First there was lead in children’s toys. Now a recent investigation involving vitamins discovered the presence of lead in a popular multi-vitamin brand. Tests performed by Consumer Labs revealed The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins for women were contaminated with lead. In fact, the test reported the Vitamin Shoppes “Especially for Women” vitamin contained as much as 15.3 micrograms of lead in the recommended daily serving.
Exposure to lead is dangerous and in large amounts can be toxic. The lead level present in the Vitamin Shoppes “Especialy for Women” vitamin is not toxic, but can lead to serious health problems with prolonged exposure. The lead is stored in the body and can build up to a toxic level. Lead exposure can lead to:
• Fatigue/irritability
• Hearing loss
• Nausea
• Seizures
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Impaired concentration
• Reduced/abnormal sperm and miscarriages
• Anemia
• Hypertension
• Myalgia
The vitamin was tested by Consumer Labs and is currently the subject of some controversy. The Vitamin Shoppe is requesting retesting by another agency. If you have or currently are taking the “Especially for Women” vitamin from Vitamin Shoppe, you may want to talk to your healthcare provider about lead testing to be safe. Typical lead levels in a US adult is 6 micrograms. The higher the level, the more serious and permanent the health damage may be.