Dr. Mehmet Oz usually gets it right! Has he gotten it wrong this time about arsenic being in apple juice? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seems to think so.
On his show, Dr. Oz said:
American apple juice is made from apple concentrate, 60% of which is imported from China. Other countries may use pesticides that contain arsenic, a heavy metal known to cause cancer. After testing dozens of samples from three different cities in America, Dr. Oz discovered that some of the nation's best known brands of apple juice contain arsenic.
On ABC's Good Morning America, ABC News Health and Medical Editor, Dr. Richard Besser confronted Dr. Oz calling what he said "extremely irresponsible." Dr. Besser contends that Dr. Oz has worried many parents needlessly
Dr. Oz was also interviewed by Matt Lauer on NBC's Today Show. Lauer asked Dr. Oz if he should be concerned about giving apple juice to his 11, 7 and 4-year-old children.
Dr. Oz assured Lauer and viewers that even though apples have arsenic, there is only a small amount and it would cause damage only if consumed over a long period of time.
According to the "Dr. Oz Show's" website, a laboratory tested "three dozen samples from five different brands of apple juice across three American cities" and compared the levels of arsenic to the limits of arsenic for drinking water set by the Environmental Protection Agency. They found 10 samples of juice with arsenic levels higher than the limits for water.
The show's experiment tested samples of apple juice made by Minute Maid, Apple and Eve, Mott's, Gerber, and Juicy Juice.
The FDA conducted its own tests of the apple juice investigated by the "Dr. Oz Show." In some of the very same lots of juice tested for the show, the FDA reported finding very low levels of inorganic arsenic -- 6 parts per billion at most, even lower than the 10 parts per billion recommended by the EPA as a safe level for drinking water.
CONCLUSION
Dr. Oz emphasized two things:
- The arsenic is only a small amount.
- The arsenic would be harmful only if consumed after a long period of time.
WATCH the VIDEO on the LEFT to hear Dr. Oz in his own words.
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