Study: Wine, beer contain arsenic
By Bahar Gholipour, Huffington Post
White wine, beer and Brussels sprouts can be major sources of the toxic metal arsenic in people’s diets, according to a study.
Researchers analyzed the diets of 852 people in New Hampshire, and the levels of arsenic in their toenails, which show long-term exposure to the chemical.
Of the 120 foods the researchers looked at, four turned out to significantly raise people’s arsenic levels: beer, white wine (and to a lesser extent, red wine), Brussels sprouts and dark-meat fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines, according to the study, published last month in the Nutrition Journal.
The most significant source of arsenic in most people’s diets is drinking water. The new study is the first to take into account the levels of arsenic in the participants’ household water when looking at the amount of arsenic coming from foods.
The results suggest that diet can be an important source of people’s arsenic exposure over the long term, regardless of arsenic concentrations in their drinking water, the researchers said.