Reports issued a press release containing the results of a major investigation in which 88 samples of apple juice and grape juice were tested. It was found that 10 percent of the samples had arsenic levels that exceed those allowed by the EPA in drinking water. While federal standards exist for levels of arsenic and lead in drinking water, there are no such limits defined for fruit juices.
Michelle Duong, adjunct professor of dietetics at New York University, told Newsmax Health she was “relieved” that Dr. Oz had turned the spotlight on apple juice.
She noted that drinking apple juice poses no immediate danger, but that the chronic consumption of it could prove harmful. “There is not an acute effect, but after exposure for a very long period of time, you could see skin problems, neuropathies, GI problems, cirrhosis of the liver, and possibly even cancer,” she added.
The effects are particularly troubling because children are the biggest consumers of apple juice.
Consumer Reports noted a previous study from the Centers for Disease Control that showed people who reported drinking apple and grape juice regularly had 20 percent higher levels of arsenic in their urine than those who did not drink the juices.
They also disclosed that the FDA had sent a letter on Nov. 21 to consumer advocacy groups saying it is seriously considering setting limits for permissible levels of inorganic arsenic in apple juice.
The news was vindication for Dr. Oz, the popular TV show host who brought the issue to his audience’s attention in September, when he and his team tested popular brands of apple juice and found elevated levels of arsenic. Oz also said his concern was heightened because American apple juice is made from apple concentrate, 60 percent of which is imported from China, and may be made from apples grown using pesticides heavily laced with arsenic.
Arsenic is naturally present in water, air, food, and soil in the two forms – organic and inorganic. According to the FDA, organic arsenic passes through the body quickly and is essentially harmless. The agency had claimed that any arsenic found in apple juice was of this type, but Oz’s investigation, confirmed by Consumer reports, also found inorganic arsenic in apple juice. This is the type that is found in pesticides and can pose a cancer risk if consumed at high levels or over a long period.
After Oz’s original report, government officials and some media outlets charged that the doctor was grandstanding for ratings. Despite the pressure, though, Oz refused to back down.
Now he is hoping the appropriate steps are taken to remove arsenic as a threat to children.
“Twenty-five years ago we had a problem with lead in America,” Dr. Oz said, speaking on the Today show. “And we have over the last generation been able to reduce by 90 percent the amount of lead that our kids are exposed to and that is found in their blood. As a doctor it makes me much more confident that we can do the same thing for arsenic.”
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