They contain far too many heavy metals including the famous cadmium, accused of increasing the risk of cancer. Discover the magazine’s ranking of the worst and best brands for breakfast.
Oatmeal, stars of breakfast, seduces with its nutritional virtues. Rich in protein, fiber, iron, calcium and magnesium, they are easy to digest, low in fat and cholesterol-lowering. Thanks to their low glycemic index, oatmeal also prevents insulin spikes and cravings in the morning. But this health food, validated by all nutritionists, can nevertheless contain significant quantities of cadmium, a heavy metal present in fertilizers used in agriculture which is singled out by the French health authorities because of its dangers for the body. In its latest issue, the magazine 60 million consumers publishes a comparison of the best and worst brands of oatmeal.
The association screened twelve references sold in large retailers in order to look for the presence of cadmium, pesticides and other heavy metals. All of these health criteria, as well as the Nutri-Score of each brand, made it possible to establish a score out of 20. First observation of the study: “This metal (cadmium, Editor’s note) is omnipresent: our analyzes detected it in all 12 brands”. Some products nevertheless come out on top: at the top of the ranking, we find Celnat Large Oat Flakes (18/20), followed by U Bio Oat Flakes (17.8/20), designated as the “Choice of 60”, and E.Leclerc Grainéa Oat Flakes (17.7/20).
Conversely, four brands should be avoided according to the association’s criteria, mainly because of their accumulation of contaminants. The lowest rated references are: Auchan oat flakes (10.5/20), followed by Crownfield from Lidl (10.4/20) and Chabrior from Intermarché (10.4/20). Despite a correct overall score of 13.5/20, the famous oat flakes from the Quaker Oats brand have the highest cadmium levels in the panel. According to survey calculations, a regular consumer of these products ingests every week “one third of the threshold” of the tolerable weekly dose. By adding other daily food sources (bread, potatoes), “it is not excluded that it will surpass it!”warns the association.
Cadmium is unfortunately not the only unwelcome guest. The investigation reveals that Crownfield, Auchan and Chabrior oat flakes “also contain mycotoxins”substances secreted by microscopic fungi that can have carcinogenic effects. Arsenic was also found in Quaker Oats and Crownfield and “mercury in Monoprix oat flakes”. The levels remain moderate but their repeated presence raises the question of the long-term cocktail effect, particularly for the kidneys.
In addition to the choice of flakes, prevention measures are essential because cadmium is a formidable substance. Recognized for more than 20 years as a carcinogen, mutagen and toxic for reproduction, it contributes to serious health problems: heart disease (heart attack), lung disease (cancer, COPD), kidney disease, bone disease (osteoporosis) or metabolic disease (diabetes). The tolerable weekly dose is “2.45 micrograms/kilo (μg/kg) of body weight, or, for a 70 kg person, 171.5 μg per week”reminds 60 million consumers. To protect yourself, vary your sources of carbohydrates in the morning (rye bread for example), favor French organic products and rely on protective spices such as turmeric or ginger to support your kidney filtration.
