What danger does cadmium, a heavy metal found in our food, pose?

Eating cereal for breakfast is not safe. Reason: the presence of cadmium, a heavy metal that is part of phosphate fertilizers used for spreading.

Once in the soil, it rises through the roots of some plants and concentrates in carrots, potatoes and cereals. However, cadmium is carcinogenic.

18% of children are exposed to cadmium

The Association Santé Environnement France (ASEF) warns: “In France, we buy phosphate fertilizers from different countries and, unfortunately, we buy from those where they are especially rich in cadmium” regrets Dr. Pierre Souvet, President of the Association Santé Environnement France (ASEF).

“We hope that the government will only allow fertilizers that contain only 20 mg per kilogram, which is recommended. National Agency for Health Security. However, their current supply is 60 mg per kilogram, that is, three times more, and this dose will only further increase the infection of the French.“he continues.

At the origins of this mobilization: a study by the French Public Health Service, according to which almost half of adults and 18% of children are exposed to cadmium. This is four times more than in the USA.

Cadmium is a “complete” carcinogen

Some experts, such as Dr. Jean-Loup Muisset, an oncologist who specializes in environmental cancers, decided to act. Through prevention conferences, he educates patients about the role of cadmium in the development and maintenance of cancer. “If we look at pancreas cancer, since this is one of the cancers most susceptible to the cadmium problem, we see France in the top 10 in the world.”– he comments.

But what role does cadmium play in cancer development? Two factors act together in the formation of cancer: initiation,”we create a bad seed” and maintenance, “we feed this bad seed” image of Dr. Muisse“Cadmium affects both, so it is a complete carcinogen. It creates cancer cells because it creates mutations and then feeds them through inflammation and through this endocrine disruptor aspect for hormone-dependent cancers.” he clarifies.

And cancers associated with cadmium primarily affect “organs that are poorly protected from cadmium, such as the pancreas”– the oncologist clarifies.

Eat organic foods

To reduce these risks, a possible solution is to change your diet. “In October 2018, in a French study, we compared people who eat a lot of organic food with those who eat little or no organic food. We have 25% less cancer.”– says Dr. Jean-Loup Muisset.

Therefore, recommendations to limit the risks associated with cadmium are to eat organically farmed foods, which are less contaminated with chemical fertilizers than conventionally farmed foods, and avoid processed foods.

In 2023, there will be more than 430,000 cases of cancer in France. The incidence of pancreatic cancer increases by 3% annually.