Toxic Baby Formula Ingredients to Avoid

Families in the US often resort to name-brand baby formulas as an alternative to breastfeeding. Unfortunately, these formulas fill countless bottles with unhealthy and unnecessary ingredients that can have long-term harmful effects on growth and development.

Any exposure to toxins during the first years of an infant’s life can harm a baby’s development. When looking for the best baby formula, there are specific ingredients to avoid.

In the United States, ongoing studies found that many popular baby food products, including baby formulas, contain a surprisingly high amount of dangerous heavy metals.

These heavy metals are found naturally in all soil but, without proper regulations, go unfiltered and can negatively affect the developing infant’s mind, brain, cardiovascular system, and immune system.

Carrageenan is an additive that continues to be used in the U.S. despite being outlawed in infant formula by the European Union.

Carrageenan is organic, as it’s derived from seaweed, but research has shown that it can lead to devastating health problems like IBS, rheumatoid arthritis, and colon cancer.

Sadly, this ingredient is found in organic and non-organic baby formulas in the U.S. because it functions as a stabilizer to ensure the nutrients are well-mixed. Ready-made varieties of formula tend to have the highest levels of carrageenan.

Rich in nitrogen, Melamine is widely used in plastics and adhesives processing. In the US, this additive is used to spike milk production in dairy cows.

This milk is then found in American baby formula with the toxin attached. The FDA justifies this use, saying that the levels are extremely low. It is hard to believe that any amount is allowed considering there are over 300,000 infants that have been victims of Melamine overdose found in baby formula.

Families with sensitive babies or little ones with food allergies may look to soy-based formulas as an answer. Unfortunately, soy protein can cause short and long-term health concerns.

Soy formula should only be used as a medical necessity due to negative attributes, including phytoestrogens, phytic acid, and genistein. Soy compounds can flood infants with hormones, block essential nutrients, and create long-term implications like developmental problems during puberty for boys and early adolescence for girls.

Mineral oil used inside or out is not considered safe for infants. Used in production, this highly alkaline mixture can cause diarrhea, poor absorption of nutrients, and dehydration in infants.

Preservatives are problematic to avoid these days. Unfortunately, they are found in most non-organic American baby formulas to extend the product’s shelf life and prevent certain oils from spoiling. Even some US organic brands have allowed these chemicals into their products in sneaky ways.

Preservatives (often listed as beta carotene and ascorbyl palmitate) are artificial substances that create toxins in your baby’s body that may lead to them failing to meet developmental goals and cause adverse effects on their vision and hearing.

The sugar content in the average American baby formula may be as high as in sugary soft drinks. These highly addictive ingredients are often listed in the form of corn syrup as the number one ingredient.

Corn syrup, sometimes known as glucose syrup, contains corn starch and is high in carbohydrates and calories but has little nutritional value.

Infants that consume sugar or corn syrup regularly risk a lifetime of health problems. These sugars have been associated with the development of many diseases and medical conditions, including heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.

Non-organic baby formulas in the US can be filled with ingredients that have been genetically modified. Countries worldwide are passing laws against GMOs, unfortunately. America needs to be faster to follow.

Some dangers of GMOs include cancer, organ failure, and congenital disabilities.

Commercial baby formula manufactured in the United States is known to contain synthetic nutrients, which are artificially produced compounds that mimic the nutritional value of natural ingredients. Unfortunately, these synthetic nutrients are often processed with harmful chemicals that are known to cause cancer and are neurotoxic, which means they can negatively impact the nervous system.

Some of the most commonly used synthetic nutrients in American baby formula include lycopene, lutein, taurine, L-methionine, and nucleotides, which are used to enhance the nutritional profile of the product. However, it is important to note that these synthetic ingredients can have adverse effects on the health of infants and young children.

Labeled ingredients can come from natural sources or be created in a lab; it is essential to ask where each ingredient’s source lies if you see them inside your baby’s formulas or foods.

The good news is that there is better nutrition that takes the worry out of what is in your baby’s bottle. Growing numbers of families are choosing European formulas due to higher quality ingredients and certified farms that consider the entire ecosystem. Parents will never find pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or genetic modifications at any part of the process from farm to bottle; only family-owned and operated companies that put infants health first.

European formulas are full of pure and simple ingredients that start with 100% grass-fed milk and end with a formula as close to breast milk as possible.

Good health starts from birth, and the nutrition you choose for your infant sets a foundation for a lifetime. The Milky Box is proud to offers organic baby formulas from Europe that will give you peace of mind and comfort, knowing that you are giving your baby the best organic baby formula available.

Clean, pure ingredients that support healthy growth and development without unwanted or toxic ingredients from day one.