Bentonite clay (a primary Earthpaste toothpaste ingredient) has unsafe levels of Lead. Earthpaste’s marketing downplays this fact.
Originally posted/ discussed in April, 2014
Updated: February 6, 2017
Here’s a great recent article about bentonite clay use and its potential dangers.
For those new to this website:
Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely L ead-poisoned in 2005). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals — including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic). All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Items are tested multiple times to confirm the test results for each component tested. Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February of 2023 (March 2023 print edition).
Original article:
Yes, Earthpaste Toothpaste DOES have Lead.
The manufacturer has a prop 65 warning on the label (required by law) that states it contains Lead AND I personally tested the main ingredient (the bentonite clay from this brand) with an XRF instrument. I found it to have Lead in quantities consistent with the company’s statements. Please read the comments on this article for more details.
This is not just a “CYA,” cover your ass, label on the package. The product actually contains an unsafe level of Lead.
Dedicated to mamas Jessica in San Francisco, California, and Amy in Portland, Oregon.
Earthpaste represents some of the worst “greenwashing” I have seen.
There is absolutely no “safe level” of Lead for ingestion. Toothpaste should be treated like food with the same regulatory parameters and testing guidelines.
Text from the “Earthpaste” website (April 8, 2014):
“Like many natural foods (including peaches and pears) Redmond Clay contains the tiniest amount of naturally-occurring lead. There is a natural products exemption to prop 65 (otherwise organic green beans and carrots would be 20 times over the limit!) but because of the way proposition 65 is enforced, it would be impossible for a small company like ours to withstand the cost of any “false positives” from aggressive prop 65 law firms.”
And claims from Earthpaste’s ad on Amazon
(screenshot here above – click for larger view):
- “For Kids of All Ages” &
- “Safe to Swallow.” (!)
Are Earthpaste’s claims true?
- To my knowledge, while spinach and leafy greens (and other ground-grown calcium rich plant foods) these days may contain Lead, natural modern tree fruit (like “peaches and pears” ) today do not contain any detectable Lead! (This is especially true if the fruit has not been processed in any way, such as dried, canned, or subject to any processing that might add Lead to the fruit.)
- Leaded pesticides were banned in the U.S. quite some time ago.
- Peaches and pears are tree fruit, and as such, are off of the ground and away from any soil that may contain Lead from previous/ historic Leaded pesticide use.
Years ago — in December 2013 — I first posted an image on Facebook of the Earthpaste package with their clearly greenwasher language, implying the amount of Lead in their product was not harmful. One of my readers responded with this terrific comment:
Esther Wong wrote:
“Lead is natural……. But so are poison ivy, rattle snakes and tornadoes!”*
And the specific warning on this package? “This product may not be appropriate for consumption by children or pregnant women.”
In December of 2013, when I first contacted Earthpaste to ask how much Lead was in the product, I was informed that Earthpaste had tested their product and it has approximately 11.9 parts per million Lead in the clay that is the base for (and largest ingredient in) the product. (Please see this PDF from Redmond with their analysis: RedmondClay_MineralAnalysis.)
The current federal standard for the amount of Lead that is considered toxic in water is 15 parts per billion! The American Academy of Pediatrics considers water toxic at ONE (1.0) parts per billion! With 11.9 parts per million, Earthpaste has THREE ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE more Lead — way above what is considered safe for something children might ingest daily (especially given it is recommended that kids brush their teeth at least twice daily).
I’m sorry, but it’s pretty hard to write in a “professionally calm and neutral tone” about something like this — it’s a good thing I have an amazing editor (my husband Leonard Rubin) to tone down my upset!
*Lead is naturally found VERY deep down in the earth (Lead mines can be 3,000+ feet below sea level); it was not “natural” in the human environment at all prior to the development of deep mining and metallurgical refinement through smelting. Then, with the industrial revolution (1760 to 1820), Lead invaded our atmosphere in a much bigger way, polluting the air we breathe and the plants we eat. Along with Lead’s introduction into our atmosphere and our daily lives came the widespread disease, misery, and death from human exposure to this incredibly potent neurotoxin — leaving long lasting impacts for more than 100 years later.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
Mother of Lead-poisoned children
2017 Update:
Most important point/ revision (from 2017) to note: As far as I can tell, based on my research to date, the Cooper 2009 study frequently referenced by Earthpaste and other manufacturers, as well as by fans and enthusiasts of bentonite clay use, does not exist.
Any similarly dated or named study that might mention how the Lead is “not absorbable” and/or “bound to the clay,” does not exist. If you have evidence of this study (an original link or publication) please share it with me. I have contacted Cooper himself (through the educational institution where he works), researched his work thoroughly, and found no such study.
As far as I can tell, the following claim stems from no verifiable factual source (in other words, it is an “alternative” fact) 😉
Bentonite clay has a negative electrical charge and is searching for things that have a positive charge… like lead. So even though it contains trace amounts of lead, it’s holding on tight to the lead, not letting it go in your or your child’s body (Cooper, 2009).
This “quote” (or similar claim) can be found in this form or similar on the following sites, (sites which should be avoided when looking for answers about Lead as they obviously do not conduct research and are commenting on things they have no bona fide understanding/ knowledge of) as well as others:
The 82 comments to my original Earthpaste write-ups are below.
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Oh my gosh, I am SO upset by this! My kids have gone thru nearly a whole TUBE of this Earthpaste. I saw no warning label on the outside. I bought this in NY at Whole Foods. Was there a warning? Or do they only do warnings in CA (because lead is good for you in the other 49 states, excuse gallows humor). I read a good review on a health site, bought the stuff, tossed the box, used the tube.
Please please help me know–should I get lead blood tests based on this or is it too late, the damage done? Should I throw out my tube or contact someone about this? How can natural products have allowed lead in them? Makes no sense–when Dagoba had lead in chocolate it was recalled. BOTH my girls swallow their toothpaste and don’t spit (me too sometimes). I never imagined TOOTHPASTE could have lead in it. My older child has autism–I need lead poisoning like a whole in the head. I have now poisoned my toothpaste thinking I was buying something safe. I hope a campaign can be started to boycott this lead-infused product. I am hoppin’ mad (but grateful you alerted me before I got another tube!)
Thank you for commenting! I’ve got my hands full with kiddos right now & will post a response soon. However – as a quick response: I don’t know how much this would contribute to any child’s specific lead levels – but I would be concerned giving it to my own children. If you have been using it daily – I think a blood lead test would be warranted. It would also be important to get the test right Away as blood lead levels show current exposure and they start going down as soon as exposure stops (a good thing, but that limits our ability as parents to know what peak exposure levels may have been – hence the recommendation to test right away.) I think as parents we always need to be concerned not just about single source exposure – but about aggregate toxicity exposures our kids may have, and if there are sources of exposure that we can easily control (like not giving our children toothpaste that has been known to have lead) then that is something we should do to protect them as much as we can.
Thankfully California law requires this info on packages so when I received my Earthpaste from Amazon I seen the warning label. I have since contacted Amazon with all the information I have discovered. It was troubling to see all the vendors advertising this product as safe for kids to eat. Thanks to this website I now have even more info about this to submit to Amazon. I will not stop until Amazon makes these vendors change their description as this was falsely advertised. I did get a full refund and was told I could keep the product. I’ll have to call Hazmat to dispose of this hazard.
Your buying ecological toothpaste from one of the biggest companies going, Amazon? If you bought from a local store the owner probably could have given you all the friendly advice you needed…
I bought my toothpast from a local small store that knows me….guess what???!!! NO WARNING!!! I’m taking mine back tomorrow. Thank God I saw the warning before I started using it…duh???!!!!
Wow ignorance is such child abuse. First of all bentonite clay is volcanic ash. If it comes from anywhere but the USA then you can contain a much higher trace of that due to processing. The thing about bentonite Clay is that when it’s activated with water it turns into a negative charged ion which binds to positively charged ions. Heavy metals like lead aluminum etc. are all positively charged. When they bind together the bentonite Clay expels it out off the body. even the lead it supposedly has. Due to bureaucracy and political reasons one cannot put this on their labels. Prop 65 is a hallmark in California and due to all the lawsuits and 25%finders fee so called whistle blowers get, they have those signa everywhere. That’s why its up to the consumer to educate themselves not assume that the whole world is out to get you because according to the Latin language anything could be translated to mean anything else.
With that being said I suggest you go online and buy a heavy metal panel test. You can get one online for like 40 bucks you don’t need a doctors order and you can go right into LabCorp without paying anything else and get your blood drawn and have those results street and saw your email. And it’s totally legal. Because I’ve done it and I work for these people. Do a detox of botanically and then do another heavy metal panel test. Or just to make things interesting, do it with just lead. Then you know hundred percent what is what. Because everyone running around like chickens with their heads cut off, is the kind of ignorance that the system is depending on you to have.
Wow i did not proof read this. Im sorry. Let me try that again.
Wow ignorance is such child abuse. First of all bentonite clay is volcanic ash. If it comes from anywhere but the USA then you can contain a much higher trace of that due to processing. The thing about bentonite Clay is that when it’s activated with water it turns into a negative charged ion which binds to positively charged ions. Heavy metals like lead aluminum etc. are all positively charged. When they bind together the bentonite Clay expels it out off the body. even the lead it supposedly has. Due to bureaucracy and political reasons one cannot put this on their labels. Prop 65 is a hallmark in California and due to all the lawsuits and 25%finders fee so called whistle blowers get, they have those signa everywhere. That’s why its up to the consumer to educate themselves not assume that the whole world is out to get you because according to the Latin language anything could be translated to mean anything else.
With that being said I suggest you go online and buy a heavy metal panel test. You can get one online for like 40 bucks you don’t need a doctors order and you can go right into LabCorp without paying anything else and get your blood drawn and have those results sent straight to your emaill. Its legal. Because I’ve done it and I work for these people. Do a test then after Do a detox of bentonite clay and then do another heavy metal panel test. Or just to make things interesting, do it with just lead. I think its cheaper too. Then you know hundred percent what is what. Because everyone running around like chickens with their heads cut off, is the kind of ignorance that the system is depending on you to have. There are always answers just never stop looking for them. (Edited comment from my previous comment sorry!)
i think they’l be fine. Honestly, its rinsed and spit out. unless you are consuming the toothpaste.
obviously buy another toothpaste tho.
Thank you for the reply! I have reached out to our family doctor to write us all prescriptions for blood tests. How a product can be 11.9 parts per million and used in children’s mouths can be okay and on the market when even candy can only be .1 part per million is beyond my comprehension.
This is a great question and we appreciate the topic. We understand that our comment here might not be posted, most might not agree with it and others will post 100’s of reasons why we are wrong. We totally respect that and won’t try to convince anyone otherwise. For those looking for a little more detailed information on “the other side of the clay story” we wanted to post this in case it was helpful to some involved in the discussion:
Bentonite/Montmorillonite clay is the base product of Earthpaste and is about 25% of the formula. All natural Bentonite/Montmorillonite clays have natural trace amounts of many elements (http://www.earthpaste.com/elemental-analysis/ one of which is lead and other metals and minerals. Any clay actually will have trace amounts of lead (as will collard greens, kale, mixed nut and almost anything from the ground or grown in the ground) which is why we added the lead statement to our package. Other companies are doing the same thing and here are some examples. In the Garden of Life, Sunwarrior and Ridge Crest Herbals explanations they talk specifically about things like green beans and Echinacea which some find helpful.
http://www.naturalgrocers.com/store-info/blog/garden-life-responds-bloggers-concerns-about-heavy-metals
http://www.sunwarrior.com/notices/
http://www.rcherbals.com/prop65/
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/prop65/
For those that don’t know, according the to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lead occurs naturally in uncontaminated soils at a level of between 50 ppm and 400 ppm (http://www.epa.gov/superfund/lead/health.htm) [TAMARA NOTE: NOT TRUE – I have tested soil from around the country that was negative for lead and those levels would be considered “contaminated.”] because lead is one of the elements that the Earth is made of. As long as we live on Earth there will be trace amounts of lead that we are exposed to because it is one of the many elements that make up the Earth we live on. This doesn’t mean we should not try to limit our exposure to processed/refined lead and lead contaminated soils. Contaminated soils such as those around power plants, gas stations, or other industrial waste areas are much higher than those natural levels found everywhere on Earth at the 50-400 ppm level. For comparison, Redmond Clay naturally has around 12 ppm on the recent analysis which you can see is a fraction of the typical amount in “uncontaminated soils” and is just part of the natural earth the way it was created.
For a true comparison we also need to convert ppm or ppb to micrograms in the foods and water we are consuming. In reference to the naturally occurring in lead in foods grown in uncontaminated soils, according to the FDA 2007 study of lead in foods it found that an 8 oz serving of fresh collard greens has up to 30 micrograms of lead (50 times the prop 65 limit) – for comparison an average use of Earthpaste would have about 6 micrograms assuming you consumed the entire amount. An 8 oz serving of dry roasted mix nuts had up to 20 mcg and similar servings of brussel sprouts was 16 mcg, spinach and sweet potatoes were about 15 mcg for the same 8 oz servings size. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodSafety/FoodContaminantsAdulteration/TotalDietStudy/UCM243059.pdf
It is also important to note that all elements are not bio-available in all forms and that the FDA’s statement of the GRAS status of clay says this, “Apparently, very little, if any, bentonite is absorbed after oral administration and as much as 3 percent in the diet has no observable adverse effects on experimental animals.” The statement also says, “No adverse effects have been observed at dietary levels as high as 12 percent in experimental animals.” And says, “The human therapeutic dose for diarrhea is about 250 to 1,000 mg per kg.” http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogslisting&id=35 That would mean that 3 – 12 pounds of clay could theoretically be consumed for every 100 lbs of food. That would be a serious amount of clay and an amount that no one would ever recommend, but it does show that the metals in clay are not absorbable. This is why the right type of clay has such a following, is used throughout the world, and has even been studied by NASA for astronaut use – although still not widely accepted: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicinal_clay
Many of the books on clay and most naturopaths agree that these other minerals in clay are in a form that the body can’t absorb and are not bioavailable – this is what the FDA statement also says in the section I included above.
Another favorite quote on this topic comes from Dr. Richard Anderson who is (was) a naturopathic practitioner. Being a natural doctor he probably understands the medical/chemistry aspects of clay better than some. Here is a sort section from his cleansing site.
“Today, Bentonite clay is increasingly used both internally and externally by those interested in natural remedies, and it is included on the FDA’s famous “GRAS” list, which stands for “Generally Recognized as Safe.” With increasing public knowledge about minerals, some have expressed concern over the presence of small amounts of aluminum in bentonite clay. However, Rich Anderson himself, and numerous others who have used Bentonite clay extensively with his cleanse program, have had hair analyses done which indicated that the body does not absorb aluminum from Bentonite. [ . . . ] Some people are concerned about the aluminum in bentonite. Yes, it does have aluminum. For aluminum is one of the most abundant minerals on the earth. However, if you recall the above paragraph where it states that bentonite has a negative electrical charge, you will realize that bentonite cannot be absorbed by the body. The epithelium cells of the gut are also negatively charged. Like the polar opposites of two magnets repelling one another, the cells of our bowels absolutely repel the bentonite from entering the inner sanctum of our bodies. This means that you never need to be concerned about taking psyllium shakes. Rich Anderson has probably set the world’s record in the consuming of bentonite. Not only has he no signs of aluminum poisoning, but also hair analysis has never indicated any abnormal levels of aluminum in his body. And does he still use bentonite? Absolutely. [ . . . ] Why are the toxic metals in the minerals in bentonite not a problem (like chlorine, arsenic, aluminum, and lead.) A: These minerals are in small, trace amounts and organic in nature. They are not toxic in this medium. They are derived from ancient vegetation and are naturally chelated to plant proteins. Organic aluminum actually transmutes into silica and then into calcium according to Professor Louis Kervran. This is explained in his book “Biological Transmutations and Modern Physics” on page 157. (Magalia, California: Happiness Press, 1988.)” http://www.cleanse.net/hydratedbentoniteclay.html
An elemental compound that occurs naturally in nature is not necessarily the same thing as the highly processed, refined, purified element – and the body deals with these types or forms of elements differently. Pure metallic Sodium or pure Chlorine gas are good examples of this. The apparent difference in bioavailability is why most clay users agree with the clay authors, naturopaths and the FDA as mentioned above. Leaded gasoline and lead-based paint are very different than the naturally occurring trace amount of lead in organic kale, peach, pears or clay. That said, some decide not to use clay or clay based products because of its natural state and its natural levels of so many elements including metals – and we respect that as well.
Sorry for the long answer and hopefully this helps add to the discussion. We are working to improve our website to better explain clay and why some choose to incorporate clay into their lifestyle and others choose not to.
Thanks for providing this website and for being such a great resource for people looking for answers.
Best wishes in your pursuit of health,
Redmond
Thank you for responding in a neutral way – not with upset at all, that’s very admirable.
There is a FUNDAMENTAL misstatement of fact in your response – and I will address at it at length soon. This misstatement of fact is not necessarily your fault, it is the fault of our federal agencies for communicating toxicity levels in a confusing way – so that they are not understood by corporations, parents or even pediatricians.
In short: Specifically, the amount of lead “Naturally” found in the soil is NOT “50-400 ppm” lead. As a matter of fact in soil testing in non-urban areas around the country – surface soil is often found to be completely lead free – or at least below detectible limits of 5 (FIVE) parts per million as read with a Niton XRF. Dr. Howard Mielke shows in his research that a soil level of 100 parts per million is clearly toxic for children. In my experience natural soil is well below 20 ppm lead. More soon.
Tamara Rubin
There is arsenic in celery, Lead in the Kelp and Dulse I eat. I have juiced and eaten hundreds of stalks over the years, eaten lots of Kelp and Dulse , yet I am in great health. I have consumed them in their organic state (which you can only get from the food you eat). Minerals in soil and water are inorganic. It is likely, because the human body cannot tolerate these types of minerals, that they may eventually cause grievous harm.
Do you have that “Cooper 2009” study everyone keeps referring to? Great to meet you BTW! Thanks.
Thank you so much, Tamara, for pursuing this. I’m very confused! Also I thought the clay in the paste was Redmond Clay, which is red, not Bentonite, which is defined as being grey or greenish gray. Maybe it doesn’t matter but are different clays different in mineral content so if one type is safe per FDA another kind may not be even if some clays are FDA-approved? Also confused about the word trace–I thought trace was so minute you couldn’t hardly measure it but the lead levels are so high that’s not trace. Also why say you can swallow it if it has lead in it? Aren’t there warnings on tubes about not swallowing fluoride? I don’t pretend to understand the vegetable connection either. If I buy organic vegetables grown not near an urban polluted setting (eg. home city garden) would the lead levels still be high like the numbers quoted? Is if fair to compare lead toothpaste to vegetables? Anyway, just very concerned about this discovery and fearful I’ve done great harm in offering my kids a lead-heavy product. If anyone looks on the web in a search they will find that moms feeding their kids natural diets all over the US are giving this toothpaste and recommending it. I think they, like me, didn’t see the Prop 65 warning as it’s brown on brown type, small print (no black box warning) and only on the box, not on the tube. I thought I knew what was in it from the websites that do NOT mention the warning and clay sounds safe. Anyway, will leave the details to you and those who better understand these issues but will keep watching for updates. many thanks!
I had a mama bring me in a couple of tubes of the product and I will be sending them to a lab for testing, to get a sense of how much lead is actually in them, in the “finished product” of the toothpaste (taking all ingredients into consideration.) For the record, I don’t agree with several statements in the comment posted by Earthpaste manufacturers here, but I felt it was important to approve their post. More soon!
Tamara
Did you ever get the results of the lead testing of Earthpaste?
Thank you so much Tamara. Just saw something new today on a health site which debunks that myth that lead and heavy metals naturally should occur in food. I’m not sure if this will help with your findings but am sharing it just in case. I didn’t watch it yet but hope to this evening. Here is the link and again thank you for your help with this.
http://labs.naturalnews.com/Video-False-Argument-Naturally-Occurring-Heavy-Metals-in-Foods.html
There MOST certainly is trace amounts in food: http://www.pepperlaw.com/publications_update.aspx?ArticleKey=2655
Hi Jessica – there are definitely trace amounts in food – never disagreed with that. But there are no longer trace amounts in tree fruits – as naturally growing on a tree. Trace amounts of lead are found in high-calcium naturally growing (usually ground-growing) plants – because lead bio-mimics calcium in nature (both in humans and in plants – in humans it biomimics calcium as it is absorbed by the brain which is how it causes brain damage.) So high lead is found in high calcium leafy greens and in things like sunflower seeds (sunflowers are actually used for phytoremediation to help suck lead out of the ground.) Regarding Earthpaste I was specifically taking issue with their “peaches and pears” statement – since those are both low-calcium tree fruits, not grown in the soil – and I have not heard of them containing any lead in their natural environment (unless they are in a high-air pollution area – like a smelter or unless they are being grown on trees treated with pesticides containing lead.) I would make a high-level wager (not being able to cite a source right now because I am running off to an appointment) that the lead found in the baby foods and juices came from one of two sources: fruit grown with leaded pesticides (not natural) or babyfood and juice that was processed in plants that had machines with components that contain lead. On a most fundamental level – “equipment” with “working parts” often contains lead parts as a matter of economy. This is evidenced by the recent testing I have done where I found high levels of lead in the interior valves of several pressure cookers.
Thanks, my response was more-so directed at the other poster who was sharing a link from Natural News (not a reputable source) attempting to debunk the fact that there are trace amounts in food. I really, truly appreciate your info & you are helping me & others make informed decisions. Thank you!
And this article on the same topic does specifically site pears & peaches as being of conern! “According to the Los Angeles Times, The Environmental Law Foundation sued the three companies in California in 2011, stating that some of the foods and juices sold for babies contain enough lead that they should require a caution label under California’s Proposition 65 toxins warning law. The flavors involved include carrots, peaches, pears, and sweet potatoes.” http://www.delish.com/food/recalls-reviews/lead-baby-food-trial
I appreciate all this info! Can anyone point to evidence that anyone has tested high for lead due to ingesting bentonite clay? People take it as an internal supplement for stomach health. It’s used to DETOX from heavy metal exposure. I have looked, and looked, and can’t find one instance of this being anything but a fabulous, healthy product. Yes, trace amount of lead sounds scary, but I’m not convinced. Please, help me find some studies or evidence that show this to be dangerous.
Hopefully we’ll find some good answers for you soon. I am going to send some samples to a lab. The problem is – with our current regulations a product like this needs to be proven dangerous, not proven safe. We know trace amounts of lead are dangerous – so that seems like a misdirected burden of proof in this case.
I was born and raised in the 70’s, and like everyone raised in the 70’s, I was surrounded by lead, our walls and cribs were painted with lead paint, our cars burned leaded gasoline, a lot of us lived in clay fired brick houses, we had red clay pottery on the patio. Needless to say, I have survived to be living in my mid 40’s and I’m healthy. give it a rest on Earth Paste, you are barking up the wrong tree, unless you plan on eating 100 lbs of it a week
I had my Hubby read your info, and he quickly disagreed with your statement that lead is only found way down deep. We live in SW WI which has a history of lead mining, hundreds of years ago, they certainly weren’t digging very deep to find it! http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/tp-026/?action=more_essay
Lead was not originally a surface contaminant of the earth. Two of the documentary-style pieces on this page discuss this, the “How Stuff Works’ piece specifically discusses the depth at which lead is mined: http://leadsafeamerica.org/pbfilms/
Yes, why is this? How come you can release a product to put in peoples’ mouths, a product kids swallow and that says safe to swallow, and that it contains lead? I heard lipstick has lead in too (have not worn it for many years but used to, that’s scary, and kids try on their mothers’ makeup). I think all the toxic metals should not be allowed in any products whether its toothpaste or vitamins or makeup etc. or even kids products like crayons and backpacks. Cadmium is bad too. Seems the law works backwards. Again, many thanks for investigating.
RE The problem is – with our current regulations a product like this needs to be proven dangerous, not proven safe
My son has been using & eating it for a year & a half, I’m going to schedule a blood test for him & will let you know how it goes.
Thank you Jessica!
Should have results Monday!
What were the results of the lead test on your son? Hoping he’s okay.
Still waiting… Really optimistic it’s a non-issue Hoping to know tomorrow!! Hemoglobin level was perfect.
Please share any test results. We are chelating naturally after using Earthpaste for a couple months with one child definitely swallowing. Our family doctor didn’t think our testing was urgent yet unless or until it was shown that the actual product was tested and shown to be high in lead (blood tests here would be out of pocket so a big expense). This was based on knowing that product tests were in the works so another week or two wouldn’t change much result-wise. However, if kids are showing up with higher blood lead levels then she felt tests would absolutely be in order. Thanks to all who can share any information on this!
Absolutely will do! My naturopath doc is not concerned at all either, and I can’t find one single case of anyone having high levels due to the clay, but I feel a test is definitely worth while, regardless of the toothpaste issue. My Son was tested @ 1 year so we’ll have a base # to compare it to! We are still using Earthpaste, and I anticipate we will continue to be using it for life! Hope to know today, or tomorrow at the latest!
One reason he has not found any cases of high levels from the clay is that – to my knowledge – this is the first time anyone has noticed this as a potential issue and inquired into the safety of the product… and in addition (to add to my earlier comment) a blood lead level of 5.0 is more than 300 times the natural level of lead – 1.6 is 100 times. Please do take a rise seriously. A child’s level should not be rising as they get older it should be going down – so that is a big jump (from 1 to 2) especially since your son is aging (and the BLL should be less.)
Results are in– and totally normal. He tested at a 1 at the age of 1, now at 3, after eating Earthpaste for more than 18months he’s at a 2. Above 4 is cause for concern, and 2-3 is totally normal for his age, even for those not using Earthpaste, according to my Mom who is the nurse for his doctor. And, now he has the hang of it more, he’s not eating it right off the brush as he has in the past. We will continue to use & love Earthpase, and Poofy Organics, the only certified organic toothpaste made in the USA, indefinitely. I TRULY appreciate your concern Lead Free America, I appreciate your mission!!
Hi Jessica – 2 is not normal unfortunately – but many think it is. Natural pre-industrial level is a BLL of 0.016. For a child to have a BLL 2 that indicates a specific source of exposure in my book. I tested the redmond clay samples last week and they came in between 3 and 15 ppm, food items are considered toxic at parts per billion and even 3 ppm is not safe. Very not safe. Here’s an article about how a BLL 2 can impact a child. Please seriously consider not using this product anymore. Especially if you live in a newer or lead-safe home – it could be that this is his primary source of exposure. http://www.precaution.org/lib/07/prn_low_level_lead.070712.htm
He is one of the smartest 3 year olds I know, and the healthiest as well. I will read your info, thank you! But I’m not concerned honestly…
So, even at 1 year old, pre anything other than breastmilk, his level of 1 is concerning to you?
Hi Jessica – I think that response deserves a full blog post! – I am catching a bus to a plane right now but will write a detailed response on that when I get to the airport. Sorry to keep you waiting.
No worries, I’ll be blogging about it myself this afternoon But I do want to understand the issue fully! I understand you’re an expert in this area, I’m not. But I do trust my Mom & doctor who see results daily….
Definitely read that article link and there are a lot of good references and studies at the end of the article – to help inform your decision.
Still awaiting this post
Hands super full and hubs and I need to spend 3 or 4 hours writing a detailed and well-thought out response. This is our process – especially with kiddos underfoot. I am a volunteer here, and have four children – two with special needs from lead-poisoning, house in foreclosure, “food-insecurities”, yadda- yadda- … will get to it a.s.a.p. I have your name in a sticky attached to my computer as a reminder.
Also – P.S. – My son Avi who was lead exposed has a 130 I.Q. (one point shy of Mensa) and the impairments did not show up until he was 5 or 6. He has a visual memory in the 4th percentile and can’t read or write anywhere near age-level (he is 9-1/2) as a result. While you may not have concerns now – I want to help protect your kiddo in the future. No reason to expose any child to unnecessary sources of lead.
THANKS for your concern
I’m sure every parent will respond their own way. We discontinued using the product right away and would be very worried at any rise in lead. I find that Tamara tested such high levels in the Earthpaste–up to 15ppm, is very alarming, for me it’s off the charts alarming but I respect that not everyone finds this so. My concerns are this… Prop 65 warnings on products do no good if you cannot see them. I would NEVER buy a product with such a warning if I saw the warning. But brown ink on brown paper in 4 point font should NOT be allowed. I think Prop 65 warnings should be mandated to look like black box warnings on drugs. I emailed the Prop 65 people, in fact, because I was so mad I didn’t see the warning. Also such warnings need to be on the product, not just on the outer box people discard. So that’s the first problem. I would bet many parents, like me, never saw that warning and would opt NOT to buy this product had they seen such a warning. Others, of course, would not mind it but it’s there for a reason and should be seen, not hidden. Next, I recognize that some people want the option to buy this sort of things. Normally I would suggest that it should not be legal to sell ANY product for children to be put in the mouth or or swallowed that contains 15ppm in lead unless there are some scientifically proven mitigating circumstances such as independent lab tests that clearly prove that all lead ingested is passed out and non retained because of XYZ ingredient or something. But even if it’s legal to sell leaded products for children I have another concern… Apart from the Prop 65 warning (which doesn’t even require a company to state what is in their product), how can we find out about lead from a reliable source? I found this Earthpaste post by chance–total chance when I stumbled upon Lead Safe America website, also by chance (a link when I was looking for something else). If I hadn’t seen this we’d still be using Earthpaste which (to me) is scary. Also, even if you go to the main website you won’t see the Earthpaste warnings or discussion. So even here, with all Tamara’s efforts, nobody can access this information. If you go to the safe product database on the EWG website you come up with Earthpaste as being safe with flying colors. This was my source for checking. EWG may not but should include heavy metals in their results. I don’t get how they can let you know if there is lead in lipstick (which most kids I know don’t use and even most adults wouldn’t swallow in bean-sized blobs like toothpaste) and not in toothpaste. I wrote Environmental Working Group and got no response. I also wrote, as courtesy, the mom blogger who recommended Earthpaste and on whose recommendation I bought it–not to be angry at all–just to say, hey, heads up, this may interest and concern you. No response. If you google Earthpaste toxic you get all these mom bloggers and health sites glowingly praising Earthpaste as being fabulously non-toxic, not having toxic fluoride, or SLS or other bad stuff. I have no idea how to reach people but I would guess that unless I’m really living in a dream world, some (perhaps not all) those glowing hits when you google Earthpaste might change to be signs of worry if you tell these parents that they are singing the praises of a product that has very high lead levels. Also I think if the word got out more families would test their kids so we could see if there is a direct effect (vs a mitigating one written about but something I’m not convinced of). We just don’t have the couple hundred dollars to do this (due to our insurance situation) so I spend the money on products for chelating naturally as that’s what I’d do anyway and there is no risk. I looked online (this is another issue) and there is no home-based lead test kit for finger stick tests one can do at home and see results or mail in. You have to get a doctor’s prescription. Since anyone can do a finger stick (I think–I have friends with kids with diabetes that do finger sticks all day long!) then something inexpensive should be a first line option for families too. Finger tests are more likely to be false positive (if area isn’t cleaned well, for example) than false negative so worst case you’d follow up with a venipuncture but at least if you had a home kit you could save kids stress from going to a lab, fees associated with reaching out to doctors, and high price of on site out of pocket lab services like venipuncture. This is a totally separate issue but I’m just saying I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that there should be a home lead test kit for finger sticks just as there is for testing your window sill. Anyway, I’m so greatly appreciative for this website and that Tamara is trying her darndest to address this issue which, for some of us, seems to be a giant greenwashing product ploy. My point is that eveyrone should have the information and easy access to it. Some parents may choose not to worry at all, which should always be a parent option for anything so I’m just saying that we others who might worry should have access to this information so we can make informed decisions. Wish there was a way to get the word out. Maybe some newspaper would sink money into this as an investigative report–not just for Earthpaste but for who knows what other products out there too that appear green and natural and safe and are not. Sorry for the long post but I hope something more can be done to get the word out. Again, very grateful for this website.
I’m continuing to research it, and have been chatting with others who have Doc’s telling them under 5 is great. This is one of many publications saying under 4 is no cause for worry, and that 2 is quite normal. It’s a complex issue, and I will continue to research it for sure! https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2526.pdf
And so you know Tamara & unhappywithearthpastenow. I have a blog & have been recommending Earthpaste for quite some time. I am in the process of doing a post regarding this issue, to help get the word out so parents can make their own decision. Many, many on my page are aware of the Prop 65 label, and not concerned, as it’s on just about everything in CA, including buildings, and even Disneyland.
Believe me, I’ll continue to research this, but here’s my post regarding it at this time. I really do want to get the word out so everyone can make the informed decision for themselves, that’s my mission on my blog: http://ecofriendlyusa.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/lead-in-bentonite-clay-based-toothpaste-is-any-amount-safe/
Hello! My husband and I use earthpaste. Is lead in earthpaste a concern if consumption/ingestion is not an issue? Thanks!
I would personally not use it at all. Even if you don’t swallow your toothpaste, a certain amount remains in your mouth and gets in to your body (with any body product.) There is no safe level of lead for humans, and the federal standard for water (for example) is that water is considered unsafe at 15 parts per billion. With the main ingredient of Earthpaste (the Redmond Clay) coming in at 11 parts per million (by their own white paper for their product) and ranging from 3 to 15 parts per million (based on my XRF testing of some samples) the amount of exposure is considerably higher than even what the feds consider toxic. I use a non-clay based, non-fluoride toothpaste myself. Baking soda is a good option as well.
Wanted to share some information I find relevant to the issue here. An FDA document showing typical amounts of lead in food. It’s organized by heavy metals–Arsenic, lead:
http://www.naturalnews.com/files/FDA-toxic-metals-foods.pdf
Please note this website is reprinting the FDA study in unmodified form. The fellow who runs this natural news site (Health Range) also has his own lab and tested real food for heavy metals. Here is the story about it:
http://www.naturalnews.com/045334_heavy_metals_fresh_produce_vegetables.html
His results show typical fruits and vegetables have almost no lead or cadmium.
BEGINNING QUOTE from this story:
Here’s what we found in our lab: (ALL these foods tested at zero tungsten)
Organic Cucumber: .002 ppm lead, zero cadmium
Organic Strawberries: .006 ppm lead, .002 cadmium
Organic Plums: ZERO lead, ZERO cadmium
Organic Oranges: .001 ppm lead, ZERO cadmium
Fuji Apple (flesh): ZERO lead, ZERO cadmium
Tomato: .001 ppm lead, .011 cadmium
Blueberries: .005 ppm lead, ZERO cadmium
Grapes: .001 ppm lead, ZERO cadmium
Banana: ZERO lead, ZERO cadmium
The highest lead I found, in fact, was in potatoes, which clocked in at .040 ppm lead and .019 cadmium.
As you can see from the combined results of my own lab plus the FDA’s document, most fresh groceries contain near-zero lead, cadmium, mercury and tungsten. (Yes, the mercury level in all these foods was ZERO, too. The highest mercury I found was just .004 ppm in some Kale.)
So people who are claiming that all these foods are “higher in lead” than rice protein are flat-out lying to you. It’s simply not true.
(…)
If you really want to see some lead, you have to check out the sea vegetables results which show far higher concentrations of lead in almost every product tested.
But most everyday fresh produce foods — including fruits and vegetables — are either zero lead or close enough to safely consider them zero.
In fact, one of the best ways to remove lead from your body is to switch to eating nothing but fresh, wholesome fruits and vegetables! If you never eat “concentrates” of any kind and only stick to whole foods, you’ll probably never encounter any significant level of lead unless you’re eating seaweeds.
END QUOTE
Although readers here are free to dismiss all findings by the Health Ranger as not being credible (he has HIRED scientists for his lab but indeed he is NOT a scientist himself), the FDA document does support what he says. It may be noted that his reason for addressing heavy metals is because he found heavy metals in rice protein and warned people about it. His findings were validated by many major supplement companies (eg Garden of Life) that have actually changed their formulations to remove the lead or source the protein from other places. At first many lawyers from these big-name supplement companies fought the published Health Ranger results (i.e. high heavy metals) but it was shown that the results were valid and it’s hard to legally suppress valid information. It happens that Dr Oz had Health Ranger on his show because they supported this man’s findings. People may find Dr Oz not credible either but I don’t think Dr. Oz would have flown this man half way across the country if he was just a nut spouting out at the mouth because there are sponsors to any network tv show and they are conscious of lawsuits themselves. Take that as you will. My own belief is that this man is credible and has a valid lab. But even if you were to disagree with his findings the FDA findings are similar. So bottom line is that some of us cannot just assume that lead is to be expected in fresh fruits and vegetables therefore it’s fine in toothpaste. (Others of course may disagree and can surely find studies to support their side too)
I’m not here to support the Heath Ranger or get into any sort of argument about what lead occurs natural in fruits and vegetables as I’m not a scientist. I am just a mom interested in not feeding my children lead or heavy metals so I do pay attention to this topic.
I am sharing this because it seems related to this topic as some (including the Earthpaste Company) argue that the lead in this toothpaste is nothing compared to what occurs naturally in some fruits and veggies, so am sharing this because the FDA study and another lab study disagree, i.e. showing that most things you eat aren’t full of heavy metals naturally.
I hope readers who disagree with this post will not ask me for more proof and will feel free to dismiss these comments. Again, I’m not a scientist and am not able at this time to do extensive research so I have to cite sources I myself find credible knowing others will disagee.
Just for what it’s worth, in the UK the government issued a consumer warning against clay products (like the kind of clay in earthpaste) stating high levels of arsenic and lead. This was against the use of clay in supplements that people might ingest and didn’t mention tooth products.
http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2012/aug/clay-warning
Thank you for sharing this link!
Glad to! Adding here that I went to your facebook page to look for the supplement that had lead in it (the one with cilantro and chlorella–I don’t think it’s the one we are using to chelate now but still was worried). I couldn’t find that post (I tried searching for both ingredients and for some reason it didn’t come up) but I was scared to see when scrolling down that page that even Corningware had lead in it! Unpainted decal-free plain white Corningware. I cook in coringware (some old, some more recent) all the time and never in my born days thought it would contain lead. Given it costs between $2.50 and $3.00 for each leadcheck swab tester (even if you buy even the bigger kits that cost well over $100!) it becomes unaffordable to check each and every cup and cooking vessel in our home. Or course spending hundreds of dollars on lead testing such things is worth it even if you are a family that struggles financially as some of us do–but it’s so WRONG. We should not have to spend $3.00 per item to test things (like ceramic cookware from an American company) to see if they are toxic. I won’t stray off topic here since this is really about Earthpaste but I’m learning there is so much more to worry about that never occurred to me and I thought I was pretty aware (we did test all our toys for example). Back to Earthpaste, I noticed, when searching for another product, that Earthpaste is also being sold by Vitacost online with no Prop 65 warning either. Very upsetting.
Hi! First, thanks Tamara for this informative website and your thorough research. I’m 7 months pregnant now and in the beginning of my pregnancy I noticed the warning on the toothpaste so I, like many people, wrote Earthpaste and got the same response of safety and assurance. I continued to use it even until hours ago when I decided to look further just in case. I must say, I’m freaked out. I’m scared I may have caused irreparable damage to my girl. I don’t swallow the toothpaste so it’s probably unlikely any adverse reactions have occurred but I’m sitting here being a hypochondriacal mom to be! I will definitely go back to my other natural toothpaste which I loved before this! Again, thank you!
You’re welcome! Consider getting a blood lead level test before you give birth (BLL) and ask for the number. A recent study has shown that today’s “normal” or average population levels for an adult woman is a BLL 0.43 micrograms per deciliter (or something close to that – I don’t have the study at my finger tips.) If yours is anything over a BLL 1.0 I would consider that there may be a source of exposure in your life and taking steps to determine what that could be and eliminate it. I also posted here on this blog about Natural Chelation methods (search for FAQ on the blog.) They include increasing garlic intake and other supplements like cilantro, chlorella and modified citrus pectin. While you should consult your doctor of course – my personal opinion is that none of these should impact your baby or pregnancy in a negative way. As always – if you are going to take any kind of supplement, make sure it is lead-free. On our film’s facebook page http://www.facebook.com/MisleadMovie we recently posted a photo that was shared with us by a mama – it was a dietary supplement with cilantro and chlorella in it and it also had a warning label that said it contained lead! (yikes!) Whole natural foods have very low likelihood of having lead (like garlic) and the more processed any ingredient is (supplement or food product) the more likely it is to have lead. Let me know if you have any questions… and good for you for reading that Earthpaste label! So many don’t even notice it.
One of many such messages I’ve had sent to me since sharing my blog post. The goods news is, it inspired many parents to test their kids for lead. “I just wanted to touch base with you about my 3.5 year olds recent lead test. He’s been using and eating Earthpaste for the last 18 months or longer and his lead level was <1. I just wanted to share with you as It was nice and a bit comforting for me to see that. I really didn’t and don’t think the toothpaste is an issue but its nice to see it. Anyway thanks for all that you do!! I know I along with many other moms appreciate it!”
This is so crazy…lead in toothpaste and scary also in the way they present it.
I have been using and selling the same toothpaste for the past nine years.
Minimal ingredients list:
Baking soda, salt, aloe, essential oil and stevia.
We have a super special right now you can purchase at 50% off – limited to stick in hand so I would not wait.
http://www.miessence.com/elyorganics/en/product/13101/mint-toothpaste
Feel free to email me if you have any questions. erin[@]elyorganics.com
Update: my daughter who is about to turn 1 came back with a score of 3 :O. She’s never used any toothpaste, obviously we have an issue that needs to be addressed. Back to being convinced the toothpaste had nothing to do with my Son’s elevation from a 1-2 over a 2 year time period…
Thank you Tamara for posting this it opened my eyes for sure. So does this mean that any natural toothpaste that uses bentonite clay contains lead. I was thinking about switching from EarthPaste to Uncle Harry’s who uses bentonite clay in their paste.
I have not tested bentonite clay, Jon. I think that is very different than the Redmond Clay used in Earthpaste.
Redmond is their trademark name, but it’s bentonite clay. All natural toothpastes who use clay will be using bentonite, it’s pretty much universal…
Thanks for chiming in.
My 11 year old and I used it for 1 month. I hope we are not lead contaminated. Guess I’ll just use baking soda. I don’t know why they would hide vital info from us. I Wonder if they use their own product…
Thank you sooooooo much, Tamara!
& THANK YOU, EVERYONE ELSE who contributed to this awesome post!
After reading everything here and checking out all the resources shared, it’s pretty clear that this is a real problem.
I just bought this paste because I was in a hurry and the people at the health section recommended it because it was truly all natural and sais it worked great…
I saw the Prop 65 warning label when I was already back in my cozy home, spent the next day researching, and I just threw the brand new tube in the trash…
Wouldn’t want to give it away or bring it back to the store for someone else to get, because that would almost feel like manslaughter to me.
I am strongly opposed to clay (or any amount of lead) being used in products that we put in our mouths…
I’m grateful for the Prop 65 warning label, and definitely SUPER GRATEFUL for coming across this blog!
Let’s pass some legislation that will ban lead from products we put in our mouths forever!
Thank you all again!
~Omar
Do you all vaccinate your children? If so the last thing that I would worry about is this toothpaste.
Exactly my thoughts!! Vaccines are surely a much greater worry.
Still confused about the Earthpaste debate- we finally find a natural toothpaste and the quandry begins all over again- even though you are not ingesting, it still is oral based. Is the product safe to use or toxic? Thanks for the time and assistance.
Interesting article. I had my heavy metals tested and surprisingly my lead was three times the amount of the average person. We couldn’t figure out why my lead would be so high as I live pretty clean. I’ve been using Earth Paste for quite a long time. Not sure if it has any relevance.
I was researching the toothpastes in your picture when I came across this.
“The findings were released by the Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (DIPSAR), where researchers analyzed two dozens brands of toothpastes and tooth powders. Seven of those products (including the dental care products Colgate Herbal, Himalaya, Neem paste, Neem Tulsi, RA Thermoseal, Sensoform and Stoline) had nicotine levels ranging from 10-18mg per tube (http://worldental.org/oral-hygiene/herbal-toothpastes-may-contain-nicotine-cause-cancer/5188/).” From the website http://www.1800dentist.com/good-bad-and-unusual-toothpastes/
So I don’t think I would use the Himalaya.
Thanks for all the info on lead. I thought I had finally found a good toothpaste, but I guess not.
did you find a good toothpaste yet??
Hi Lauren,
I have been searching off and on for the last month and finally ran across this: Essential Oxygen Organic Brushing Rinse Peppermint. The ingredients are purified water, organic aloe vera, food-grade hydrogen peroxide, organic essential oils: peppermint, rosemary, lemon, clove, eucalyptus, cinnamon. I know it is incredibly simply but simply is what I want and I could probably make it myself but I am not a make it yourself person. I ordered from Vitacost last Saturday so I don’t have it yet. If it is palatable for me, I will order some for my daughter who lives out of state. This never came up in a search for toothpaste, but I just started looking at organic mouthwash on Vitacost and it was one of the very few.
I don’t know if this would work for young children but I was looking mainly for my adult daughter who has small surface cavities and I was searching for a toothpaste that would help remineralize her teeth when I came across the glycerin problem that prevents remineralation. This is touted as a combination toothpaste/mouthwash so I would think it would work well for braces.
Let me know if you find something without glycerin or lead or nicotine that works for your family. Good luck, I feel like I was searching for a needle in a haystack. Hopefully this will work well enough. At this point I just want something that isn’t doing damage to the body or teeth. Is that too much to ask?
has anyone found a great toothpaste? daughter just got braces. would love to find a great mouthwash too!
There’s so many people concerned about not using this toothpaste because of it’s warning. However, I am interested to know if they were make-up (non organic), if they dye their hair, if they eat at a regular food store (non-organic), if they eat out at non-organic restaurants, if they ever gave their child formula, etc, etc, the list goes on. Yes we need to be aware of all products that are BETTER for our health but why aren’t sending e-mails to Crest, Colgate, and every other chemical-filled product out there and instead of bashing earthpaste we need to work together to combat this issue.
Also, have your kids ever ate anything off the floor, ate out at their friend’s houses?
Tamara, you said you were going to provide “lengthy responses” to about 5 different people and I haven’t seen one of them.
Natures gate contains carrageenan, haven’t checked the others, but that is also terrible for you
Dr. Bronner’s toothpaste does not contain clay OR carrageenan (it used to contain the latter, but in lieu of customer request, they removed it!). It works great for us and we feel safe using it.
I have never posted on a public forum before, but think it is very important that I share this information. As background and to lend myself some credibility, I have a masters degree in Chemistry from an Ivy League school and my occupation involves working on drug approvals for a pharmaceutical company. I have the education and ability to fact check and reproduce calculations. I am also a mother, and up until today had been using Earthpaste on my 15 month old’s teeth.
I don’t have information on whether or not the lead in Earthpaste is actually absorbed by the system. What I am posting on simply concerns the infographic that Earthpaste has on their website, comparing the amount of lead ingested from their toothpaste to various vegetables and nuts. This infographic is absolutely misinformation and an intentional twisting of facts. http://www.earthpaste.com/prop65/
Not one to blindly trust calculations, I downloaded the FDA’s report listing the amount of lead tested in various food items. This was actually linked on Earthpaste’s website and is where they did their calculations from. I then calculated, based on serving sizes, how much lead would actually be ingested in each scenario.
I would like to share an example with you: mixed nuts. On Earthpaste’s website they list a serving of mixed nuts as containing 20 mcg of lead. If you look at the actual test results you will see that of the 40 samples that the FDA tested, 33 of these samples had ZERO amount of lead in them. The remaining samples of mixed nuts had varying amounts of lead. Earthpaste took the highest lead value of the 40 samples tested to do their calculation. Furthermore, they multiplied the recommended serving size of mixed nuts (1 oz) by 8 (8 oz)!!
What this means in real life is that if you eat a single serving of mixed nuts, you have an 83% chance that you are ingesting ZERO lead (compared to the 6 mcg guaranteed in Earthpaste). If you happen to be eating the MOST contaminated mixed nuts you could find and ate a single serving, you would be ingesting at most 3 mcg of lead (compared to the 6 mcg in Earthpaste). The only way that you would be ingesting the 20 mcg that Earthpaste claims is if you went to the mixed nut store that sold 40 different brands of mixed nuts, chose the one brand out of 40 that had the highest lead levels, and then ate EIGHT servings of those nuts.
I have checked my math many times. Earthpaste is deliberately misinforming the public with their infographic. The mixed nuts example is the worst, but they have used the highest laboratory value tested in every single example, and have exaggerated the serving sizes in every single example. The FDA tested approximately 300 different food items, and Earthpaste went through the document to find the 5 highest items, and then of those 5 highest items (spinach, sweet potato, brussel sprouts, mixed nuts, and collard greens), they found the single sample in each grouping with the highest lead value for their calculation. Furthermore, in coming up with the calculation for the amount of lead in Earthpaste, they under-exaggerated a serving of the toothpaste (0.5 g versus the standard 1 g serving size for toothpaste). So in reality, depending on how much Earthpaste you use, you could really be brushing with 12 mcg of lead instead of the 6 mcg that they cite. This is not good science, and definitely not good math.
If you use standard serving sizes for the vegetables they list, and use the AVERAGE laboratory lead value that was tested by the FDA (a fair comparison), these are the true values of lead you would find: Spinach (1.3 mcg), Sweet Potato (1.8 mcg), Brussel Sprouts (0.3 mcg), Mixed Nuts (0.2 mcg), and Collard Greens (2.2 mcg). This is in comparison with Earthpaste, listed as 6 mcg on their website (but probably more like 12 mcg if you use an average amount). Earthpaste has more lead in a serving than EVERY SINGLE ONE of the vegetables that they list. In some cases, a lot more. It is only by unethically manipulating the very facts that they cite that they were able to come up with the numbers on their website.
I understand why they did it – they are advertising a product that they believe in and probably use for their families and children. They want the public to believe it is safe. It might be true that bentonite clay is not absorbed by the body, and so none of these numbers matter. That’s another discussion entirely. But for the mathematical misinformation that was presented as facts on their website, I will no longer be using the product. It points to unethical marketing and makes me worry about what else is being misrepresented.
Thank you Diana for this helpful post. I think they call this Greenwashing (?) but as a lay person I had no idea how to crunch those numbers to figure out their unethical manipulation of data. I had both my children on Earthpaste and was so grateful for finding this website by chance which was how I found out about the lead issue. I’ve followed this thread since in case new info is revealed (including your helpful post today!) The Prop 65 fine print warning on the back of the box (medium brown on medium brown) was not shown on amazon when I ordered and I didn’t see it on the box after it arrived. And yet this product is still on the market and now on shelves of many health food stores. How can this be?
The MI paste has propylene glycol in it. Its toxic. .
My post was that these are toothpastes we have in our home, toothpastes that are also lead-free. One of my sons has severe dental decay because of his lead exposure and was prescribed the Mi-Paste to help remineralize his teeth.